Antidote to Physical Inactivity: Findings from RAND Study on Vitality Active Rewards with Apple Watch

The largest behavior change study on physical activity with more than 400,000 participants, the RAND study shows that combining incentives with the Apple Watch leads to significant and sustained increases in activity levels. The results offer unique insights into how to drive sustained behavior change in lifestyle areas that affect health and wellness, particularly with at-risk groups. Activity increased across the full spectrum of participants, regardless of health status, age or gender. While high-risk individuals are less likely to take up this incentive, their improvements in physical activity are more substantial than those with lower health risks. This group improved more than others, with increases in activity of 200% in the United States, 160% in the United Kingdom and 109% in South Africa. The 34% average increase in activity levels for people with Apple Watch equates to 4.8 extra days of activity per month, or two years of extra life. After completing this session, participants will be able to: (1) Explain why this study is so important; (2) Understand how the study worked; and (3) Implement the findings in their own workplace.