Published on: 18 March 2020
Last Updated on: 03 June 2026
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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Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.
You're staring at a computer screen all day, and you think you're taking good care of your eyes. Your eyes feel fine, after all. And when it comes to proper eye care, you get regular checkups from NewVision Clinics - Eye Specialist in Melbourne and take the right steps to keep your vision in top shape.
If you're not careful, however, you could be making a few eye mistakes that might be hurting your vision.
How To Identify The Eye Problems?
If your eyes are dry and irritated, there's a good chance you're overdoing it with eye drops. That's because many of these drops contain chemicals that get your eyes producing more tears than normal — but only for a short period of time.
But once the effect wears off, your body compensates by producing even fewer tears than before. You can become dependent on eyedrops just to see clearly for a few minutes at a time. This is why using artificial tears for more than two or three days in a row is generally not recommended.
Instead, use preservative-free eye drops sparingly (usually no more than four times per day). Our eyes are the only pair we've got, and many of us don't take proper care of them.
Whether it's sleeping in our makeup or not wearing sunglasses on a sunny day, there are many ways we can hurt our eyes on a daily basis. Here are three eye mistakes that could be making your vision worse — and what to do about them.
6 Common Eye Mistakes Which Makes Your Vision Worse
You are making many eye mistakes throughout life, from wrong power eyeglass wearing to applying bad eye drops. But apart from these, many more common mistakes hamper your eye's vision.
Here are six mistakes that have an adverse effect on your eyesight.
1. You're Skipping The Sunglasses
When you're walking around in bright conditions, like snow or bright sky during the summer, it's important to wear sunglasses. Not only is this a good idea for your general health-protecting your eyes from UV rays — but it can also help keep you from blinking. Going out without proper protective sunglasses is one of the common eye mistakes. But it can happen at any time. So it is better to take the tap and remember to wear sunglasses.
Constant squinting can lead to the development of crow's feet, which are fine lines around the eyes that can make you look older than you really are.
If that isn't enough reason to wear them, consider this: According to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, long-term exposure to UV radiation has been linked with cataracts in middle-aged adults. And if you're worried about how they look on you, check out these five tips to find the perfect pair of sunglasses for your face shape.
2. Not Eating Right
A healthy diet is good for your whole body, including your eyes. "There are certain nutrients — carotenoids, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids — that have beneficial effects on our eyes," Dr. Ritterband says.
Improper diet maintenance is solid eye mistakes. You probably do not know the right nutrition, which is keeping your eyes healthy. But the fish and green vegetables have the right vitamin A and D sources, which are eye boosters.
3. Not Wearing Sunglasses Outside
It’s easy to think that sunglasses are just another fashion accessory, but they’re really an essential tool for protecting your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Exposure to UV light can cause cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness in older adults.
UVR also can damage the skin around the eyes, which can increase your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, two common types of skin cancer.
Wear sunglasses labeled with “UV 400” or “100% UVA/UVB protection” every time you go outdoors — even on cloudy days — to protect your eyes from damaging UVR.
4. Using Antibiotics Too Much
"There is a fear that if you have an inflamed cornea, people worry that it might get infected," Melmed said. "In most cases, it doesn't get infected." Antibiotics have eye mistakes effects; they can cause allergic reactions and sometimes even bacterial resistance, he said.
5. Not Getting Regular Eye Exams
It's important to see an ophthalmologist every year, Melmed said. During the exam, he or she will check for early signs of glaucoma and macular degeneration, which can be treated if caught early enough. Avoiding the scheduled eye check-ups are eye mistakes.
Try to avoid it consciously. We all know going for the regular check-up is a little time taking process. But to maintain eye health, you have to do it.
6. Using Artificial Tears
The reason many people have dry eyes is not that their tear glands aren't producing enough tears. Rather, it's because their blink reflex doesn't work properly, and their tears evaporate too quickly from the surface of their eyes.
In this case, artificial tears only worsen the situation by drying out the surface of your eyes even more. Instead of using over-the-counter artificial tears, try to blink more often and learn how to massage your eyelids properly in order to improve the blink reflex (you can find instructions in my Natural Vision Improvement Kit).
Conclusion:
All of these six eye mistakes are common. But on your regular days, you are making these mistakes without knowing them. So it is better to tap on and avoid making mistakes. If you are facing troubled vision. First, identify the problem systems and then ask the consults from the eye doctor.
Read Also:
3 Top Tips to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
How To Care For Your Eye In 5 Medically Proven Ways
How To Buy Glasses With Vision Direct
Contacts vs Glasses: Which of These Two Eyesight Improving Methods
If you are looking to embark on your smile journey and reside in Reading, seeking an Invisalign dentist in this vibrant town might be the key to uncovering the smile of your dreams.
An Invisalign dentist in Reading is poised to guide you on a transformative dental journey that will leave you with a smile that exudes beauty and confidence. So, prepare to bid farewell to self-consciousness and welcome a future filled with a captivating smile as you venture into the world of Invisalign dentistry in Reading.
The Benefits of Choosing Invisalign Treatment
If you are considering orthodontic treatment and reside in Reading, the benefits of choosing Invisalign are numerous. One of the most significant advantages of Invisalign is its discreet nature. Unlike traditional braces that use metal wires and brackets, Invisalign aligners are clear and virtually invisible.
Another benefit of Invisalign treatment is the level of comfort it provides. The aligners are custom-made to fit your teeth, ensuring a snug and tailored fit. This means there are no metal wires or brackets to irritate your mouth, reducing the discomfort often associated with traditional braces. In addition, Invisalign aligners are removable, allowing you to easily take them out for eating, brushing, and flossing.
Choosing an Invisalign dentist in Reading means you can expect high expertise and professionalism. From the initial consultation to fitting the aligners and ongoing monitoring, you can be confident that you are in capable hands. So why wait?
Invisalign Journey
Embarking on your Invisalign journey with an experienced Invisalign dentist in Reading can be an exciting and transformative experience. The first step in your smile journey will involve a comprehensive consultation with your dentist to assess your orthodontic needs and determine if Invisalign is the proper treatment. During this initial visit, your dentist will take digital scans or impressions of your teeth, which will be used to create a personalized treatment plan.
Once your treatment plan is finalized, you will receive a series of custom-made aligners designed to gradually and gently move your teeth into their desired position. These invisible aligners can be removed for eating, drinking, and oral hygiene maintenance. You will be required to wear each set of aligners for about two weeks until it is time to move on to the next set.
Throughout your Invisalign journey, regular check-up appointments will be scheduled with your dentist to monitor your progress and make any necessary adjustments. With patience and commitment, your smile journey with Invisalign can lead to the beautifully straightened and confident smile you have always desired.
Maintaining Your New Smile After Invisalign
One of the keys to maintaining your new smile is practicing good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth at least twice daily, floss daily, and rinse with mouthwash to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are also essential to detect any issues early on and to keep your teeth in optimal condition.
Another critical aspect of maintaining your new smile is wearing your retainer as directed by your Invisalign dentist. Retainers help keep your teeth in their new positions and prevent them from returning to their previous alignment. Your dentist will provide detailed instructions on how often and for how long you should wear your retainer to ensure the best results. It is crucial to follow these instructions diligently to preserve the progress made during your Invisalign treatment.
In addition to good oral hygiene and wearing your retainer, it is crucial to be mindful of the foods and habits that may impact your new smile. Avoid sticky or hard foods that can damage your teeth or aligners. Additionally, refrain from smoking or excessive consumption of staining substances such as coffee and red wine, as they can discolor your teeth.
Read Also:
Is It Healthier To Have Dentures?
E-Cigarettes: How They Effect On Your Oral Health
The Relationship Between Oral Health and General Health
It’s never easy watching someone you care about go through something like addiction.
Many times, people in this situation watch the person they care about to deteriorate and become a different person.
If you think your loved one is addicted but you’re not sure, be on the lookout for these warning signs.
Their behavior has changed. You notice them becoming more withdrawn, angry, combative, or abusive towards you.
You notice them becoming obsessive
They’re hiding things from you. Maybe you found needles or empty vodka bottles under their bed or in their bathroom
They’ve come home bruised or beaten up but won’t tell you what happened
They aren’t sleep
They slur their words
They’re losing weight or their outward appearance has changed for the worse.
If your loved one shows any of these signs, there’s a good chance they might be addicted. If you’re watching someone you love spiral into addiction, there are ways you can help to overcome addiction. Here’s how.
6 Ways To Someone You Know Overcome Addiction In Illinois
1. Call your local rehab center
Places like Lincoln Recovery or your local hospital are a great resource for you to tap into. They’ll be able to help you determine the best treatment options for your loved one without making you or them feel ashamed. They’ll be able to give you advice and tools. They can also help you plan something called an intervention.
An intervention is when family and friends of the addict’s life come together to make their loved one understand that they need help. Interventions must be planned so they don’t cause more problems. While it’s going to be awkward and uncomfortable, an intervention that’s done right can gently push your loved one on the path to recovery.
2. Establish trust
This is a huge thing. Often trust is broken between addicts and the people they love the most, and while it may be difficult to achieve, getting them to trust you is so important. Otherwise and intervention won’t work properly.
To start building trust with an addict, you have to learn not to nag, yell, exaggerate, lecture, or engage in any substances they’re addicted to. Asking them to stop drinking when they see you drinking, even if it’s only a small glass of wine at night, can make them defensive.
Trust will also help prevent stress. If they trust you more, they’ll be less stressed and feel more comfortable opening up to you about their addiction. Most addicts know they have a problem deep down, they just don’t want to admit it out loud and make it real. Don’t do anything that will keep them from opening up to you about it.
Watch their body language to help you determine if your attempts at trust-building are working. If you notice them growing stiff or becoming agitated pull back and try again another time.
3. Never blame
Even if the person who’s addicted made you lose money, your reputation, etc. do not try to blame them for it. While they need to take responsibility for their behavior, blaming them for things while they’re addicted will get you nowhere. It will only make them more resistant to change, defensive, and closed off.
Speak in the first person, only about how you feel or what you think. Whenever you talk to them about their addiction, use “I” statements. “You” statements can come across as blameful and can do the opposite of what you hope to achieve in the conversation.
Avoid insults and negativity at all costs because that is the blameful language that will make them defensive. For more information on using “I” statements.
4. Always practice empathy
You see how dangerous it is to blame the addict in any way, either for their addiction or their behavior. Leading with empathy, whether your staging an intervention or not, can help the addict feel more comfortable and open up.
Tell them that you understand they’re hurting, and while you don’t know what they’re going through firsthand, you’re there to help in any way you can. You want to be a part of the solution.
Offer assistance in any way you can. By doing this, you might find that the person has been waiting for someone to talk to them about it but has been too afraid to bring it up themselves.
5. Prepare for backlash
What you have to understand is that addiction affects the chemical balance of the brain. This can make them delusional, combative, or standoffish. They may outright refuse to admit they’re addicted to anything and if they do, they might turn the blame on you.
Addicts try to get out of responsibility, and taking responsibility for their addiction is another thing they’re going to try to dance around. Prepare for harsh words, yelling, and threats. Stay calm and listen to everything they have to say.
Don’t engage in yelling or screaming or try to push the blame back on them. It will only make the situation worse. If you feel like you’re in danger, remove yourself from the situation or call the police.
6. Stop enabling
If you’re allowing the person you love to do drugs in your house or get drunk in your house, stop. Tell them that they aren’t allowed to do that in your home anymore and if they refuse, ask them to leave. It sounds harsh, but they have to learn that there are consequences to their actions.
Stop buying them their substance of choice. Practice sobriety yourself so you don’t have alcohol or drugs lying around the house for them to consume. If they frequently borrow your car, remove car privileges so they can’t drive under the influence. Refuse to give them cash. If they say they need a few bucks for food, buy them actual food or not at all. But never give them cash or cards that they can use to purchase drugs or alcohol.
While this might seem like you’re not leading with empathy, you are. You don’t have to be mean about doing any of these things. You can simply say, “I don’t want you driving my car under the influence, it’s not safe.” Or “I can’t give you cash, but I can buy you food, water, groceries,” if that’s what you want to do. Just avoid putting the blame or accusing them of anything.
Read Also:
Four Effective Things To Recover From Heroin & Drug Addiction Treatment
Spot It Early: 9 Common Signs of Addiction You Need to Look out For
Friendships Up in Smoke? 6 Ways Addiction Affects Relationships
How To Know If You Have An Addiction: 7 Common Signs
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 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.
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 — «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.
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 — «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.
