8 Motivations to Start Up Health & Fitness

18 March 2020

The holiday season is officially over, which means it’s time to start working off some of the extra pounds you picked up at mom’s house. While people generally love the idea of looking like the dudes who do commercials for home-exercise equipment, most of us still hate working out and dieting. If you are one of them, don’t worry. There are a ton of startups offering the kind of motivation you need in the form of mobile apps. Such apps use activity tracking as well as fitness and health risk assessment apps.

Today we’ll be exercising our startup muscles by taking a look at some of these young companies and what makes them tick.

8 Motivations to Start Up Health & Fitness:

Fitness gamification is huge right now, which makes sense given that it adds a much-needed dimension of play to the arduous task of getting fit. A great example of fitness gamification is Tep, which is basically a cross between a fitness tracker and a Tamagotchi; though, in the case of Tep, the star is a niftily-designed giraffe rather than a globular cluster of black pixels.

The more a user exercises, the better the giraffe does (users can buy their long-necked pets treats with rewards points they earn from walking, running and cycling). If users slack off, though, it’s curtains for the poor creature.

According to the app’s creators, a group of five super-talented self-starters from Szeged, Hungary, «Tep’s competitive edge relies on emotional connection and the mental „threat“ that the beloved pet might suffer from the lack of proper physical activity and thus offers a solution for curve fatigue effect.»

Does that sound a little dark? Sure. But it’s for a good cause. The founding team’s goal is to help users lose eight million pounds of fat in the next three years; there’s also talk of buying a giraffe.

The founding team built Tep on their own time and dime, but are currently funded by Traction Tribe and prizes from Microsoft’s Imagine Cup.

Tep is available in beta for Android and Windows phones, with an iOS version coming soon.

Wokamon

If you like the idea of a digital workout buddy helping you toe the line, but giraffes aren’t really your thing, then you might dig Wokamon, which comes to us from Mars Zhu and Hazim Abdul Hamid of Noodum.

Wokamon features dozens of animated monsters that get bigger and stronger as you do. Since it comes with a pedometer and syncs with wearables like Jawbone, Fitbit, and Up, you can be sure that every calorie burned gets counted and fed to your growing army of critters.

Connecting with friends on social media through Wokamon earns you reward points, which you can burn on unlocking new creatures.

Noodum and Wokamon are currently being funded by an $18,000 seed investment from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Innospace Incubator.

Gamified fitness apps like Wokamon and Tep have a lot of options when it comes to future monetization. They can either take the Zombies, Run! The approach of charging for downloads (which works if you’re as niche and well-made as that app) or offer in-app purchases for things like new backgrounds, characters, or crystals and boosters for your pet monsters.

For now, though, we can take advantage of both Tep and Wokamon for free.

Teamster

Teamster is an iOS app that, contrary to its name, has absolutely nothing to do with trucking. What teamster does do, though, is help you connect with other people in your area who are interested in the same sorts of athletic activities as you.

Conveniently, users are able to identify which sports they like and their level of skill in each on a scale of 1 to 5, which means you won’t be totally outmatched when you meet up for a game with other users.

When you find another user who shares your interests and skill set, swipe right in the app to add them to your team. Sounds like Tinder is ubiquitous, doesn’t it? Users can then create activities for other users or teams to join.

Teamster comes to us from the Melbourne based duo of Henry Chan and 22-year old Sam McCallum, who has a background in competitive running, cycling, and skiing.

Actually, 2015 is shaping up to be an awesome year for apps that bring social networking logic to the gym. Take Boston-based Perspyre, for example, which is coming out soon with a beta version for Android and iOS.

The whole point of Perspyre is connecting people who love to sweat and giving them access to workouts, advice, and motivation. Users can log into the app via Facebook and take post-workout selfies, record workouts, and brag about new personal records.

Though it’s admittedly a little intense for beginners, Persypre is perfect for those who are already «motivated and dedicated» enough to willingly visit Crossfit and P90x classes.

Perspyre is the brainchild of Jason Chisholm and Jeremy Mays and has received $25,000 in seed funding from John Piret of the investment firm Newbury Piret & Co.

If Perspyre sounds like it’s right up your alley, keep an eye out for the soon-to-be-launched SternFit iOS app which also gives workout buffs a great platform for sharing pics, tips, and workouts.

Rocket Journey

If your meteoric rise to peak physical perfection is still in the launch phase, you’ll find a helpful companion in RocketJourney, which bills itself as the «smartest and friendliest way to a fitness lifestyle.»

The app’s founding trio of Carlos Ayala, Pablo Artee, and Ernesto Cambuston has received funding from 500 Startups, the seed fund and startup accelerator comprised of Google and PayPal alums.

RocketJourney tracks all of your fitness activities from cycling to yoga to lifting to competitive eating — just kidding about that last one — and verifies that you’ve actually worked out through GPS and wearables integration.

The app motivates you to stick to your fitness regime by giving you points for completed workouts and taking away points for missed ones. The same logic holds true for user-created «teams» which add the pinch of peer-pressure that it just might take to keep you on track.

You can register for updates on RocketJourney’s release on the website.

OneSet

OneSet — «Vine for Fitness» — is another promising app to stay tuned for in the months to come. Users can create 15-second videos demonstrating an exercise or «stack» other users’ videos into workouts.

Since videos are organized by muscle group or goal, it’s easy to find the right moves for you.

OneSet’s founding team is based in Waterloo, Canada, and consists of brothers Amad and Shameel Abdullah, as well as full-stack developer George Xu.

GYM radio

Sometimes all it takes to reach the athlete within is finding the right music to sweat to, or the right gym to do it in.

Though GYM radio’s online music streaming service has been around since 2013, its new iOS, Android, and Windows phone releases have made it easier than ever to get amped up and pumped up at the same time.

The app features three music settings — cardio, gym, and hardcore-tailored to give your workout the right feel. Here’s the best part: GYM radio is completely ad-free, which means your runners high won’t get interrupted by voice-actors pitching toothpaste or discount car insurance.

GYM radio also offers a premium upgrade which, for a monthly or yearly subscription, will let you listen offline, skip songs, and get access to material unavailable on the standard version.

Gymhopper

Gymhopper — «Uber for gyms»- is a Swiss startup that aims to help you find the right gym by offering its users discounted individual training passes. Gyms benefit from the app by getting a little extra exposure as well as a shot at their target market, people who are actively searching for a new place to get sweaty.

Gymhopper is currently in series A fundraising but expects an iOS release later this year.

What can fitness startups learn from RunKeeper?

Figuring out how to actually make money with your app is a problem that can plague even the biggest of startup fish. Each of the aforementioned apps will have to figure out the right monetization strategy for their product and user-base. One good model employed by the leading fitness tracker RunKeeper is to partner with other businesses to provide sponsored advertising to users.

That means Teamster’s users could theoretically get discounts on Nike products for showing up at local softball games, and Perspyre users could get 25% off gym memberships for visiting p90x classes 3 times a week.

There are a lot of good ways to get back in shape, and a lot of good startups out there creating more every day.

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Alternative Treatments for Autism Along with Medications like Risperdal

If you have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, don’t worry too much as there are many things that you can do to treat them naturally at home. Still, you will need all the assistance from different sources like your healthcare provider, your friends, and family, and people dealing with the same situation. To do all of these things, you need to be emotionally and physically healthy to deal with your child. Emotionally, since it can be quite distressing taking care of a kid with special needs, and physically since children with ASD tends to be overly energetic at times. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism spectrum disorder is a mental disorder that affects a person’s neurological and developmental aspects. This condition shows up during the early years and may very well last until a lifetime. The kid’s interactions, actions, communication, and way of learning can be considered different from among his/her peers, even bizarre. Other mannerisms they might develop are speaking the same thing over and over again, or other repetitive behaviors. In wellness check-ups, if your kid shows signs and symptoms of having ASD, he/she will have an overall evaluation. It will require a team of doctors and specialists to distinguish a correct diagnosis and the right treatments and therapies for your kid. Medication like Risperdal is used to combat the irritability a child with ASD experiences. This medication can be ordered over-the-counter with a Risperdal discount coupon. There are no known factors for this condition other than theories. Studies suggest that genetics or the environment the patient is in can be a factor in the disease. Also, there are no established treatments for the disorder. The medications that your doctor will recommend might only be temporary ones, and if the child itself cannot adapt well to the specific treatments, you need to find another option or kind of treatment. As the child is growing, you need to consider all your options to have better results. You need to view all the choices as your kid must learn or enhance his/her ability to see and adjust to the environment. Some treatments deal with communication, learning, adapting, skills training, and even speaking. Tips and Guidelines Let us start with the diet. While you can make the diet of your kid yourself, you still need to consider what the healthcare will provide you. They have the knowledge required for this condition and are well-equipped for the job; also, they know better. For this condition, there is a standard autism diet that the child will need. This diet avoids gluten and casein, which is a must. Gluten comes from wheat, and grains like barley and rye. Gluten can be found on a lot of food and can cause digestive problems for your kid. Casein can be found in milk products, which can also disrupt your child’s digestive tract. The improvements that can root from this diet will show after one to three months of adoption. Try eliminating either gluten or casein, and see if removing one could have an improvement in your child. Getting all the nutrient requirements for a person who is on a specialized diet can be tough, as there are many food exceptions that you have to consider. For this, you need to employ supplements for the child’s other needs for vitamins. In some cases, anxiety and other factors can cause sleep depravity among children with ASD, to combat this, the release of melatonin must be implemented more. To do this, parents should do bright light therapy. In this therapy, the child is exposed to sunlight for an extended period in the morning. It will help the child’s body release melatonin, which will help him/her sleep in the evening. But also, you need to cut off food that will make your kid lose some sleep. Cut off on caffeinated drinks like coffee or soft drinks. Establishing a designated sleeping hour should also do the trick as it will train the kid’s body clock to follow the schedule. Turn off all gadgets before sleeping and making sure the bedroom is comfortably dark could also help. As you know, children with ASD can be very energetic, full of life, and very hectic. It is due to their tolerance to stimuli is weaker than most people. They tend to overdo simple things like running when they should walk, being over-excited to simple things, and be very loud during small conversations. To combat this, you must employ relaxation techniques, where you train your child to breathe more carefully, relax the muscles to release tension, and control the child’s emotions. This way, your child will be more relaxed overall. Takeaway Autism spectrum disorder can dramatically harm your child’s growth. With the help of your doctor, you will know the recommendations you will need to help your kid grow like most children. Read Also: Should You Send Your Child With Autism To A Regular Summer Camp? Care Free Fun: 5 Fun And Family-Friendly Activities For Children With Special Needs

Enhancing Your Smile With Cosmetic Dentistry In London

Whether we're attending essential meetings, networking events, or simply mingling with friends, a bright and confident smile can make all the difference. From teeth whitening and veneers to orthodontic treatments and dental implants, the realm of cosmetic dentistry in London offers many options to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. Benefits Of Cosmetic Dentistry Your smile is precious, and if you wish to bring in the best, then you must take the help of an expert cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry, like teeth whitening and the invisalign treatment, has its own advantages. Your smile is important; therefore, you must rely on the expert's help. There are some top benefits of getting help from cosmetic dentistry. Improves the Glow Firstly, it improves the glow of your face. Various elements of cosmetic dentistry involve taking comprehensive care of your teeth. They thoroughly check up on what's wrong with your grin, and after that, they make the right decisions. Beneficial To You Gum And The Teeth Cosmetic dentistry has some additional benefits for your teeth and gums. If your teeth are safe and uniform, the food is less likely to get trapped in the middle of the gums. Therefore, you need to take the help of professionals to fix the issues that stop you from smiling. Why An Enriching Smile Is Important? One of the greatest assets of you is your smile. It not only keeps you confident but also happy inwardly. The present lifestyle has its complexities, trials, and tribulations. Therefore, staying enriched amidst the garden of thorns is important to keep yourself positive. Smile Enables You To Live Longer According to studies, a beautiful and charming smile is a great asset, and you must try your best to keep it under any circumstances. A genuinely intense smile is associated with a longer life. It may be one of the reasons smiling becomes one of the exercises and yoga classes enforce in smiling and keeping a fresh mood. Relieving Streess Stress can be indeed harmful for people across all age groups. The present lifestyle and circumstances are laden with stress. If you really want to tackle stress, you must know how to be happy. Smiling can help you achieve it. Effective Over time Numerous cosmetic procedures offer benefits to service users in the long run. At the same time, some procedures are quite effective and begin to provide results in the long run. Therefore, these procedures have both long and short-term benefits. Therefore, the popularity of these procedures is increasing with time. Modifying The Bite For The Better If you straighten your teeth, it will greatly improve the appearance of your smile. Not only this, it helps you to fix the bite issues. The chronic migraines and jaw pains are some of the issues that trouble you in the long run. Cosmetic dentistry can prevent and shortening the longevity of your teeth. Selecting The Right Cosmetic Dentist In London When enhancing your smile with cosmetic dentistry in London, selecting the right dentist for your unique needs is crucial. With many options available, finding a professional specialising in your desired treatment is essential. A reputable cosmetic dentist will have advanced training and experience in a wide range of procedures, ensuring they can deliver the results you are looking for. Reading reviews from previous patients will give away the quality of care and the satisfaction levels of those who have undergone treatment. Choosing a cosmetic dentist who stays up-to-date with the latest advancements in dental technology and techniques is the most logical choice. Finding the right cosmetic dentist in London is crucial to achieving the smile of your dreams. You can be confident in making the right choice by doing thorough research, considering their specialisation and reputation, and opting for a dentist who stays abreast of the latest advancements. Procedures In Cosmetic Dentistry One of the procedures is teeth whitening, which involves removing stains and discolouration from the teeth. Depending on your preferences and budget, this can be done in-office or at home. Another standard procedure in cosmetic dentistry is the use of veneers. These are thin shells that are custom-made and bonded to the front surface of the teeth to improve their shape, size, and colour. Orthodontic treatments, such as braces and clear aligners, are also a part of cosmetic dentistry. These treatments straighten crooked teeth, close gaps, and correct bite issues. Dental implants are another popular option, especially for missing teeth. Implants are artificial tooth roots surgically placed into the jawbone and topped with crowns, providing a natural-looking and permanent solution for replacing missing teeth. Cosmetic dentistry in London offers many procedures to help individuals achieve their desired smile. Whether you want to whiten your teeth, improve their shape and size, or replace missing teeth, a cosmetic dentistry treatment is available. Post-Treatment Care For Cosmetic Dentistry After undergoing a cosmetic dentistry procedure in London, it is crucial to take post-treatment care seriously to maintain the results and ensure long-term oral health. Depending on the specific procedure, the dentist may provide detailed care instructions, but there are some general guidelines to follow. Regular brushing and flossing to keep teeth clean and free from plaque buildup is crucial to maintaining proper oral hygiene. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste is recommended. Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of foods and drinks that may stain the teeth, such as coffee, tea, and red wine. Additionally, professional cleanings help remove any stubborn stains or plaque that cannot be removed through regular brushing. Protecting the teeth from potential damage is also essential. It may involve wearing a mouthguard during sports activities to prevent dental injuries, avoiding biting or chewing on hard objects like ice or pens, and seeking immediate dental care if any pain, discomfort, or abnormality is experienced. Conclusion By following these post-treatment care guidelines, individuals can enjoy the long-lasting benefits of their cosmetic dentistry procedures while maintaining optimal oral health. It is always best to consult a professional dentist in London for personalised care instructions based on specific procedures and individual needs. Read Also: Do You Suffer from Varicose Veins? 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The Top 6 Vitamins And Minerals All Women Over 40 Should Take

We are all aware of having a healthy mind and body gives us lots of benefits. And in order to achieve that, we must have and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well, which includes doing regular exercises and eating the right kind and amount of food. These things can also guarantee us a stronger and longer life. Vitamins and minerals are essential ingredients for all women over the age of 40. However, as we age, manifestations of physical changes occur, which has an effect also on other aspects of our lives. The cliché “life begins at 40” is indeed true, because, at this age, women’s body is not the same as they used to have during their 20’s. Various fluctuations usually happen at this age, like deterioration of the muscles causing to have bone-related conditions like osteoporosis. With the onset of menopause, unusual things are also experienced like hot flashes, loss of appetite, and sleeping disturbances. Moreover, this is also the time where higher risks of diseases like cancer and heart diseases, hypertension and diabetes can happen because the immune system starts to weaken as well due to aging. In order to lessen these risks, aside from maintaining an established healthy lifestyle, consuming vitamin and mineral supplements are needed to support the nutrients needed by the body to make it healthy despite aging. While these supplements cannot fully guarantee the strength and the risks of not getting sick, knowing the vitamins and minerals that should be prioritized for the health is very crucial. Yes, Wellness Vitamins Canada the most essential vitamins and minerals women ages 40 and above must take to become healthier and stronger despite the age. The Top 6 Vitamins And Minerals All Women Over 40 Should Take: Vitamins and minerals are essential for your body to survive in hostile condition. You cannot make things happen in a day. 1. Vitamin B12 As the body ages, the body is getting slower when it comes to absorbing this vitamin because the stomach gets depleted. And while this vitamin is needed for the proper functioning of the brain and blood, consuming 2.4 mg recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12 supplement is vital for the body at this age. Moreover, animal and meat products like chicken, milk, fish, and eggs are excellent sources of this vitamin. One thing good about this vitamin is that it is water-soluble, so it can easily release the unneeded amount through urine. 2. Calcium: During the younger years, the bones get most of the calcium it gets on from the foods and drinks we consume. And if other parts of the body are not getting adequate amounts of this mineral, it steals the calcium from the bones, which weakens it. This is what makes calcium another essential mineral, especially for aging women. Aside from the continuous bone health, calcium is needed by the body for other purposes- muscle contraction, proper functioning of the heart and nerves, and various biochemical reactions. Mostly, women at 40-50 years old need 1,000mg of calcium every day, while women ages 50 and up need 1,500mg. Aside from supplements, calcium can be attained by eating dairy products, tofu, broccoli, spinach, and sardines. 3. Vitamin D This is very important especially by the time a woman reaches 40 because it helps the body to better manage some of the body changes that occur at that time. It is also important for the better absorption of calcium. The insufficient dose of Vitamin D in the body is connected to the higher chances of having heart diseases, diabetes and multiple sclerosis and breast and colorectal cancers. Enough exposure to sunlight is the best way to get Vitamin D, plus consuming foods like fish, fortified dairy products, grains, and cereals. As for vitamin supplements, the expert recommends a D3, a vitamin D supplement that contains almost like vitamin D in the sun). The recommended daily intake of this vitamin should be from 600 IU for 40 to 50 years old, while 800 IU for ages 50 and above. Furthermore, a woman can take a maximum limit of 4000IU of this vitamin per day. 4. Magnesium: Aside from Vitamin D, magnesium also helps the body to absorb the calcium better. In addition, this aids in regulating blood pressure preventing the risk of having hypertension, which women at ’40s are very prone to. It also aids in controlling the glucose in the blood and also has a role in the proper functioning of nerves and heart. A woman must have a 320mg daily intake of magnesium, which can be attained from dark green, leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, soy, and avocados. Too much magnesium can cause side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and cramping, so a test must be done to ensure that the body has an adequate amount of magnesium before taking any supplements. 5. Potassium: Foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, chards, beans, and lentils are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps the body to regulate the blood pressure. A woman aged 40 only needs 2mg of daily potassium intake. Too much potassium can cause damage to the heart and gastrointestinal tract and cardiac arrhythmias. That is why the careful intake of this mineral is very essential. 6. Omega 3 This may not be a vitamin, but this fatty acid has its own contribution to a woman’s health. According to research, Omega 3 helps in lowering blood pressure and the bad cholesterol minimizing the chances of getting heart disease and also aids in keeping the memory sharp. The recommended daily intake of Omega 3 depends on your present health. For a healthy person, 500mg is needed, 800 mg to 1000mg for those with heart disease, and 1200mg for those with high triglyceride levels. Read Also: Eating Good Quality Foods For Diet All That You Must Know About Prenatal Vitamins Why Vietnamese Foods Are The UK’s Favourite Meals

8 Motivations to Start Up Health & Fitness