Consumers Embrace Habit Tracking: Three New Services

• A Financial Incentive: US-based weight loss service Noom launched its Noom Vibe app in June 2024. Noom Vibe helps users improve their exercise, sleep and dietary routines. To promote good behaviours, the app offers rewards – called Vibes – when users complete daily activity goals, like reaching a certain step count. Vibes can be exchanged for gift cards or converted into money and donated to charities. “Combining financial incentives with improved self-efficacy has been demonstrated to lead to enduring lifestyle changes,” explains Dr Pouran Faghri, professor at University of California, Los Angeles and Noom’s scientific adviser.
  
  
• Aspirational Identities: The Atoms app is an extension of 2018 book Atomic Habits by American author James Clear. The app follows the self-help book’s habit-building framework – making small routine changes and linking habits to one’s identity (with the goal of transforming into “the person you want to be”).
  
  Within the app, users set intentions for daily habits. These involve planning to perform a certain action at a specific time and location to bolster a personal value. To keep them on track, users receive push notifications. The app tracks one habit for free, while a paid version allows users to track six habits and receive a daily motivational quote.
  
  
• Gentle Development: Some habit trackers are building in breaks to encourage long-term adherence. Apple’s WatchOS 11 update (coming autumn 2024) will introduce customisable daily goals and let users schedule rest days from exercise to preserve streaks – a move that allows people to adapt their goals to their schedule.

 
See also 10 Wellness Trends to Watch 2024.