Do you spend a lot of time traveling for work or constricted in a home office? The new iOS app Fittr could be your fitness solution.
Initially developed as a workout service for people at home with limited equipment, Fittr now features unique workouts suitable for home, the gym, a park or a hotel room.
Fitness is a fast-growing niche market for purveyors of mobile applications. From exercise apps designed for your smartphone or tablet to app-based nutritional databases, there is no shortage of opportunity to exercise with the help of a hand-held device.
The Tampa Bay-based startup team behind Fittr plans to distinguish itself from the competition in a few ways.
"The noticeable difference between our workouts and our competition is that ours is a 1-2-3 punch: It's adaptive on the run, it learns from the user over time, AND learns from the data of the entire group,'' says Fittr's Chief Marketing Technologist Kiki Schirr. "Here's an example: Don't want to do squats today? Swap it. Swap squats a few times and we'll stop suggesting it,'' Schirr explains.
Once the app learns the habits and likes or dislikes of your age group or weight range, it will aim to offer tailored suggestions that take the data into account.
In addition to adaptive fitness routines, the Fittr app utilizes a motivational point system that rewards users who increase workout difficulty or length over time. Exercises that earn a certain number of points on day one earn less on day four unless you up the intensity or number of reps. To boost your overall Fittr score (and to get a more well-rounded workout), you'll have to change things up. Points are calculated based on a variety of factors, including your personal fitness level as well as data from the overall set.
Once opened, the application prompts you to answer a few questions about your fitness level and workout habits. Choose between goals like Lose Weight, Get Cut and Get Stronger. Track metrics that matter to you, whether it's weight lost or inches gained. Plug in preferences and custom information like the type of equipment you have available on a given day.
Fittr CEO Tyler Perkins, an athlete and ACE-certified personal trainer, designed the foundation of every
Fittr workout.
New users can download the app and enjoy a free one-week trial of built-in exercises. After that, it's $11.99 per month to join the workout service. Multi-month packages will be available soon, Schirr says.
Along with Schirr and Perkins, Fittr's team includes Chief Design Officer and Project Manager Nolan Perkins and CTO Seo Townsend.
The first version of Fittr was released during a launch party on July 16 at Tampa Bay WaVE. A
Fundable campaign for Fittr also opened that day.
Post-launch plans include adding nutrition content and building an Android-compatible application.
"After nutrition, we'll be adding social aspects. After social aspects, it's device integration. Then social round two, then adding niche exercises, then more devices, and then... we have so many wonderful things planned for this app!'' Schirr says.
The startup team was recently accepted to Tampa Bay WaVe's
FirstWAVE accelorator program.
"Fittr is incredibly grateful for all the opportunities that the Tampa Bay area has provided. From the [Hillsborough County]
EDI2 initiative,
Tampa Bay Innovates,
Ignite Tampa Bay, StartupGrind (http://www.83degreesmedia.com/features/grind042214.aspx),
TBTF, or
Collaborative Technologies of Tampa Bay, everyone has welcomed us with open arms,'' says Schirr. "However, we owe an even deeper debt of gratitude to
Tampa Bay WaVE, which has provided us access to amazing mentors and other startups who've been there before.''
"Tampa is full of great opportunities for startups,'' Perkins agrees. "We're grateful for all the support of the Tampa Bay community.''
Writer:
Justine Benstead
Source: Kiki Schirr, Chief Marketing Technologist, Fittr
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