Fitness band knows if you’ve been good or bad
By Hannah Weinberger, Outside
If the reward-based philosophy of the fitness tracking industry hasn’t kept you from skipping workouts, it might be time to try a different approach.
Enter Pavlok, the habit-forming, accelerometer-equipped wearable that won’t let you avoid your goals. The neon-yellow wristband helps track fitness benchmarks and uploads progress to an app. But instead of only rewarding positive behaviors, Pavlok (think Pavlov) is a taskmaster that uses negative reinforcement.
Pavlok users who do what they set out to can earn money and prizes, but as the fitness band’s creators explain on their website, “The carrot isn’t enough—sometimes you need the stick.”
Hit the snooze button twice or skipped the gym? Bluetooth 4.0-capable Pavlok shames you on Facebook by letting friends know you’re sleeping in or slacking off. You can also sync with a buddy and monitor each others progress—if you’ve fallen off the wagon, your friend can remotely shock you or require you to pay a fine.
