Pru and Adidas team up for workout points

Phil Jeynes, head of account development for PruProtect, said the partnership with the MiCoach device from Adidas means protection and insurance customers will earn vitality points every time they work out.

MiCoach uses web technology combined with heart rate monitors or other devices to record workout statistics. During the workout MiCoach provides audio coaching and gives information on when to speed up or slow down, how long the individual has exercised, how many calories have been burned, heart rate and other details.

The statistics can be uploaded to the customer’s account and Vitality, PruHealth’s healthy living programme, will translate it into points.

The number of points earned depends on the duration of the workout and how hard the user has been exercising. Depending on which device is used, Vitality will use the average heart rate, length of time or calories burned.

Mr Jeynes said: “MiCoach gives people a new and interactive way to tell us about their healthy activities and broadens the appeal of Vitality even further.”

Mark Loydall, director of Leicestershire-based Cambourne Financial Planning, said: “I like PruProtect insurance and I like the idea of Vitality as it suits a certain type of client, and anything to add to it is a good thing.

“However it is disappointing that this is restricted to one brand because many people already use other monitors. MiCoach is a good step, but if PruProtect linked up with others, such as Garmin and Polar, that would be fantastic and it would be the next big step into something really global.”

A spokesman for PruProtect said: “PruProtect is already partnered with Polar and has been for years.”