Best of both worlds, right? Workout, lose weight, GET PAID.
Let me tell you this right at the top: you're not going to get rich with these phone apps. You're not going to quit your job. But you can get some nice extra spending money that can come in handy.
Two ways to make money from exercising and losing weight:
1. GymPact
I've been using GymPact since January 2011. It's had some growing pains, but overall it's a good app, and it's come a long way from where it started. GymPact pays you to work out. You tell it how many times a week you're going to commit to working out (minimum of three days a week) and how much you'll pay if you miss a workout (minimum $5 per workout missed). If you miss your pact, you pay. If you keep your pact, you get a split of the money from people who missed.
When it started, you could only use GymPact in a gym -- it locates you on your phone's GPS, and you have to stay there for 30 minutes. Technically, you could just sit in the locker room for 30 minutes, but really, if you're there, shouldn't you just work out?
New to GymPact since I joined: you can merge it with RunKeeper to count runs, walks, hikes, or bike rides you do outside, or you can wear it and use the altimeter to track a workout at home. I use this option when I do Zumba at home.
GymPact started as an iPhone only app, but the Android version released late last year, so yay! I've made about $130 from GymPact since January 2011. Not enough to pay my gym bill, but it pays for my Hulu+ and Netflix subscriptions :-)
2. DietBet
DietBet calls itself "social dieting." You join or create a bet, and everyone who joins is trying to lose 4% of their starting weight. You buy in to the bet, usually about $25-$35. You take a picture of your weight at the beginning and end so that DietBet can confirm it.
There's a social aspect where you can post your progress and workouts for people in the bet with you to comment on, but I think that would only be handy for small bets, where you actually have a chance of getting to know people. I choose the large bets, with the highest number of players for a large pot. There's a greater chance for people not to win than with a small bet, which means bigger payout.
I've done four DietBets and won three of them. And let me tell you, losing that one hurt. A lot. I just didn't get my act together in time. Thanks to DietBet, I've stayed pretty steady in my current 10-pound range. You can join up to five bets at a time, and I'd like to try that as a way to get out of this plateau. It's just hard because of the initial upfront cost -- two bets at $25 is $50 I don't really have to spare! But it would definitely keep me honest. Losing money is a very powerful motivator for me, even stronger than making money!
I've made $44 from DietBet. The most recent bet I won hasn't been tallied yet, but I'll edit this post as soon as it is to give an updated total. [Edited to add - I won $16 from the most recent DietBet!]
Join the newest game with me! It starts on September 24 and ends on October 21. It's got a big pot with lots of players, so if you win, it should be a decent payout! Are you ready to make a change?
DietBet is currently only available for iPhone.
Would the prospect of making or losing money motivate you to lose weight?
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