“Many of us follow the daily COVID-19 news updates, both globally and here in South Africa, which keep count of the numbers of people affected by this awful virus. However, what if we were to start paying this much attention to counting our personal healthy achievements and steps towards our fitness goals,” suggests Director of Marketing, Distribution and Rewards, Bianca Viljoen. 

“There is no better way to regain a personal sense of control over the situation that COVID-19 has imposed on us than to focus our energy on keeping fit and healthy. Exercise not only offers stress relief, it is widely accepted that it supports overall physical and emotional wellness.

“Lockdown activities and so-called ‘quarantine creativity’ or ‘quarantivity’ have become enormous social media trends, and may both reflect and influence behaviour. If your family has a ‘lockdown baker’ in the house, for instance, it may be advisable to balance all this baking with some healthy physical activity and motivation,” she adds.

“Exercise is also, perhaps, the most constructive and appropriate way that we as individuals can strike back against the health threat that COVID-19 represents. The relaxation of lockdown restrictions to allow outdoor exercise at any time of day means that people will have more opportunity to be physically active, even though gyms remain closed for now,” Viljoen notes. 

“In addition, Platinum members can now earn cash back for the calories they burn or the number of steps they record wherever and however they may be exercising. Over a year, each member can earn up to R7000 through the Get Moving benefit by sending us the fitness achievements recorded on their personal fitness tracker at the end of each quarter.

“Members can earn cash back for simply participating in healthy behaviours that are comfortably suited to the individual or family’s lifestyle and preferences such as studying a SETA-registered course, playing golf, and getting regular health checks, among other benefits. The money accumulated is paid into the member’s Agility Healthcard, which in this financial climate is a convenient and welcome way to cover those little health extras,” she explains.

Agility Rewards is designed to optimise total wellbeing. The core progamme, which is available at no additional cost to Health Squared Medical Scheme members, offers unlimited access to Agility Assist benefits through telephonic legal, financial and psycho-social counselling and health advice from experienced nurses, as well as discounts on a wide range of products and services. 

“Investing time in looking after our fitness over the remaining lockdown period can help us change the way we define the effects COVID-19 has on this period of our lives. Either, we will look back on these months remembering feeling dominated by the coronavirus, or we can remember it as the time when we gained a new appreciation for the importance of taking care of our health and wellbeing,” Viljoen concludes.