Connect Your Device, Set Health Goals, Get Rewarded!

This #BalanceRewards shop on setting health goals has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Achieving your health goals is not always the easiest thing to do.  Sometimes it’s a matter of life getting in the way (or that piece of cheesecake looking really good), sometimes it’s a matter of us not having the proper motivation, and sometimes it’s a matter of us not progressing as well as we think we are.

That last one is something I don’t think we always think about, but can actually be a bigger roadblock than you may think.  Sometimes my perception is that “Wow, I walked a lot today!” or “Hey, I stayed inside my calorie target by a lot”.  But without a tracking method, there’s no way to know if that’s true or not.

For the last few months, I’ve been tracking my health goals in a variety of ways.  My Misfit Shine activity tracker for steps and sleep and the MyFitnessPal app for water consumption, calories consumed, and a second way to track activity have been my two main go-to devices.  The visual display of seeing progress towards my goal is a great way to see if I need to kick it up a notch or if I’m on track.

Walgreens also realizes the importance of making healthy choices and have integrated it with their Balance Rewards program.  If you’re not familiar with Balance Rewards, it’s the free Walgreens loyalty program.  You can earn points through purchases and other methods; each 5000 points will take $5 off your store purchase.

Balance Rewards for healthy choices Program

One of those “other methods” for earning points is through the Balance Rewards healthy choices program.  You will receive points per mile tracked, daily points for weigh-ins and blood pressure checks, and points from your connected devices and apps.  Yep, that’s right: you can sync your BR for healthy choices account to your own devices (like Fitbit, Jawbone, and iHealth) and apps (MyFitnessPal, RunKepper, and MapMyFitness) for easy tracking.

You just go to your Balance Rewards account online and click the Devices/Apps choice. Choose the devices and apps you’d like to sync, and click the connect button. You’ll be promoted to log into that device and give permission to sync, and then you’ll be ready to earn those points.

I have to admit, getting those extra points is an incentive in and of itself for me. I like being rewarded, what can I say? I’m already walking/jogging/running, I’m already tracking – why not link my accounts and earn those points? Points that I can use to shop for all kinds of things on my regular weekly Walgreens shopping trips.

Sometimes I use those points for fun, like to feed my magazine or nail polish habits.  Sometimes I use them to keep my workouts going, by purchasing bottled water and healthy snacks.  And sometimes I use them for necessities, like a couple of gallons of milk for Bubbles.

If it sounds easy, that’s because it is.  And it’s a great way to reward yourself for working towards your health goals!

What do you use to reach your health goals?