In the midst of many fitness apps, DVDs and websites promising to make fitness fun, easy and convenient for the average person looking to shed a few pounds, Nexercise has emerged as one of the few apps to actually deliver on that promise.
Nexercise is the perfect fitness tool for anyone from the busy person at the office to the stay-at-home parent who wants to fit in a workout without losing track of the kids.
Benjamin Young, the tech savvy entrepreneur who created Nexercise, says that’s exactly what the company set out to do.
Nexercise is meant to “empower everyday people to become the healthiest versions of themselves by removing excuses,” Young told Atlanta Blackstar.
The virtual workout guide removes excuses by offering workouts that cater to specific time restrictions and use interactive methods to make exercising more fun.
One of the app’s most celebrated features is the ability to challenge friends, family and colleagues to fitness challenges.
The challenge feature is essentially the digital age adaptation of the gym “buddy system.”
Having a fitness partner helps push many people to work out harder or longer than they would have by themselves. Realistically, however, it’s not always possible to physically meet up with another person and coordinate workout schedules.
The challenge feature allows friends to keep track of each other’s workout progress virtually and have a friendly competition to see who can reach their fitness goals the quickest.
It’s the type of friendly competitive spirit that could make a real difference when it comes to shedding pounds and ultimately changing someone’s life.
Dropping excess weight could be exactly what some people need in order to gain an extra boost of confidence or just embark on a journey to a healthier, longer lifestyle.
With over a quarter of a million monthly users, Nexercise could be well on its way to uplifting communities across the globe.
Eventually, Young would like to see more businesses using the Nexercise app and getting their employees more focused on fitness.
As Young explains, a friendly fitness competition between coworkers could boost even the least motivated workers to do a few more minutes of exercise every day.
“We recently shifted focus to bring effective, engaging corporate wellness to the masses,” Young said. “Outside of your significant other, who do you spend most of your time with? Your coworkers. We believe to get America healthy again, the key lies within companies.”
The app also allows users to reap real rewards when their fitness tracker records a significant amount of progress.
The work-for-rewards method is yet another proven way to inspire people to start working out more.
According to Shape Magazine, the app comes across as a video game more than a fitness guide.
“Workout or a video game? Now you don’t have to choose,” the magazine said of Nexercise. “With the Nexercise app, your workout is transformed into a fun game.”
The virtual trainer is essential for any American who is eager to lose weight, but it could have particularly powerful implications in the Black community.
According to WebMD.com, diabetes is 60 percent more common among African Americans than it is among white people.
Within the population of Americans with diabetes, Black people are more than two times more likely to suffer a limb amputation and more than 5 times more likely to suffer kidney disease.
African-Americans are also more likely to die from complications with asthma, four times more likely to die of a stroke and develop high blood pleasure earlier in life than most whites.
While some people assume this is only caused by traditional foods in the Black community that are fried and greasy, even medical experts stressed the importance of acknowledging racist institutions working against Black Americans.
People of lower socioeconomic statuses tend to battle more health problems than those who can afford organic foods and have spare time in their schedules to workout.
Nexercise could be a saving grace.
The free app features a collection of shorter workouts for busy people and adding just one or two of the five minute workouts could significantly reduce the chances of some African-Americans encountering serious health issues later in life.
Needless to say, their diet will have to make healthy changes as well, but some effective workouts that conform to their own busy schedules is a great way for many Black families to start their journey to a healthier version of themselves—and Nexercise has delivered that free of charge.