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Paying employees to exercise doesn’t work, but taking money away might, according to a new study. Removing a small amount from a cash reward given upfront was more effective at promoting daily physical exercise than receiving a small reward for meeting physical activity goals.

Participants in a 13-week physical activity program were given a goal of 7,000 steps a day, and were randomly assigned to one of three reward groups: gaining a fixed reward for achievement, being entered into a daily lottery for achievement, or losing a small amount of cash that had been given at the start of each month. Participants in the loss-incentive group were 50 per cent more likely to achieve their daily goals.

Original research paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine on February 15, 2015.

Names and affiliations of selected authors

Dr. Mitesh Patel, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.