Starting a new personal health plan is often difficult. Working out can be daunting and on some days, eating healthy just isn’t an option.
To help you stay motivated on your next fitness journey, we’ve compiled a list of amazing apps that reward you with pay for your walking habits! Whether you spend the entire day on your feet or can only add a few more steps per day, there's a step-counting reward app that will fit your lifestyle.
1. Charity Miles
Charity Miles is different from other step-counting apps. Instead of rewarding you directly with monetary prizes, the app pays donation sums to your favorite charities. Charity Miles turns every step you take into a mini-marathon focused on your most prioritized causes. You can create teams with your friends, or join already established groups to gain more money and help you stay motivated.
Charity Miles has donated over $3 million to various charities; by using it, you can start making a difference without spending a dime of your own. The app allows you to select between 40 different charity options. Some of the ones you can support include St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, The United Way, and Habitat for Humanity.
This app helps you to make a real difference in the world, one step at a time. It also connects with both Apple Health and Strava.
Download: Charity Miles for iOS | Android (Free)
2. StepBet
The StepBet app forces you to invest in your fitness journey. Other apps pay per mile, but StepBet has you pitch in on a betting pot. This guarantees your money back when you complete the fitness challenges. In addition, you can often make more money back than your initial investment, depending on how many people successfully complete the step challenge.
The pricing of the challenges differs, but most last around six weeks—making them a long-term investment for a fitness challenge. If you’ve decided that a Fitbit is the right purchase for you, this app is Fitbit compatible.
This app is a good fit for those with absolute confidence in their walking capabilities or anyone who needs a serious boost of encouragement to help them on their fitness quest. However, it probably won’t work as well for those looking to take a relaxed approach into their fitness journey.
Download: StepBet for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
3. LifeCoin
LifeCoin's app rewards you specifically for your outdoor steps. This means that if you work a busy job in a kitchen or hotel, another step-counting app is probably better for you. But for those who walk their dogs multiple times a day or enjoy hiking, LifeCoin is a step-counting app that will reward you for spending time outdoors.
The app uses GPS tracking to determine your step count; although this can be a battery drain, it works incredibly well for distance walking. It's best used for individual circumstances and then turned off in order to save battery. If you're looking for continuous daily step monitoring, consider other apps.
Those with high step counts can redeem them for prizes, such as gift cards and various products.
Download: LifeCoin for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
4. SweatCoin
SweatCoin pays you in sweatcoins, which are exchangeable for goods and services like gift cards and tickets. In addition to offering potential prizes, SweatCoin also gives you the option to donate your steps. You can donate them as monetary contributions to campaigns involving issues like environmentalism, human rights, and veteran care. This is a fantastic way to accomplish something with a community of your peers.
The free version allows you to earn up to five sweatcoins per day through your steps and completing various personal physical challenges. This may sound like a small amount, but there are prizes available for as little as 10 sweatcoins. You’ll thus be able to claim success more often than you expect.
Be wary of some of the bigger prizes, as they take too long to earn. In addition, although the app is very fun, at some points it feels like free advertising for companies rather than a fitness motivation tool. There is also a function for inviting friends to join which is one of the best ways to help you stay motivated and safe during a walk.
Download: SweatCoin for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
5. Walgreens
Instead of providing only a step-counting app like some of the other options here, the Walgreens app provides a fully rounded experience regarding everything Walgreens. In addition, the drugstore's mobile offering rewards good health behavior.
With it, you're able to opt into challenges that last four weeks. Successful weekly completion of these challenges results in $0.25 in Walgreens Cash per week, with the opportunity for a $2 bonus upon successful completion of all four weeks. Walgreens Cash can be used in-store or online to purchase from its locations.
This app not only offers health rewards based on mileage, but also rewards behaviors such as proper eating and maintaining sleep patterns. You can also partake in physical strength and meditation exercises. All healthy activities are rewarded with the Walgreens app. The app also tracks prescriptions, helps you find health providers, and provides in-store savings.
Download: Walgreens for iOS | Android (Free)
Walking Into Rewards
Walking is not only beneficial to your physical health, but also has proven benefits for mental well-being. Considering the effects that walking can have on the body, any additional rewards are just an bonus to one of the most natural forms of exercise.
If you don't enjoy walking on its own, why not try another app that injects more fun into the experience?