ActivMob Health Platform

The activmob platform supports small self-organised groups doing regular activity in a way that fits with their lifestyle, interests and abilities. It helps people to get active and stay active.

URL = http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/mt/red/wearemobs/

Description

From a commentary at http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004971.html

"The Active Mob concept, which centers around getting people to sign up for some physical activity they already like to do (from dog walking to salsa dancing to Tai Chi to golf) and then hooking them up with both a group of friends or neighbors who share a liking for that activity, and a trainer who can help the group think about how to increase it's exercise value.

In the pilot project they're created a website to hook up Active Mobbers and share tips, launched a little magazine, and, most importantly, created a system whereby folks can track their progress.

"One of the biggest hurdles," Jennie says, "is that people get discouraged because they can't tell if their achieving anything." Subsequently, RED has developed a system which allows users to report their activities and get a bank statement-like report in the mail on a regular basis, documenting their progress. (This tracking also allows for the deliverables to be measurable, something of increasing importance to funders.)

All of this boils down to a simple concept: making fitness about spending time having fun with friends, rather than pulse rates and personal bests.

The initial pilot, in the Maidstone area, has proven so successful that RED is setting up a social enterprise to take it over and run it. It's a win-win for everyone involved: people are healthier and happier, government costs go down, and clubs and businesses prosper."