Discovery Health - Vitality & Team Vitality plus everything else you need to know

[Guest notmyname]

Holy moly, this has really pissed me off.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Small Fry

[Cyclewizz]

On a nicer note however, i tried the tropical greens smoothie this morning and it is by far the best i have has. That being said i have only had the Tropical Greens, Strawberry Stinger and Peanut Butter Bomb.

 

Ironically I also had a Tropical Greens this morning.

 

Now I've had 3, Tropical Greens, Peanut Butter Bomb & Cacao Cream.

[2wieltjies]

I understand from their point of view, I made my gold status in a month (90 000 points, family of 4).

 

Flip side of the coin, 600 points = 90 min vigorous heart rate(80% plus).

 

5km run at 30min = 15km. Cant run everyday 15km.

 

Cycling 90min at 80% HR. Just to get 600 points a day.

 

Now we going to work for our points

[Guest notmyname]

Let's put this into perspective. The new points system combined with the watch was always going to change once the real data started coming in. Their metrics have already increased HUGELY wrt how active people are once utilising the system and watch, and in order to keep it relevant, they need to adjust to ensure that people remain incentivised to do MORE.

 

More activity = less health risk = lower cost = better premiums etc etc.

 

Given that they're not increasing the soft cap of 1,200 points per week, the metrics wrt activities and the points they qualify for was always going to change.

 

I think they also had a look at just how many people were doing 2h plus activities just once, meeting the target, and then relaxing - that doesn't fit in with their idea of "increased activity". Now, instead of doing just one thing per week for 1,500 or 3,000 points, you need to do 2 of the same quality. A small change. A carrot, if you will...

Dude, I ride 4-5 times a week regardless of weather. To hit my allocated goal I'd have to ride everyday. Sadly there's no extra amo kicking about for a HR device. Wtf, why bother?

[Cyclewizz]

I'll have to kiss 3000 points in one go goodbye.

 

There's no ways that I'll manage a 3.5hr+ ride at 80% of max and I don't do any those events.

 

Seems they pushing events though.

A 50 -99km cycling event at any intensity = 600 points

Alternatively, 1.5hr+ ride at 80% of max.

 

The people that went for the watch based on the current point system might be a bit screwed.

[Cyclewizz]

Dude, I ride 4-5 times a week regardless of weather. To hit my allocated goal I'd have to ride everyday. Sadly there's no extra amo kicking about for a HR device. Wtf, why bother?

 

Your allocated goal might drop though.

 

We'll have to wait and see.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

TBH it's still very achievable. 

 

In my case - even if I were at the 1200 points per week requirement (which I'm not)

 

2 90 min rides per week @ 80% HR = 80% x (220-33) = 150bpm average. On my current loop, I'm averaging 166bpm. 

 

600 points per... Easy. 

 

With base training though, as in the other thread, it becomes more difficult. You need to go for 90 minutes plus before it starts getting okay. 

[Popit]

Sorry to say but they like moving the goalposts ...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

TBH it's still very achievable. 

 

In my case - even if I were at the 1200 points per week requirement (which I'm not)

 

2 90 min rides per week @ 80% HR = 80% x (220-33) = 150bpm average. On my current loop, I'm averaging 166bpm. 

 

600 points per... Easy. 

 

Even if I only ride for 30 min at 80% (their 80%) I'll get 300 points per. 4 rides / runs per week... Easy. 

 

With base training though, as in the other thread, it becomes more difficult. You need to go for 90 minutes plus before it starts getting okay. 

[Dude Crush]

I dunno... I agree that the points that were previously allocated were ridiculously generous.

But these are now really tough! I'd be extremely pissed if I had signed up for the Apple watch and certain activities now fetch less than 20% of the points I had previously expected.

 

Also, in summer now, it's easier to get outdoors and active, but come winter, most of my activity will be at the gym. No more 3hour rides every single weekend. At that point, I'm really gonna battle to make up 1200 even though I'll still be active.

 

Bit of a dick move by Discovery to go this strict based on a few summer months worth of data.

 

Also, read article on Fin24 or Moneyweb (I think) about data showing that people get their points on the first or second day and are thus disincentivised from activity later on in the week... Well if u start counting points over the weekend when people actually have time to go on long rides or runs, of course that's gonna happen! Logic clearly evades some of the designers of the system.

 

Im pretty cheesed off with this. I think it's more accurate than before but also think it's gone a little too far.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Dude, I ride 4-5 times a week regardless of weather. To hit my allocated goal I'd have to ride everyday. Sadly there's no extra amo kicking about for a HR device. Wtf, why bother?

do you hit more than 80% of your age based HR though? As What about pushing it for 35 min of the ride, stopping the watch and then doing a new one for the rest... Or something along those lines. 

[Brickleberry]

These dishonest bastards. They have truly stepped up there game here. 90+ min at 80% for 300 points.this is gonna get interesting

[bertusras]

This is crazy, looking at my last couple of activities:

 

209 Minutes @ 153HR = 300 points (65K)

113 Minutes @ 165HR = 600 points (Only 29K)

195 Minutes @ 150HR = 300 points (1000 meters in 60K)

61 Minutes @ 158HR = 300 Points (404VAM)

130 Minutes @ 146HR = 300 Points (23.8m/1km over a bloody mountain)

287 Minutes @ 138HR = 300 Points (Wellington to V&A Waterfront)

121 Minutes @ 143HR = 300 Points (Lazy 45K)

139 Minutes @ 155HR = 600 Points (Legs were **** so HR was high with some climbing)

 

OR

 

Just go at 80% for 30 Minutes and still get 300 Points. Does really not make sense to me.

[HBO]

I can see the logic in this, but I thing the right thing to do was to adjust the values on renewal in 2017.

 

To be honest, to get your weekly rewards with 1 exercise might not be fair, comparing to the guy who is training everyday of the week.

 

anyway, I gave up on Vitality a while ago. I can't get my strava or Garmin or polar linked to the Discovery app. Even with the new points structure I will easily achieve the goals.

 

But to get somebody at Vitality or Discovery that is competent to assist is basically impossible. #vitalitymustfall

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

These dishonest bastards. They have truly stepped up there game here. 90+ min at 80% for 600 points.this is gonna get interesting

Fixed. 

 

if your HR is between 70&79% you get 300. 

[Guest notmyname]

do you hit more than 80% of your age based HR though? As What about pushing it for 35 min of the ride, stopping the watch and then doing a new one for the rest... Or something along those lines.

I've not got a HRM.