Earlier this month, the NHS announced a new scheme to encourage Britons to walk more.
The programme, dubbed ‘Marathon A Month’, will offer rewards to those who walk at least 30 minutes a day. The idea being that those who manage to walk at least 30 minutes a day will walk roughly 26 miles over the course of a month, the distance of a marathon.
People who complete the challenge, logging their daily walks on a smartphone, smartwatch or similar device, will be eligible for rewards such as discounts at high street retailers who are understood to be partnering with the NHS for Marathon A Month.
At DOR-2-DOR we welcome this announcement from the NHS. We have always been advocates of the benefits of regular exercise to people’s physical health and mental wellbeing. We are also pleased that our Post People, who already walk far more than an average of 30 minutes a day, will get this extra reward as they get paid to keep fit.
Get Rewarded To Keep Fit
DOR-2-DOR are long-time advocates of the benefits of exercise; we’ve seen the benefits first hand and also how an incentive can help previously inactive people get fit.
We’ve watched as people who would have previously been inactive start working for DOR-2-DOR as Post People and transform their lives and health.
Our Post People regularly tell us about the weight they’ve lost, the health goals they’ve achieved, and feeling more awake, alert and happier after making exercise a regular part of their week.
We’ve even seen previously inactive people start working for DOR-2-DOR and go on to run marathons! It’s incredible to see a health journey that starts as a DOR-2-DOR Post Person culminate with running 26 miles continuously through the streets of Edinburgh.
For this reason,n we are extremely excited by the Marathon A Month scheme and expect it to be a great success. As well as providing an additional reward for our own Post People, who already walk at least 30 minutes a day doing their rounds, we will be encouraging them to sign up.
36% Of UK Adults Are Inactive
The UK has, over the last few decades, become an increasingly sedentary society with more than 20 million UK adults, or approximately 36%, now classed as physically inactive. This means they take less than 30 minutes of exercise a day or walk less than the minimum 2000 steps a day needed by a healthy adult.
This has serious consequences; the risk of developing certain cancers, heart disease and dementia all rise significantly among those who walk less than 2000 steps a day. The NHS estimates that one in six deaths in England is a result of physical inactivity. As we like to say at DOR-2-DOR, a daily walk can add years to your life.
These avoidable health issues also cost the health service dearly, with just additional heart disease cases from inactive adults costing the NHS an estimated “1.2 billion per year.
It’s not only physical health that benefits when people get more active, but mental wellbeing as well. A study by The Lancet shows that even taking short regular exercise, such as a thirty-minute walk each day, can provide a significant boost to mood, alertness and help reduce fatigue.
‘Marathon A Month’ Can Help Motivate People To Get Fit
One of the biggest struggles people face when getting active is motivation. This is where gamification, like the NHS’ Marathon A Month scheme, can help.
Gamification is the practice of integrating aspects of game design into activities. Examples of gamification could include incorporating elements such as points, leaderboards and periodic rewards, as well as the visual language of games, which we have come to associate with fun, into non-game activities. I’m sure many of us have had a game on our phone we couldn’t put down, and gamification harnesses those same systems that keep us glued to games to motivate us to do other things.
Duolingo, most dating apps and several non-NHS fitness apps incorporate gamification to keep users coming back. Certainly maintaining my daily streak has made sure I listen to Audible every day! Gamification in education has been linked to a marked improvement in student outcomes.
Daily streaks, set goals, rewards for maintaining your steak and integration with smart devices are all clear examples of gamification that are included in the Marathon A Month scheme that the NHS hopes will encourage more Britons to get active.
The scheme has broad support, with both members of the public and fitness experts optimistic that there will be a high uptake and it will make a significant positive impact on the general health of the nation.
Marathon A Month Launching Soon
The Marathon A Month scheme is expected to launch nationwide in early 2027.
But you don’t need to wait that long to get paid to keep fit. Sign up to become a DOR-2-DOR Post Person and get rewarded to start your health journey today.
