Workers with financial incentive more likely to step up

Companies that want a healthy workforce may want to show ‘em the money, according to research that found when workers were paid to walk for exercise they were more likely to adhere to a step program.

As reported by The Washington Post, the study – featured in the journal Circulation — involved 1,062 participants with a higher-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease who were being encouraged to become more active.

Given a wearable device to track their steps and divided into groups, one group was given a minor financial incentive: $14 a week, minus $2 each day that they did not meet their step goals.

Overall, people in this group upped their step count the most — adding about 1,500 steps a day plus voluntary weekly workouts — and maintained their increased physical activity for at least six months after the year-long study ended.