Don’t lack motivation this summer, get fit with Fitocracy!

Summer time approaches and everyone goes into a last minute shock of realisation that there holidays are coming up, which evidentially means swim suit season. So like every year, the credit cards come out and the gyms fill up so that you can look as good as possible, even if it is just for a short period of time. But wouldn’t you want to keep going all year round like you promise yourself, therefore maintaining that figure not just for vanity but also for a healthier lifestyle? The problem seems to lie with key motivation, people are happy enough to go back into their lazy routines, even if they don’t always want to.

Well this is where Fitocracy comes into make an impact. Fitocracy is a new form of social networking site, which offers you the motivation necessary to keep going through those cold winter months.

Fitocracy works by the user logging in their fitness workouts and choosing which specific exercises they committed to on that day. This will then calculate that user a score based upon the strenuous effort of the workout, for example being given a higher score for running 4 miles rather than walking it. Users gain motivation by building up their points to acquire virtual badges and medals, for achieving specific milestones in their training.

The social aspect is what I believe to be the most pushing aspect of the site, as your friends can see your progress along the way. If you are a competitive person like many (including myself) you will not want to see your friends reach goals quicker than you do. Another compelling aspect of Fitocracy is that it offers groups for users to join, which are specialised workouts targeting diabetics, weight loss enthusiasts or marathon runners, just to name a few. Brian Wang, New York-based Fitocracy co-founder, was quoted saying, “The badges and points are the first steps to feeling motivated, but it’s the community that keeps people going.”

Finally the great thing about this app is that it offers a basic version for FREE, offering people that motivation factor for no expense. Although if a more detailed plan is what you were after, a premium version of the site can be purchased for only $5 a month, and offers workout reports, private messaging and lets users set challenges with others.