Rewarding Idea Grows

BOSTON -- The number of companies rewarding members for working out has increased in the past few months as several companies, including Virgin Life Care and Fitnsurance, announced their reward plans. Now, ItsMyBod (IMB) is stepping into the limelight with its rewards program. The program will receive a helping hand from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), which will promote the IMB Healthy Activity Rewards Program to IHRSA member clubs.

The IMB Healthy Activity Rewards Program provides members with reward points every time they register daily Healthy Activities into their accounts on www.ItsMyBod.com. They can redeem points for merchandise and services through local and national participating airlines, car rentals, health clubs, hotels, restaurants and retailers.

Points are not difficult to earn and entry-level award redemption such as a $25 gift card to Best Buy is 500 points. Members realizing less than the maximum daily point accrual can still receive rewards valued at considerably more than their cost of membership.

”We love Its My Bod's incentives for club members to participate,” said Chuck Leve, IHRSA's director of business development, “and we also like the fact that we'll be able to offer this program to the first 100 IHRSA member clubs signing up as affiliates at no cost, and at a 25 percent discount from the regular affiliate fee for those that follow.”

IHRSA is encouraging all of its member clubs to participate as affiliates and use the program as a sales and retention tool.

The program costs $5 per month for individuals and $8 per month for families (up to 9 members of the same household). The family membership enables K-12 students to participate by giving them their own personal accounts to accrue and redeem reward points. School children earn points with after-school sports activities such as baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, tennis, etc., while other family members earn their own points for their gym workouts and other healthy activities that are all redeemable for the same prizes.

Members also receive points for having a health club membership. Family memberships promote healthy competition among family members to achieve, improve and maintain their healthy activities and healthy lifestyles. Members register their healthy activities and calorie intake into their accounts and can accrue up 18 points per day based on the duration of their healthy activities and for calorie intake below 2,500 calories per day.