Imagine going to a gym and getting paid to work out instead of having to pay a membership fee.
That would be pretty sweet, right?
Well, it ain't gonna happen. Sorry. As far as I know, there isn't a gym in the world that would pay you to exercise in it.
But, there are several apps that pay you to work out and exercise. One called HealthyWage will even pay you up to $10,000 to lose weight!
If that sounds crazy, stick around to learn more about why these exercise rewards apps exist, how they work, what's in it for them, and how you can start getting paid to exercise.
The Psychology Behind Incentivized Workout Apps
The reason incentivized fitness apps work is similar to the reason why the Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit, and the newer Nintendo Switch Ring Fit were created:
Motivation is a critical factor in supporting sustained exercise.
So, in Nintendo's case, they motivate us to work out by making it fun. We can beat games, earn rewards for exercising, AND feel good.
Apps that pay you to lose weight, complete workouts, or exercise are similar, but they offer an even greater reward:
Real money or physical goods.
This study actually found that individuals with a financial incentive to lose weight were almost five times more likely to reach their weight loss goals within a specific time range than those without a motive.
The real question is:
If these apps pay you to workout, what's in it for them? What's the catch?
Well, just as Nintendo makes money by selling their consoles, games, and accessories, the apps below make money too.
They do this in two main ways:
- Advertising
- Selling their own products or services
I'll explain more about how each individual app works (and makes money) below.
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Best Apps That Pay You to Lose Weight
When I say these apps pay you to lose weight, I mean it.
You can make some big bucks with the apps below (if you're willing to take on a bit of risk, that is).
That being said:
If you're not interested in losing weight and you'd prefer to just get paid to exercise and work out in a more chill manner, skip to the next section.
1. HealthyWage
HealthyWage is the ultimate app for getting paid to lose weight.
Why?
Because you can win up to $10,000! That is an insane amount of money.
So what's the catch?
In order to win any money, you've got to risk your own. You need to bet on yourself. And if you don't hit your goal, you lose the money you bet.
This is scary for many, but it's also what makes HealthyWage so powerful and motivating.
Plus, if you're confident that you can hit your weight loss goal, you can make a ton of cash. As I said above, the max prize is $10,000.
To see how much you could earn, try out the HealthyWage prize calculator.
Or, if you'd rather go at it with a team instead of solo-dolo mode, check out the HealthyWage Team Challenge.
2. DietBet
The DietBet app is similar to HealthyWage in that it pays you to lose weight, but only if you're willing to risk some of your own cash first.
What makes DietBet different from HealthyWage is that in DietBet, you can join paid weight loss games with thousands of other players.
More players in a game = bigger cash prize pots.
There are also a large variety of game types, so you can pick a challenge that fits your goals. You can even host your own game with friends and family if you'd like.
In the end, the winners (the ones who hit the game goal) split the cash pot evenly amongst themselves.
Best Apps That Pay You to Work Out
Unlike the apps above, while the apps below may help you lose weight, that's not their focus. Their focus is simply on helping you become more active and healthy, and they use monetary rewards to help with that.
3. Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin is a neat app that pays you to walk, run, hike, and some users say it works for bikers too.
It's currently available in a ton of countries including the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands and more.
For every 1,000 steps you take, you'll receive 0.95 Sweatcoin.
After you've earned a handful of coins, you can redeem them for prizes, send them to friends, or hoard them (that's my strategy).
Each day the offers inside the app will change and circulate with rewards like magazine subscriptions, vacations, fitness equipment, yoga classes, PayPal cash, and even iPhones or Apple Watches.
To learn more, read my Sweatcoin review or head over to the official Sweatcoin website.
4. Optimity (Previously Carrot Rewards)
Optimity is cool because along with paying to you to exercise, you can also earn money by taking quick and simple surveys related to health and wealth.
The rewards on this app are lacking a bit at the moment though, so hopefully they add some more options soon.
5. Evidation (Formerly Achievement)
Evidation is an app that pays you to do all sorts of healthy activities. These activities include walking, meditating, logging what you've been eating, answering surveys, and opting into challenges.
As you track your activity and use the app, you'll be earning reward points.
10,000 points = $10.
Once you earn that money, you can withdraw via PayPal or Direct Deposit (or a charity donation).
6. StepBet
StepBet is the same idea as DietBet, except with steps. If you're an avid runner/walker, this is the fitness app for you.
Similar to DietBet, you'll need to bet on yourself to make any money.
After joining a game, StepBet will automatically calculate your step goals, which you'll need to hit each week in order to split the prize pot with the rest of the winners.
7. Charity Miles
This app doesn't entirely fall under the “Apps that pay YOU to work out” category. Instead, you will be earning money for charity — which is pretty damn awesome.
They actually have over 40 charities to choose from.
Here's how the earnings work:
You'll earn up to 10 cents per mile for biking and 25 cents per mile for running and walking.
This can be done solo, or you can create a team and work together with friends and family.
The downfall I see in this app is that they have not integrated use with Fitbit or other activity trackers. That means you'll have to have your smartphone with you whenever you go for a run or a bike.
8. PlayFitt
- Available on: Apple
- Available in: Canada, US, UK.
- Age requirement: 13 years old.
PlayFitt markets itself as the an all-inclusive fitness app that allows anyone to get paid to work out.
Instead of just paying you to walk or run, PlayFitt has real workouts with rewards — think squats, pushups, and situps. They actually track your movements too with the tech in your phone. It's pretty neat.
9. PK Rewards
- Available on: Apple | Android
- Available in: US and Canada.
- Age requirement: 13 years old.
PK Rewards allows you to earn cash and other rewards for doing any type of workout you like. As you exercise, PK tracks your effort level, and then turns that effort into coins.
10. myWalgreens Health Goals (Previously Walgreens Balance Rewards)
- Available on: Apple | Android
- Available in: US.
- Age requirement: 13 years old.
If you've ever searched for apps that pay you to be healthy, you've probably come across Walgreens Balance Rewards. It's now been rebranded as myWalgreens.
With myWalgreens Health Goals, you can earn up to $6/month in Walgreens cash for completing free health challenges — which include physical activity goals (working out, exercising, stepping, etc.) and lifestyle challenges (eating healthy, drinking water, etc.).
Each challenge lasts 4 weeks, pays $0.25/week for each successful completion, and awards bonus cash if you complete all 4 weeks. You can participate in both types of challenges (physical and lifestyle) at the same time for more earnings.
11. Runtopia
- Available on: Apple | Android
- Available in: Internationally/Worldwide including Canada, US, Mexico, Taiwan, Spain, UK, China, Australia, France, Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India, Japan, Peru, Chile, Russia, Germany, Egypt, and more.
- Age requirement: 13 years old.
Runtopia is one of the more serious apps that pay you to exercise. They'll pay you to run, walk, or bike.
They also have in-app training programs, advanced tracking, a community page to connect with other fitness enthusiasts, and little tasks you can do to earn more cash (like logging in multiple days in a row).
Get Paid to Exercise with a Delivery Gig (No Car Required)
There are a few delivery app jobs that you can do on foot or on bicycle, which has two bonuses:
- No additional car maintenance costs cutting into your profits
- You essentially get paid to exercise which will in-turn make you healthier and probably save you money
If you're interested, here are some options that allow on-foot or on-bike delivery:
- Postmates – Involves delivering food and other goods. Allows bicycle deliveries.
- DoorDash – Involves food deliveries. Allows cyclists and on-foot deliveries in some areas.
- Uber Eats – Food deliveries. Can be done on bike or on foot.
Other Ways to Make Money from Fitness
As you've probably figured out, the apps above, although they really do allow you to get paid to exercise and lose weight, the income is either really small or really inconsistent.
In other words, they won't allow you to quit your day job.
If you're super passionate about fitness though and you really would like to earn a living helping others get healthier and fitter, here are some ideas:
- Make a bet with your friends – Skip the apps and start a fitness challenge between your friends. This still won't make you a ton of money, but it's a fun idea.
- Become a personal trainer – This requires a lot of dedication but it can be an extremely fulfilling career. To learn more, check out this guide on how to make money as a personal trainer.
- Start a fitness blog or Youtube channel – This is one anyone can do, and the process of writing about fitness (and it's sub-niches: yoga, stregnth-training, dieting, etc.) will allow you to learn a LOT. Eventually, it can bring in a lot of cash too. If you're interested, learn how to start a blog.
- Open a gym – This one requires a lot more risk tolerance and starter capital, but the reward can be pretty huge too. Check out this guide to learn more.
- Create meal plans – This is a indirect way to involve yourself in the fitness industry. Diet is just as essential as having a proper fitness plan!
- Start a clothing brand – Gymshark (now valued over $1 billion) started as a supplements company, and then became an apparel company with clothes made by the founder and friends using a sewing machine and a screen printer. Nuff said.
- Make your own app – The above is a list of some of the most popular apps that pay you to exercise. Think you could make a better one? Try!
How to Save Money on Exercise Clothes
If you're getting excited to start being more active and you're planning on buying some new exercise gear, be sure to get it at a discount by using some type of cashback site or app.
Rakuten, for example, has cashback available at places like Nike, Under Armor, and more.
Final Thoughts
If you're willing to risk some of your own cash to get paid to lose weight or hit exercise goals, the rewards from some of the apps above can be pretty high.
As for the more passive income paid workout apps above, although they pay only a very small amount of extra money, they do provide an extra source of motivation, which is all some people need. And, they allow teens to make money with them as well, which is cool.
If you're looking for other ways to make money with your phone, check out my guide to GPT (get paid to) sites and apps, or these apps that pay you to shop.
Want to share your experience with any of the apps above? Or do you know of any other apps that pay you to lose weight, exercise, or workout, that you think should be on this list? Comment below!
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