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Sasha Gonzales

Singaporean Lesley Quak is proactively “engineering” her longevity, striving to not just live longer but healthier, too.
Less than a decade ago, the financial services director at insurance company AIA Singapore suffered from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She was also slightly overweight and felt sluggish all the time.
“It was like my body was working against me, and I was worried about what the future held for my health,” says Quak, 65, who is married with one son.
Keen to lower her blood pressure and cholesterol levels and feel more energetic, Quak overhauled her diet, slashing her sodium intake. She also began exercising for about 90 minutes every morning.

Her family was her biggest motivation to take control of her health.
“I wanted to be around, and truly present and active, for my son and grandson. Not wanting to be a burden as I got older was also a powerful driver. I envisioned myself as healthy and able to keep up with my family, to travel and to enjoy life to the full instead of simply existing.”
Quak had other incentives to get healthy. These included getting cash back on purchases from her local supermarket and preferential rates on routine health check-ups and vaccinations.
These benefits come from AIA Singapore’s AIA Vitality programme, which Quak joined in 2017 as a representative of the company.
It nudges members towards positive behavioural changes to help them kick-start their journey to better health while rewarding them along the way.
“We’re not only encouraging good habits – we’re also making the process enjoyable,” says Tay Jin Li, director of product proposition and AIA Vitality at AIA Singapore.

The programme offers features such as step and heart rate tracking, health screenings, dental assessments, and sleep challenges.
It promotes annual screenings focused on body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. If these measures are not within a healthy range, chronic diseases may develop.
The programme gamifies the process of lifestyle change, Tay says. Members earn points, “level up” their status and unlock rewards, from movie ticket discounts to gym memberships and flight rebates.
For Quak, seeing her status climb and earning weekly incentives for her healthy lifestyle choices has been motivating.
“The incentives are a tangible result of all of my efforts. They turn health into a rewarding game and keep me engaged,” she says.
There are incentives for even small achievements. Members can set a weekly target, such as steps, workouts or gym check-ins, and complete it for a reward every week. Rewards can accumulate towards vouchers from food and retail outlets.

The programme aligns with Singapore’s national health aspirations, as well as the government’s Healthier SG initiative, which targets residents aged 40 and above, and the Age Well SG initiative, which empowers seniors to age well within their communities.
AIA Vitality’s programme encourages six core behaviours: check your health, reduce stress, quit smoking, eat well, get active and sleep well.
“Our fundamental focus is on prevention – encouraging regular health assessments, vaccinations and physical activity – which mirrors the government’s vision,” Tay adds.
Through its fitness challenges and emphasis on gym memberships, the programme leverages the power of community to help build a collective momentum towards better health.
The results have been positive. Since the end of December 2024, there have been improvements in members’ health screening results – 71 per cent for improved glucose, 48 per cent for blood pressure, 32 per cent for cholesterol and 12 per cent for BMI.
“By incentivising preventive health, we’re contributing to a future where Singaporeans, regardless of age, can enjoy healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives,” Tay says.

Manulife Singapore is another insurance company that incentivises members to take control of their wellness and build healthier habits.
Its Move app is a digital rewards programme that allows members to set fitness goals, track their progress against these goals, take up challenges and earn rewards from health, wellness and lifestyle brands.
Such programmes are popular with Singaporeans; their city state is considered one of the healthiest and longest-lived places in the world, or a Blue Zone 2.0.
“Blue Zones”, a term coined by American longevity researcher Dan Buettner in 2004, refers to places with a high number of centenarians, where people tend to live longer and have lower rates of chronic disease.
Buettner is the author of The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer and host of the 2023 Netflix documentary, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
The original Blue Zones that Buettner identified consist of Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Loma Linda in the US state of California, and Sardinia in Italy.

However, unlike these areas, which are characterised by specific dietary habits and lifestyle factors that developed organically from culture, tradition and geography, a Blue Zone 2.0 is an engineered longevity hotspot.
In Singapore’s case, its status as the next frontier of ageing is the result of policies to promote longevity and healthy living.
According to Singaporean Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, the city state is working towards becoming a Blue Zone 3.0, where healthy living is not just encouraged but ingrained in daily life.
Since joining the AIA programme, Quak’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped and have stayed in the healthy range.
Long-time back pain has disappeared, she feels healthier and stronger, and can walk long distances without discomfort.

Quak appreciates the frequent app reminders about the importance of consistency and doing a little bit for her health every day. That constant push has kept her going to overcome the few challenges she has faced.
“When I first started exercising, I found early morning walks at 6.30am tough, but when my husband started joining me … the routine became more comfortable,” she says.
“Now, our morning walks are ‘our time’, a non-negotiable part of our day. My husband’s support and seeing our shared progress have made all the difference in turning a challenge into a consistent, enjoyable habit.”
After several years of making healthier choices and adopting better lifestyle habits, Quak feels more empowered to live fully every day as she heads into her 70s.
“I look forward to ageing healthily … maintaining my independence and vitality and ensuring a good quality of life for myself at every stage along the way,” she says.
“It also means having the energy and the physical capability to embrace new experiences, rather than being limited by health issues.”
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Financial services director Lesley Quak exercises at a local park in Singapore. She was determined to lose weight and get healthier after a less-than-satisfactory medical diagnosis 10 years ago, which saw her join AIA Singapore’s AIA Vitality programme. Photo: Lesley Quak

Quak exercises at a local park. Photo: Lesley Quak

Tay Jin Li is director of product proposition and AIA Vitality at AIA Singapore. Photo: AIA Singapore

The AIA Vitality programme’s app nudges members towards positive behavioural changes to help them kick-start their journey to better health while rewarding them along the way. Photo: Instagram/aiasingapore

Quak enjoys earning rewards, like cash back at supermarkets, for her healthy lifestyle habits. Photo: Lesley Quak

Singapore is considered one of the healthiest and longest-lived places in the world, or a Blue Zone 2.0. Photo: Shutterstock

Quak’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped and remained in the healthy range. Photo: Lesley Quak

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Singaporeans are embracing insurance companies’ health programmes that combine incentives, challenges and support for healthier lives


Singaporeans are embracing insurance companies’ health programmes that combine incentives, challenges and support for healthier lives.


How to age well

Singapore

Manulife

Ong Ye Kung

How to age well? Singaporean companies gamify health in ‘Blue Zone 3.0’ bid

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Singaporeans are embracing insurance companies’ health programmes that combine incentives, challenges and support for healthier lives

Singaporeans are embracing insurance companies’ health programmes that combine incentives, challenges and support for healthier lives