If a recent wave of marathoners washing through our city isn’t a reminder to work out, I don’t know what is. But marathons - competitions conceived from a story in which an Ancient Greek messenger ran 26.2 miles from the Battle of Marathon and proceeded to drop dead – aren’t for everyone.
For people who don’t run because gym class flashbacks still cause them to wake up in a cold sweat, or because they don’t have a death wish for their knees, there are several startups here to help. We give you 5 local ventures that can encourage you to be fit – without ever having to endure Heartbreak Hill.
Men and women can sometimes seem like different species. Gain Life recognizes how dissimilar we are and has developed separate health and wellness programs for each gender so everyone has the tools to be successful. This startup has participants take all aspects of their lives into account, pinpoint problems that could be undermining their health and discover methods to modify their behavior so those issues no longer impact their wellness.
Who wouldn’t want the luxury of a personal trainer? Most times, money gets in the way. Not with Ladder, though. The platform connects users with personal trainers and health coaches, letting them set goals, create a game plan to get there and track their progress. Every month, Ladder takes into account how people are doing on their programs and allows for changes in coaches or objectives to ensure users are always moving forward in their journey to becoming fit individuals.
Biking is a blast, except when you’re in the middle of a car- and pedestrian-filled city. Try the second best (or maybe first best, depending on whom you ask) thing: Biking on VR. VirZoom uses Oculus Rift and a stationary bike to game-ify your tired spinning regimen. You’ll feel like you’re playing video games when really, you’re burning serious calories.
You don’t have to go to the gym to get a good sweat in. But if you’re popping in your Insanity DVDs or doing some bootcamp moves in your living room, you’ll find the footing isn’t always ideal. That’s where PerfectBurpee comes in. This piece of nifty fitness gear is like an amped-up yoga mat - with extra cushioning and a more functional shape that allow you to do high-intensity movements without falling off.
As the name implies, this venture - brought to you by The Club owner and former boxer George Foreman III - is all about fitness in fight form. EveryBodyFights just landed $1 million in funding, which will be used to open more gyms and train every instructor who will be heading up its boxing and boxing-hybrid exercise classes. So you can sweat while letting go of a lot of anger.
