I am going to burst your bubble here: I am human. I KNOW, I KNOW, I seem like a robot, but I am not. Thus, like most humans, I don’t exercise enough. I’ve tried things like Health Month, which is awesome, but just publicizing and systemizing my goals hasn’t done it. At a previous job, I would get $500 back from my health insurance if I worked out 50 times over 6 months and that seemed to work. Unfortunately, I left the job before getting to the full six months.
Gym-Pact is taking the opposite approach and making people pay for their transgressions.
As a member, if you successfully fulfill your commitment, you enjoy great discounts on a fitness membership that you actually use. If you fall short of your commitment, a motivational fee is charged for each day missed that week to motivate you to get back on the fitness track. Members can choose both the number of days and the motivational fee, with a minimum of one day per week and $10 paid each missed day.
The economics may be tough though, because I imagine big gyms are optimizing for the people most likely to pay and least likely to show up. Heh, I’d love to be a fly on the wall during a brainstorming session at their ad agencies. Anywho, if they could get the money worked out, I know this could work for me. [via Good]