Sam Gash: How I get the most from the AIA Vitality program (and how you can too)

ARTICLE

22 February 2022

4 mins read

Wellness

As a professional athlete, Sam Gash is constantly on the move. Still, she appreciates a little encouragement from AIA Vitality to maintain her healthy lifestyle choices.

Since I was young, I knew about the benefits of health and wellbeing, but didn't take real action until later in life.

The older I got, the more I began thinking seriously about my wellbeing. Over the years, I started to develop a more proactive approach to my health, as opposed to just being a passenger to wherever life took me. AIA Vitality's engaging program helps reinforce my positive choices and keeps me motivated.

Being proactive with my health

Being proactive with your health mitigates a lot of negative health consequences, and you can easily get a snapshot of your health through the AIA Vitality Health Check.

The AIA Vitality Health Check involves a quick 15-minute visit at an AIA partner pharmacy. There are four simple measures in this test – BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose. It's not complicated and time consuming like a traditional blood analysis – it's a simple process that involves testing a little drop of blood from a finger prick. (It also earns me lots of points – win-win.)

These points move you between different AIA Vitality statuses – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum – which unlock different levels of rewards and discounts. I'm currently on Gold, but I'm looking to achieve Platinum (the highest) soon, so there are a few things I make sure I get done every membership year to earn points.

I make sure to fill out the entire suite of health assessments, including finding my AIA Vitality Age. The first time I did it, my AIA Vitality age reflected my true age. The year after, it dropped by a year. It felt great to see progress.

I also complete the mental wellbeing assessments every membership year. The tests reaffirm that I'm in a good spot with my mental health, and make me realise how lucky I am that I've got a great support network. That makes such a big difference.

AIA Vitality seamlessly blends in with my daily life

As a runner, I move a lot every day. I track my activity with my fitness device which I sync with AIA Vitality to complete my weekly Active Benefit. While I consider myself pretty active, the point incentives help me stay inspired to keep moving. I love how seamless the process is – when my apps sync up with no fuss, it gets a huge tick from me.

I also love getting the membership emails from AIA – especially when they have tips and tricks for mindfulness practice. I read them to see how I can incorporate these tools into my life.

Rewarding myself with self-care

There are different rewards you can earn with AIA Vitality, and one of them is a weekly $5 Active Benefit if you hit your points target for the week. You can then use your rewards with a variety of different retailers, or even donate them to charity.

My favourite reward from my weekly Active Benefit is definitely Uber Eats. I know it's a little bit boring, but I love ordering a good salad.

If I'm not ordering food, I donate my weekly Active Reward to the Forktree Project. Our environment has and will continue to take a massive hit unless we proactively support it, and every little bit counts.

As for my membership rewards, I'm waiting to treat myself with an endota spa e-gift card. Self-care is a key element in a balanced lifestyle, and I love how AIA Vitality rewards you for being proactive about looking after your health. It encourages me to keep up with my healthy choices so I can live the best life I can.

All AIA Health policies include membership to AIA Vitality, the science-backed health and wellbeing program that rewards you for making healthier choices

Samantha Gash

Samantha Gash is an Australian endurance athlete, inspirational speaker, author, social impact entrepreneur and mother. In 2010, she made history by becoming the youngest person and first woman in the world to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam ultramarathon event. She has since run numerous ultra- events around the world, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity in the process. She is passionate about using her expeditions as a vehicle for driving social change.

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Share

This inspirational content is brought to you by AIA Vitality

AIA Vitality is a science-backed program that helps you learn more about your health,
offers ways to improve it and motivates you with rewards along the way.

Stay in touch

Thank you!

Sign up to receive a monthly email featuring articles on health and wellbeing to help you live a healthier, longer, better life.

You have registered for the Content Hub newsletter with all our latest articles on health and wellness information for a healthier, happier and longer life.

First name *

This field is required.

Last name *

This field is required.

Email address *

Must be valid email.

I have read and understood AIA Australia’s privacy policy. I acknowledge and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my personal information as detailed in the privacy policy.

Please agree with above statements