The NHS is to reward people who walk half an hour a day, in the first of its kind to pay Britons for working.
NHS England will launch its “marathon a month” challenge early next year, asking participants to walk for 30 minutes every day. Those who carry it every day will walk about 26 miles a month, the distance of a marathon, accessing the Internet either by phone or smart watch.
Complete the challenge and the subsequent rewards, which may include incentives and discounts, although the organizing team has yet to confirm exactly what is on offer. Vouchers are one method being considered, and the presence of the team of Sir Keith Mills, the founder of Air Miles and Nectar, suggests that the creation of the most popular loyalty programs in Britain will be brought to the counting of the nation's steps.
Most importantly for taxpayers, the NHS will not foot the bill for rewards. NHS England is putting together the initial set-up, but the wider plan is to secure funding from large companies as the program begins, with public and private sector partners running the program. Doctors and other health workers will be encouraged to promote it to patients.
The program is being developed with Sir Brendan Foster, Olympic medalist and founder of the Great North Run, who was asked by NHS England to create a walking campaign as part of the government's 10-year health plan for England.
“I'm known for running, but the ambition here is very simple. We want people to go. It's easy,” he said.
The aim is to register more than 100,000 people, the daily statistics are recorded digitally. If the target is hit, Sir Brendan says it will be considered the greatest race in history. He uses the culture of “leading,” the trend-setting mechanic behind Snapchat and Duolingo, to keep participants engaged.
The under 25 Business Matters interviewed were very happy. Another said the gamified challenge would push him to be more active, admitting that not wanting to break was a powerful motivator for him and his friends. Another, who already runs a distance of about a marathon every month, said that he would happily accept the award for what he has been doing.
The numbers behind this plan are clear. Physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths, according to official public health guidelines, and a person is considered inactive if they do less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week. Sport England's Active Lives study showed that in the year to November 2025 almost a quarter of adults, around 12 million people, fall into that category.
“If someone walks for 30 minutes five times a week, they can gain four extra years of healthy life,” said Sir Brendan.
For employers, this program comes at a time when the health of employees is a hot topic. Business groups are already backing a review of Keep Britain Working amid growing financial pressure on unemployment, and there has been a significant increase in UK employers using wellness strategies to raise engagement and cut absenteeism. A government-backed incentive program that moves workers out the door at lunchtime may prove to be a useful, and free, addition to the corporate wellness toolkit.
The potential savings to the health service is also significant, at a time when the technology is already being used to save hundreds of millions in NHS costs.
Not everyone believes that incentives alone will remove the dial. Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, says: “Encouraging people to be more active in their daily lives can support better health, and making it easy, accessible and rewarding could help more people get started. But we can't rely on individual behavior change.
Full details of the programme, including how to register, will be released in the coming months.
