“Aloha cheeky monkey! Please do use HabitBull daily.” Today, I found myself in amusement repeating these words sent as an automatic reminder to report my goal-attainment-status.
Unsuccessfully, I had tried to stop eating by 8:00 PM off-and-on throughout last fall. It was frustrating, because I knew the research about the benefits of time restricted eating, and… I’M A WELLNESS COACH! No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to stick until I started using a simple goal-setting app. I was quite confident that apps were not a strategy that would work for me, but thought it worthwhile to investigate, so that I was knowledgeable when talking to clients. Much to my surprise, at sixty-six days after starting HabitBull I am singing a new tune!
Photo by Jessica To'oto'o on Unsplash
Why did this app work when other things I tried didn’t? I found it simple, playful, and motivating… it became a game. As kids, we created games that turned mundane tasks into exciting adventures. As adults, we can improve our health and wellness through that same process…..GAMIFICATION for health.
This is a growing area of research and application! Health insurance companies have caught on and some are even hiring full-time game producers. There is a peer-reviewed journal called “Games for Health” with studies looking at the impact of games on a broad spectrum of health and wellness related topics from mobility to cognitive and emotional control! Games for health is serious business!
Here are 5 highly rated apps to get you started!
1. Stickk (4.1 Stars with 15 Ratings)
Stickk helps you set a goal and stay on track with a financial incentive, referee and friendly support. Unlike Pact (app company that went out of business owing over $1 million to participants) there is no opportunity to make money only lose it. With Stickk you can't actually identify where the money goes, but they have a list of possibilities under FAQ. If you want the added motivation that would come by picking an organization that does not align with your values, you will need to skip this app and get a friend to help.
2. SuperBetter (4.7 Stars with 2,108 Ratings)
This game that takes aim at mental as well as physical health was designed by Jane McGonigal, out of personal need, when a head injury had left her feeling depressed, hopeless and lethargic she decided to turn her recovery into a game. The game encourages people to be their own superheroes. Goal completions, called “Epic Wins”, are broken down into “Daily Quests”. While on these Quests, players also work on four kinds of resilience (physical, emotional, social and mental) by completing "Power Ups”. Research at the University of Pennsylvania found that playing SuperBetter for 30 days reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression and increased a player's belief in his or her own ability to succeed and achieve goals. This is great for the particularly hairy challenges like quitting smoking.
3. Charity Miles (4.8 Stars with 16,160 Ratings)
When you run, walk or bike you can earn money for charities with this app. Choose from over forty charities from the Alzheimer’s Association to the Wounded Warrior Project. So far members have earned over $2.5 million for charity. What a motivating way to improve your life..and others!
4. HabitBull (4.7 Stars with 3,905 Ratings)
HabitBull has a wonderfully simple interface, and incorporates several tried-and-tested habit-building tricks for breaking negative habits or building positive habits. It also intelligently puts all your data in beautiful graphs. Finally, there’s also a discussion forum built into the app. The free version lets you track up to five habits. The “game” involves trying not to break the streak of successful days. I can’t get over how motivating it is to see a series of green circles!
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
5. Zombies, Run! (4.8 Stars with 4,302 Ratings)
This is an app that works with your GPS, uses your own music, and is full of quirky humor. No matter your pace it can be a fun distraction to get you through any number of outside or inside workouts (treadmills, exercise bikes, or elliptical machines, even). It puts you right into the story, and involves base building, so you’ll be collecting supplies along the way in order to rebuild your own town.
These apps might be the added motivation to get change to stick! My newest goal I added to HabitBull..."For the next two weeks I will visit Starbucks for a breve' latte' two or fewer times per week." This will be the real test!!
Wendy Dellis is a certified wellness coach. She joins years of training and work in the area of behavior change, experience as a fitness instructor and run club coordinator with a passion for adventure and people. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, Jay, and two sons.
The information contained on this page is for general information purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical or healthcare advice, but only topics for discussion. No physician-patient relationship exists; please consult your physician before making changes in diet or lifestyle.