Love Active Life, Vitality & A Reader Deal!

Today I'm going to talk about something very grown up... Insurance, specifically life and health insurance. Yawn! But wait, don't go yet! I promise you this is going to be interesting and fun. Yes I did just say that I'd make insurance fun. Well actually I can't claim to be doing that myself but health and life insurance have become a great deal more interesting since the introduction of Vitality. 

Vitality have been around for a lot longer that you may realise, starting in 2007 as a joint venture between Discovery and Prudential. The general premise is that you get rewarded for staying fit and healthy. The fitter and healthier you are, the lower the chances of you having to claim on the insurance and so everyone is a winner.

I heard about Vitality a few years back but paid it little or no attention; I'm not sure I realised all the benefits. I've held life and health insurance ever since I got my mortgage, ensuring that I would be able to cover the bills if something happened that meant I was unable to work. Since becoming self employed this is even more crucial, dull as the idea may be. Pay as much as you can into a pension, save whatever you can, have insurance - all lessons that my father drummed into me as I started working life, and so far it's stood me in good stead. 

As time went by I started to hear more about Vitality and the rewards on offer. I decided to get a quote to see if it was worth me changing insurers and decided to get in touch with Jenny at Love Active Life, the Run Mummy Run contact for Vitality. Jenny is an absolute star. She walked me through the whole process, ensuring I wasn't going to be taking on a policy that wasn't right for me or one that would leave me worse off, and arranged everything for me. It took a little to-ing and fro-ing over the phone and email but it gave me full confidence in the final quotation. 

I managed to save money by switching from two policies I held, to just the single Vitality policy that covered me to the same degree. Not only that but I get the following benefits by earning points from staying active and taking positive steps towards looking after my health:

• 50% off the Virgin Active monthly membership price
• 50% off a Garmin device
• 50% off a pair of trainers each year from Sweatshop
• 50% cash back on a bike from Evans
• Up to 50% cash back from Lloyds pharmacy
• Up to 40% off British Airways Economy European flights
• Up to 50 % off Eurostar
• 75% off Champneys spa breaks
• Monthly iTunes rewards
• Weekly Starbucks and cinema tickets (dependent upon activity level) 

There are plenty of other rewards I've not mentioned and it's up to you how many you make use of. Vitality also encourage you to understand your health by doing an online health assessment (5 minutes), fitness test (3 minute step test), and a 15 minute health check at a local pharmacy.

So far I've made use of the 50% discount for a new Garmin device and applied for my cash back card for Lloyds. The Garmin helps me to track my activity thus earning points which in turn have earned me a weekly cinema ticket and Starbucks drink, helping me to take time out from work that can seep into every available waking hour! In July I'm taking myself off for 3 nights at Champneys (all meals and 3 treatments included) for some rest and relaxation. Well that's the theory anyway, I may end up doing all the classes! 

Nifty info graphic showing how much I could save per year.

I've just taken advantage of the Virgin Active offer too. I only need to go to one yoga class a week to be no worse off than paying for them separately, then there's the pool, sauna and steam room plus a host of other classes that I would like to try. Holding a Vitality policy has also prompted me to book a dental appointment that I've been putting off for a year or so.

I've been harping on about how great Vitality is to just about everyone I know who is remotely active because I just think it's a great product. You're incentivised to look after yourself and it can enable you to do things you otherwise wouldn't. For me that's a weekly cinema trip, a mini break and a new Garmin, things I wouldn't be able to afford without the rewards. Getting set up in the members area was really straightforward, as was linking in the relevant devices to track my activity. And of course Jenny was on hand to help every step of the way.

I'm delighted to now be in partnership with Love Active Life, helping to spread the word, and as an extra bonus for my readers, you'll get an extra £40 towards either a new device or pair of trainers when you contact Jenny at Love Active Life (jenny@loveactivelife.co.uk) quoting VRPT and take out a policy. This policy may not be suitable for everyone but there's nothing to lose by investigating. 

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