Founded in 2010 in New York City, Fitocracy is best described as a "social platform" that aims to both empower and motivate members to achieve personal fitness goals. Chosen as one of Men’s Journal’s Apps of the Year for 2012, Fitocracy has a simple approach – it looks to make fitness addictive.
That’s one very good addiction to have.
The mobile app itself specifically targets helping people to keep their health-related New Year's resolutions. With 2013 literally around the corner, the company is now moving full speed ahead to lock in for the New Year. Of course the app strives to keep people motivated throughout the year, not merely as resolutions are being made. It does so primarily in two ways: by connecting its users through social networking, and by seeking to make exercising fun through applied gamification.
Fitocracy awards points and badges for workouts well done and ranks users in order to spark friendly competition.
The app has been available for Apple's iOS devices for the better part of 2012. True, if you happen to be an Android kind of person, you've been out of luck – but your luck is about to change. On New Year's Day 2013, Fitocracy will launch its new, free app for Android, and the wait will finally end.
An updated version of the original iOS app will also become available then.
There's more: from January 15-24, 2013, Fitocracy's founders will teach a free online class on how to achieve fitness goals through proper exercise, nutrition and habit-building.
Fitocracy offers a supportive community of nearly one million users, who spend an average of nearly four hours per month on the platform. According to Morrison & Foerster, the average Facebook user spends 6.75 generic hours per month using Facebook while the average Twitter user spends all of about 21 minutes per month using Twitter. Fitocracy's global collection of “Fitocrats” use Fitocracy's social networking features specifically to exchange information, organize groups, hold each other accountable, set challenges and give and receive encouragement.
Fitocrats range from light walkers to veteran bodybuilders – people of all fitness levels are key to the site's value – and provide numerous peers at everyone's personal level of fitness, using Fitocracy to transform their bodies and literally change each other's lives.
“Every day we hear from users who say that we've helped them to finally achieve their goals when nothing else worked for them,” said Fitocracy CEO and founder, Brian Wang. “The majority tell us it's because of Fitocracy's huge support network of like-minded and similarly focused users, who offered them the guidance and encouragement they needed to succeed.”
Fitocracy's community-focused approach to fitness is rooted in the friendship between company founders Wang and Richard Talens. In 2010, the two launched their startup with the specific goal of making exercise as fun and addictive as their favorite childhood activity: playing video games.
"Our community understands that it takes more than 'move more, eat less' to become fit. It also requires encouragement and empowerment,” said Talens, who serves as Fitocracy's chief growth officer. “You'll find every type of success story imaginable – from people who have lost hundreds of pounds, to people who are overcoming amputations or fighting debilitating diseases. You will find someone who's done it before, and they will support you."
To try Fitocracy, simply head on over to Fitocracy.com or download the free Apple iOS version of the app, available in the Apple App store. The free online class we noted earlier that will be taught by Fitocracy's founders will be available at Skillshare.com.
Edited by
Braden Becker
