Fitbook

This post will be a short one since it is early in the morning and I have to get ready for class soon. You may have noticed that I haven't posted anything in the past few days. While you should not expect such frequent posts, there is a reason I have been absent from many of my standard internet haunts this week. Ironically, the reason is a website. On Tuesday, a friend sent me an invitation to join fitocracy.com, A social networking site with an odd focus. Imagine facebook. You have a profile, friends, groups, interests, the whole nine yards. Now add in the ability to easily input information regarding your work outs. As if this weren't enough, when you hit "Post" the website assigns you points based on what activities you did and for how long. And to go one step further, you are able to level up, achieve quests, and unlock achievements with your points.

I never would have thought that arbitrary points could be such a strong motivator, but they are. For the past few days, my girlfriend and I have been running around campus, going to the gym, and doing crunches/push up/countless other exercises while watching TV. The reason I decided to comment on this website is because of the profound motivational impact it has had on us. There is no telling if this effect will last, but even if it doesn't the intent of the website is admirable. Rather than being the time-sink that most social networking sites are as they encourage you to click one more profile or read one more article, Fitocracy has encouraged me to leave the computer and head out get my heart rate up. In fact, each moment I spend on the website is a moment I'm not spending getting points.

The social networking movement has many benefits in terms of connectivity and sharing information but the one thing I have always resented about it is how self-perpetuating it is. I can't hold that against the creators of these websites because they have found a way to resoundingly achieve what every website developer wants, constant use. I can, however, commend the people in charge of Fitocracy. Here is a website that offers most of the benefits of the bigger networking sites while keeping its focus on encouraging healthy active living. The website is still in beta but offers connections to Facebook and Twitter. Once they iron out the few glitches I've noticed (slow loading times, missing links, out of place posts, etc) and launch a polished version I wouldn't be surprised if the creators become fast-track millionaires (assuming it isn't already Zuckerberg behind this). I wish them all the best and I strongly encourage you to check out the site and sign up. I've had a lot of fun with it so far, and I feel physically better, too. It's the purest win-win I've found in a long time.

Happy Trails,

-Steve

Image courtesy of http://www.youthcancertrust.org/fundraising-challenges/running-.aspx