High Five: You Can Now Earn Rewards Points For Exercising

Imagine if you were bribed to exercise. Like, run the stairs and you’ll get breakfast for free. Go to the gym class and I’ll give you a new pair of sneakers. Exercise every day this week and enjoy a holiday on us. I bet you’d be pretty fit.
Well, that’s the idea behind Running Heroes. Described as the “frequent flyers of the running world”, Running Heroes is a new national loyalty program that rewards you for getting sweaty. And contrary to what the name suggests, you don’t even have to be a runner. Whether you’re walking, jogging or even performing a HIIT class, you’ll accrue points for (literally) every step you take.
So how does it work? It’s simple, really. Running Heroes connects with popular apps, GPS watches and activity trackers—such as Runkeeper, Strava, Nike +, TomTom, Fitbit, Polar, and Garmin—to track your activities. As you move, you are rewarded with points that go toward discounts off products and services all over the country. Activity points are calculated using distance, time, elevation and speed, and they automatically sync with Running Heroes.
As for the prizes, a lot of companies have come on board including Nike, Adidas, Garmin, H&M, Uniqlo and Deliveroo. Taking a squiz now (because I just signed up, obviously), there are free personal training sessions, deals at local cafes and discounts on all your favourite activewear. Jumping across to the ‘Challenge’ tab, you can win a one-year free membership to subscription box Sprout Market for running 7km, a hamper of Sukin natural skincare in return for 5km and a trip to Thailand from Bangkok Airways for the whole marathon (42km).
“We’ve given away numerous 5-star running trips to Thailand and 10-day adventure holidays valued at over $3,000 to our members. They literally haven’t done anything apart from run in order to win these fantastic prizes”, said Sam Canavan, Managing Director of Running Heroes Australia and New Zealand.
But it’s not all take. Running Heroes has partnered with the Sally Fitzgibbons Foundation to allow runners to get moving for a good cause. You can now turn your kms into cash that’ll go towards tackling childhood obesity.
So what are you waiting for? Pick up a new fitness tracker, download these apps, sign up to Running Heroes and start running your way to a holiday. At least you’ll be beach-bod-ready by the time you get there.