Insurer Discovery’s Vitality bolt-in isn’t just good for getting you cheap movies and reduced gym memberships. The service also offers cash back on fitness wear and gear, including smart watches – provided you keep your fitness levels up. There are also other benefits available through partners that let you get earn rewards and discounts from retailers like Dischem, Woolworths, Pick n Pay – and even cheaper flights through Kulula. If you’re even remotely health-minded, it’s great system for getting discounts and freebies.
It’s changing a bit next year, mostly to tie into the launch of Discovery’s own bank, so rewards take the form of a pseudo digital currency that can be used at an array of reward partners.
“Vitality members now earn Discovery Miles when they achieve their Vitality Active Rewards goals. Members instantly earn 100 for each goal they achieve: 100 for reaching their exercise goal, 200 for reaching two goals, and 300 for reaching their exercise, drive and money goals. Plus, members earn a play on the gameboard for every goal they achieve.”
This itself is not news, and was revealed last month in a great breakdown of Vitality’s impending changes by Moneyweb. What I didn’t notice, and what seems to have slipped many by is that the number of rewards partners has increased, and from next year, will include – among others – Netflix and Steam. That means that by getting off of your arse and regularly going to gym, you could earn Discovery miles, which you’d be able to trade in for Netflix subscriptions and Steam vouchers. You could run yourself to a better, fitter you – while increasing your entertainment backlog at the same time.
Last Updated: October 24, 2019
The D
October 24, 2019 at 11:48
Me, running myself into oblivion on a treadmill:
“FOR CYBERPUUUUUUUUUNK!”
Guz
October 24, 2019 at 12:03
Sad thing to say but I don’t have ANY health insurance/policy. I simply can not afford it.
Luckily I’m quite healthy and very rarely need to go to the GP ect, My biggest fear is if I need to go to hospital for an emergency or accident.
Oh ya thats why I pay taxes for.,…for crappy government hospitals
HairyEwok
October 24, 2019 at 13:59
Getting games for working out?! Every marathon gamer out there next year.
http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/5JCEYvy4M3HEY/giphy.gif
The D
October 24, 2019 at 11:48
Me, running myself into oblivion on a treadmill:
“FOR CYBERPUUUUUUUUUNK!”
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 13:24
I can never run in a treadmill. Too boring, I only run on there if its snowing outside
Guz
October 24, 2019 at 12:03
Sad thing to say but I don’t have ANY health insurance/policy. I simply can not afford it.
Luckily I’m quite healthy and very rarely need to go to the GP ect, My biggest fear is if I need to go to hospital for an emergency or accident.
Oh ya thats why I pay taxes for.,…for crappy government hospitals
BradeLunner
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
This is hella scary, especially if the standards of educating our medical professionals drop, happy Halloween mate, take care of yourself
BradeLunner
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
This is hella scary, especially if the standards of educating our medical professionals drop, happy Halloween mate, take care of yourself
Hammersteyn
October 24, 2019 at 14:35
I call them slaughter houses.
Guz
October 24, 2019 at 18:12
That’s what I’m afraid of.
Hammersteyn
October 24, 2019 at 12:04
Gimme PS4 games and I’ll consider getting medical aid
Jacques Van Zyl
October 24, 2019 at 12:04
Gonna have to look at more exercise. Steam games and Netflix for simply hatching Pokemon eggs I was gonna do anyway? This is how you get me to be healthy.
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
well walking only gets you a 100 points for the day, if your goal is 900 for the week, that’s not enough.
Jacques Van Zyl
October 24, 2019 at 13:59
Will do a bit more then, because nothing beats saving money even if the exercise kills me XD
For the Emperor!
October 24, 2019 at 14:18
6 days normal walking, 1 day Parkrun (you can still walk it) will get you 900 ?
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 16:32
there’s also a vitality myrun on a sunday, which is cool, just pay for the timing tag, all the runs are free.
For the Emperor!
October 24, 2019 at 18:53
True that! Though I miss those as Sundays are my long run or race days 🙂
Raptor Rants
October 24, 2019 at 12:51
I hope Discovery understand that gamers are experts at crashing servers on launch day
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
bring it, run your a** off come Jan 1.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 13:24
Not so sure about this one; every time people starts making use of the Vitality benefits en mass they nerf them.
After I made the calculation that I was spending R600 for R200 rewards and the only way to increase them was to switch my short and long term insurance which would increase the premiums with 30%.
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
you don’t have to switch your insurance, but look at the other options, like flight boosters, devices boosters, shoe booster. I currently have a device booster, which they pay up to R4000 on a device that you buy – as long as you meet your goals for the month. I’m only paying R2000 for the device they cover the rest provided you meet your weekly goals.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 14:18
Those boosters sucks just as much (okay take into account the following was the case when I was last on vitatility).
Take the device booster, it is limited set of devices only at their retail partners. I bought a fitness monitoring device with pretty much the same set of features; at least all the features I would want from it; for a R1000. So I end up saving at least R1000; since those goals tend to increase to very hard levels as the effective 24 month lock in progresses I will probably saving a few R1000 as my hectic work schedule does not allow any more free time or even less during hectic sprint cycle I run the risk of missing goals and now have to find place in the budget to pay off another R2000.
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 14:53
dude, when it comes to saving money, I will find the time!!, well that’s me. It can be tough at times, I know I fell off the wagon for a couple of months this winter, n leave n work, but I’m back, working off the boep ;P
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 14:54
dude, when it comes to saving money, I will find the time!!, well that’s me. It can be tough at times, I know I fell off the wagon for a couple of months this winter, n leave n work, but I’m back, working off the boep ;P
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 15:29
Well that is my point. I saved both by cancelling Vitality, Vitality credit card and by investing that money in a home gym.
It went from a true R99 month rewards program that gave me FREE gym, almost R800 a month into an investment account of healthy food savings and R20 movies to something with a R400 a month base price and ever increasing extra fees and contracts to get rewarded.
konfab
October 24, 2019 at 16:10
Very hard?
The maximum active points they will ask you for is 900. If you do a vigorous 30 min exercise, you get 300 points.
You telling me there isn’t anywhere in your work schedule to find 3 sessions of 45 min?
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 16:10
Again this was when around the time I cancelled mine, from friends who took the original iPhone/watch offer they started all happy almost a year down the line they had to increase their daily workout routine time by 3 to have any hope of staying in the maximum discount bracket.
And yes my work schedule sometimes reach Epic levels of insanity where I barely have time to spend 2 hours each night with my kid and making dinner.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 16:10
Again this was when around the time I cancelled mine, from friends who took the original iPhone/watch offer they started all happy almost a year down the line they had to increase their daily workout routine time by 3 to have any hope of staying in the maximum discount bracket.
And yes my work schedule sometimes reach Epic levels of insanity where I barely have time to spend 2 hours each night with my kid and making dinner.
konfab
October 24, 2019 at 18:33
“increase their daily workout routine time by 3 to have any hope of staying in the maximum discount bracket.”
That is kinda the point though.
HvR
October 24, 2019 at 21:49
Which is my point……if you are all wrapped up in “reward” in the beginning not realising your 40min daily workout needs to turn into 90min of 2hours down the line you are locked in and your “reward” is couple of hundred rand less of disposable income.
konfab
October 24, 2019 at 21:50
I think about it the other way.
Going to the gym is good for you (despite how much I hate it and the people who go). Therefore getting some reward for it is better than nothing.
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 22:23
I’m not a gym lover, rather run on the road or Park or Stadium
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 22:23
it’s now capped at 900 points for the week, only need to put in 3 x 30 min run sessions for the week and your good.
BradeLunner
October 24, 2019 at 13:25
Speaking of fitness, are we gonna get a video of you guys reviewing the Switch ring fit adventure? 😀
Geoffrey Tim
October 25, 2019 at 08:48
review yes. Video…probably not. My capture hardware died and I’ve not been able to replace it.
BradeLunner
October 25, 2019 at 14:42
Don’t you guys have phones XD
For the Emperor!
October 24, 2019 at 13:41
Already getting free Virgin Active and money back on my fitness gear. No idea what to do with those ‘coins’ though since they took he R100 voucher for Nandos away…spending it on Netflix or Steam would be great!
justlikemo
October 24, 2019 at 15:50
yeh that was a good one, now they got a silly side option from nando’s, will pop an email to the team about bringing it back.
For the Emperor!
October 24, 2019 at 16:50
I would even gladly trade 150 or 200 points/coins for that again! Now the stuff gets to expiry and I just do the “move to give” or a smoothy if I have time
HairyEwok
October 24, 2019 at 13:59
Getting games for working out?! Every marathon gamer out there next year.
http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/5JCEYvy4M3HEY/giphy.gif