Preamble
For health insurance, I have a high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Insurance companies are motivated to keep as much of the money they get from people as they can. Because their metrics say that a moving person is a healthy person, they came up with a plan to reward people for staying healthy, which saves them money on claims. My company pays up to $3 per day towards an insured’s HSA if they could hit 3 markers using a fitness watch and a smart phone app. On top of that, there was a $55 incentive just to join up. That is the exact cost of the Striive Bio2H, the entry level watch that I started with and am still using.
My Programs Details
You purchase an “approved” watch, either through the insurance provider or on your own. They help with this by giving a $55 credit just for joining the program. You get $1 per marker that you hit every day. The markers are based on the Frequency, Intensity, and Tenacity (F.I.T.) concept. Specifics are as follows:
- Frequency: 6 walks per day, 7 minutes in length with at least 500 steps per walk. Walks also have to be 1 hour or more apart. Worth $1.00 towards HSA per day.
- Intensity: 1 fast walk or run per day getting at least 3,000 steps in 30 minutes. Worth $1.00 towards HSA per day.
- Tenacity: 10,000 steps total in one day. Worth $1.00 towards HSA per day.
My Observations
I started the program in the 2nd week of October, 2018. The insurance company actually started paying the $1-$3 per day on January 1, 2019, but I couldn’t wait to start with a new toy and lifestyle/fitness experiment! Within 2 weeks of wearing the watch, the buzz on my wrist had me well trained to get away from my standing desk and walk around for 5-7 minutes to get in my steps. It reminds me of my video gaming days, only now I’m here in the real world, having fun, and making a little money to boot!
By the end of November, 2018 (about 7 weeks after starting), I realized that I was getting 10 hours of work done in about 6-8 hours. I use a standup desk and try to move around at my desk regularly, so I thought I was already moving around, but apparently not enough for my brain to perform optimally.
I was curious to find out if anyone else noticed this effect, so in January of 2019 I polled 7 other users of the insurance program who were getting their Frequency walks every day or almost every day. I asked if they noticed a perceived increase in their overall energy and mental work capacity throughout the day. 6 of the 7 adamantly stated their performance and general feeling of well being had improved. The other user was noncommittal as to perceived beneficial effects, but did also state that there were no negative effects either.
During this time, I also felt that my aerobic capacity seemed to be increasing. So on January 30, 2019, I began doing Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) training. Since I go for all 3 F.I.T. markers daily I was already walking briskly for 30 minutes per day to get in 3,000+ steps. This was a perfect Segway to another fun n=1 experiment for me.
I have already been able to run a 15 minute mile while keeping my heart rate at the recommended 141 beats per minute (180-your age+10 if you’rein excellent shape) or lower (I’m running about 130-140 now). That is something I was not able to do after 2 months of MAF training back in 2017. More on all of this within the next few months in what will be titled “My MAF (Maximum Aerobic Function) Running Experiment”.
My Conclusion
If you are looking for a way to up-level your productivity and health, I can highly recommend a fitness watch as a wonderful reminder to get up and actually move around once per hour. Going forward, regardless of making money towards my HSA, I will continue to use this watch as the amazing health tool it has been for me. I feel it’s also worth adding that after going through this experiment, it is important for all of us to keep experimenting and find out what works best for us.
That’s it! Thank you for reading! If you’re looking for more help in optimizing your own life and would like to engage my services, or have an idea for a blog post, feel free to contact me.
Wishing you happiness, health, and success!
-Gregg
