As health premium costs escalate employers and individuals are looking for ways to reduce overall cost burdens. In many cases the answer is simple – get people to exercise more.However, while the concept is intuitive, the practice is challenging for although everyone knows they probably need to exercise more, they often fail to do so.Many corporate wellness programs use a variety of techniques to encourage exercise — pamphlets, websites, pedometers, coaching, team activities, step challenges, even monetary incentives. Unfortunately, despite the variety of methods, the task remains daunting.A new study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine, looks at whether social support, competition, or teamwork provides an answer to the ongoing dilemma.Researchers from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania found that efforts should hone in on one area: Competition.They discovered competition was a far stronger motivation for exercise than friendly support…