Financial Incentive ProgramIncentives in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Participants will be asked to track their exercise daily, using an online tool called ExTracker.ca, for 52 weeks. Date, type of exercise, time spent exercising, and distance covered will be self-reported, as will steps per day and 10-minute bouts of MVPA per day (measured by an accelerometer). In the first six months, participants will earn financial incentive (ex. grocery vouchers) each day exercise is tracked. In the second six months, participants will earn virtual rewards (i.e. heart badges) each day exercise is tracked.

Participants will be asked to track their exercise daily, using an online tool called ExTrack.ca, for 52 weeks. Date, type of exercise, time spent exercising, and distance covered will be self-reported, as will steps per day and 10-minute bouts of MVPA per day (measured by an accelerometer). In the first six months, participants will earn virtual rewards (i.e. heart badges) each day exercise is tracked. In the second six months, participants will earn financial incentive (ex. grocery vouchers) each day exercise is tracked.

All participants will have access to a web-based exercise tracking tool called ExTracker. Individuals will be asked to submit their exercise diaries daily for 52 weeks, using the ExTracker program. Upon entering exercise information, participants will receive individual (e.g., You've completed 50% of your exercise sessions this week!) and group-level (e.g., You and the other people in this study are walking across Canada! Next stop - Toronto!) feedback. Should participants cease to use the platform for one week, they will receive an email reminder to re-engage with the platform. Three such emails will be sent to lapsing participants.

All participants will be asked to wear the StepsCount Piezo accelerometer, and track the steps per day and bout minutes of MVPA per day measured by the device. Additionally, participants will be mailed an accelerometer (and asked to return their used ones) at study weeks 26 and 52 in order for the researcher to confirm the data inputted into the ExTracker from the device.

Participants will earn 'virtual rewards' (i.e. a heart badge) each day they track their exercise, for the first six months of the study. In the second six months, participants will "crossover" to the other therapy, the 'financial incentive' therapy, for six months.

Participants will earn financial incentives each day they track their exercise, for the first six months of the study. In the second six months, participants will "crossover" to the other therapy, the 'virtual rewards' therapy, for six months.