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Move-to-earn – The Crypto Fitness Trend That is Encouraging People to Exercise

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We all know that maintaining a regular exercise routine is difficult, and people find all sorts of excuses to avoid doing any physical activity, from the classic “I’ll start tomorrow” to the overused “I am too tired to workout” or the reassuring “I’m already thin enough”. If you’re already familiar with these excuses and you’ve been struggling to stick with a fitness program despite trying all the tricks in the book, there’s one solution that might help you find your lost motivation and get in the mood to exercise more often: move-to-earn (M2E) dApps. 

If you’re a crypto enthusiast, this trend is sure to get you hooked. And even if your knowledge of crypto is minimal, move-to-earn platforms are still worth giving a shot. Most people see blockchain technology and crypto as something that’s extremely complicated and therefore rather boring. Some think that all crypto fans do is spend their time on exchange platforms like Binance and constantly check the Bitcoin price so they can decide when’s the right time to make a move. 

In reality, the cryptoverse is much more ample and diverse, with plenty of applications across numerous industries. While there’s no denying the intricacy of blockchain technology, its real-world use cases can be quite fascinating, not to mention useful, and move-to-earn apps provide a great example in this respect.   

What is move-to-earn? 

Move-to-earn is not necessarily a new concept. Wellness platform Lympo has been using this model for years to reward its users and incentivize healthy living. However, it wasn’t until 2022 that the trend really started to pick up steam and M2E popularity seems to be increasing as we move further into the year. 

As for the goal of M2E apps, the clue is in the name. These platforms give users the opportunity to earn crypto rewards for engaging in different physical activities, while also allowing them to take part in the usual income-generating activities such as staking, trading or minting. The concept is similar to the Play-to-Earn (P2E) model where users get rewarded for carrying out certain in-game actions. The only difference is that M2E apps require participants to move around instead of standing still behind a screen and playing games. The platforms use a combination of blockchain, GPS, NFTs, and GameFi technologies to monitor users’ activity and compensate them for the effort they put in. 

Since the M2E market is still in its incipient stages, there aren’t any statistics on the number of people using these apps or the profit they generate, but the biggest M2E apps in the market are reporting an increasing number of users, with some of them surpassing the 500,000 mark over a six-month period. 

What makes the M2E concept so interesting is the fact that it uses well-established tech innovations and merges them to create new applications that provide all sorts of benefits for its users. What’s more, developers are being quite creative about the way they integrate M2E concepts into their projects, giving rise to a variety of applications with different features and functionalities. 

For example, M2E can be incorporated into gaming platforms, so players can progress through a video game or build stronger characters by moving around and exercising in the real world. Some of these games also give players the opportunity to compete against each other to win certain prizes, so you can enter the challenge with a friend to make the gaming experience all the more entertaining. 

Other M2E apps focus solely on the fitness aspect, so their goal is pretty clear: they provide users with crypto rewards after completing different physical tasks such as running or walking. There might be other features that add more interest to the platform, but this is the basic principle they rely on. After earning these rewards, participants can use them on the platform or exchange them for fiat money. 

The best M2E platforms to try in 2023

If you’re not familiar with M2E apps, you might find it difficult to know which platform to try. So, we’ve done the research for you and rounded up the best M2E apps for 2023.

StepN

StepN is a M2E platform built on the Solana Binance and Binance Smart Chain blockchains that values your steps quite literally. Users are required to purchase a pair of Sneaker NFTs with SOL or BNB and then they can start earning Green Satoshi Tokens (GST), the app’s native currency, in various ways such as moving and walking or entering weekly/monthly competitions. 

SweatCoin 

This free app developed by a London-based company serves as a new-generation step counter that encourages people to go out and walk. Users get rewarded with SWEAT coins for simply stepping outside and taking a stroll. Every step counts and the funds one acquires can be used to purchase books, fitness equipment, personal training consultations, etc.   

Wellcoin

Unlike the previous platforms, Wellcoin doesn’t focus solely on movement but also on building healthy lifestyle habits. Sleeping a certain number of hours per night, exercising or eating healthy are some of the activities that the app takes into account – either via fitness trackers or photo uploads – and rewards them with Wellcoins. 

StepApp

Underpinned by the Avalanche blockchain, StepApp works similarly to the StepN app, as the name implies, requiring users to equip a pair of sneaker NFTs and encouraging them to get active and exercise more by rewarding them based on how much they walk, jog or run. 

Actifit 

Actifit is a M2E platform that promises to change the way people workout, based on the same principle of incentivizing physical activity. In order to earn Actifit (AFIT) tokens, users have to connect to Actifit via a mobile app or wearable that tracks their daily activities, with rewards being granted after a minimum of 5000 steps. 

Final thoughts 

If you’re tired of your sedentary lifestyle and want to change your habits but can’t seem to find the motivation to get started, these M2E apps can help you take the first step forward, in the literal sense of the word, and boost your income at the same time, so feel free to give them a try. 

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The Rx Review is an independent fitness website, reporting on the Sport of Fitness, functional fitness news, The CrossFit Games, health and diet related information, and also provides reviews on sports performance products.