OPINION: Can an Apple Watch extend your life?

The following is an opinion piece from the JayMac News Show and does not necessarily reflect the views of KSL or its ownership.

Is it true? Will the Apple Watch add two years to your life? Anytime you add an Apple device to your life you’re going to extend your life expectancy, right?

This actually has to do with incentivizing people’s health practices by saying, “Hey, we’ll give you a fitness device and if you meet certain standards you don’t have to pay for the device.”

It’s kind of like bribery in advance. What they’ve found is that the Apple Watch is providing that incentive and with other devices, people weren’t as willing to get up and move around.

Vitality is one health program companies across the globe are using. Employees pay a monthly fee for their Apple Watch until it’s paid, but if they’re being active they get a discount – all the way up to free. One company found that it increased healthy living practices among 34% of their staff. I find that pretty impressive. I guess the carrot on the end of the stick has to be an Apple Watch.

Full disclosure: I got an Apple Watch and I probably got lazier.

I think these ideas are cool as long as they’re voluntary and people are doing them. What I don’t understand is how they know it’s you actually wearing it. I can imagine one employee wearing 3 watches for their coworkers, or someone putting it on their dog.

I want to ask you, if you could get an Apple Watch would you increase your physical activity? If not an Apple Watch, then what? What is the carrot on the end of the stick that would get you to exercise more?

Jay Mcfarland hosts the JayMac News Show as well as the fictional podcast, Hosts of Eden. KSL Newsradio is part of Bonneville Media and based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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