Image Credit : Baker IDI Promotional Pack & app store screenshots
Project Overview
Rise & Recharge gets you finding a healthier balance between sitting and being active by tracking time spent sitting and reminding you to get up every 30 minutes. The app is based on scientific research which shows that regular movement can reduce levels of fatigue, and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
b2cloud (Technology Developer)
Baker IDI (Client)
Vodafone Foundation (Project Sponsor)
Project Brief
Rise and Recharge is based upon the insight that Australians are sitting too much (on average 9 hours a day), and when comparing people who sit less with people who sit for more than eight hours a day these extensive sitters are at a 15% greater risk of early death. Those who sit for longer than 11 hours a day are at a 40% greater risk of early death after accounting for age, smoking and other factors.
Baker IDI's research has shown that the detrimental effects of being sedentary can be minimised by breaking up periods of sitting.
Since most Australians carry a smartphone with them at nearly all times, we set out to create an app that that got everyone changing how long they sit for. In order to appeal to most people, and therefore have the greatest impact, the app needed to be easy to understand and use, not require expensive hardware and most importantly be fun & engaging.
Project Need
The risks of a sedentary lifestyle are well known however many people underestimate how many hours they spend sitting during the day. In addition, many people who regularly participate in moderate to vigorous exercise do not consider themselves "sedentary" but recent research has found that even regular exercise does not offset all of the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. With the average Australian sitting for 9 hours a day, this amounts to a potentially huge problem.
Whilst a number of health and fitness apps and products out there track steps or map runs, these tend to focus on people who are already leading active lifestyles. As a research institute, Baker IDI is focused on creating a positive outcome for the greatest number of people.
The app is targeted at everyday Australians, who may or may not be active outside of work but are sitting at a desk for most of the day. The app identifies movement through the accelerometer built into most phones. For older phones without an accelerometer, or for users who want more comprehensive data, movement can also be tracked through wearable tracking devices linked to the phone or manually entered.
Rise and Recharge fills a big gap in the market by providing a simple to use, easy to understand tool for getting people to find a healthier balance between sitting and being active.
User Experience
Users simply download Rise & Recharge from the App Store or Google Play and set their preferences. They use the app to track the time spent sitting and how often they move. Every 30 minutes they are prompted to stand, stretch or walk: the aim is to move regularly for short intervals. Health information is provided through the app so that users can find out more about why sitting less over and for shorter periods of time is a healthy habit.
In App:
Rise and Recharge gamifies the process of reducing prolonged sitting. The day is divided into 30 minute periods, with a grey dot representing each period. When sufficient movement is achieved (15 steps) the grey dot will change colour if no movement is detected the dot will remain grey. For every 8 coloured dots achieved, a star is awarded, with the ultimate aim of achieving a 5star day!
Rise & Recharge records daily progress and provides a summary of the results for each month. This provides a simple visual snapshot, highlighting which days of the week are better or worse for prolonged sitting. Users can look back at specific days of the month and consider how they might be able to reduce any extended bouts of sitting.
Users can also view a ‘Lifetime Average’, showing the average number of breaks since the app was downloaded, and also their "Record" showing the highest number of breaks achieved in a single day.
Project Marketing
With vast numbers of Australians sitting at a desk all day, Baker IDI focused marketing to these individuals in two ways; either targeting them directly via social media (#RiseRecharge) and traditional media, or by communicating through workplace channels.
The workplace promotional pack, including downloadable posters, email and newsletter templates, and visual and digital assets, enabled corporates to promote the app easily to their staff. Workplaces involved include Blackmores, NAB, SEEK, LendLease, True Alliance, Art Series Hotel Group and i2C.
Marketing has also been conducted through a number of Vodafone Australia channels in recognition of the support that Vodafone Foundation Australia has provided to Rise & Recharge. This includes a promotion to over 1 million Vodafone customers.
Media highlights include:
Herald Sun
Sydney Morning Herald
The Daily Telegraph
2UE
2GB
ABC 666 Canberra
3AW
2HD Newcastle
SmartCompany.com.au
TechExec.com.au
healthiq.com.au
businessnewsaus.com.au
Project Privacy
The app does not capture any user information (Names, profiles etc). Limited device data is captured to inform the user of their activity results but is de-identified.
Tags
Health
From ground-breaking apps accelerating medical research to apps helping consumers make healthier choices, we're looking for apps that are making health information and medical services more accessible to all.
More Details