Fitocracy: A Social Network for Health & Fitness

Fitocracy.com

I stumbled across this site the other night, and have actually just joined it.  It's a free, social networking site for those looking to get fit.  Unlike some sites, Fitocracy is aimed for pretty much everybody.  If you are just getting into a fitness routine or trying to gain a healthier lifestyle you can feel right at home.  But on the other hand, if you are someone who has been in the fitness game for a long time and are doing great when it comes to things like diet and nutrition, and you love visiting the gym; then don't shy away because there is plenty going on here for you too.

So here is the deal.  It is a social network much in the same vein of Facebook.  It features you're run of the mill social networking goodies like a Feed (a place where all of the stuff you want to see from people you follow show up i.e.: Facebook's Wall), Friend's List, Group's List, etc.  You can share pictures and media and such.  But where it is different is that it uses "gamification" help people attain their fitness, diet, or exercising goals.  And as an avid gamer, this is an idea that I like a lot.  As some days, I just lack the desire to get out and do something healthy.

It breaks goals down into "quests" much like an RPG game.  Completion of these quests gives you points.  These points add up much like experience points (or XP) in a role playing game.  Once you fill up your point bar for your current level; you level up.  As you level up and complete certain "quests" you get achievement badges to share on your Feed for bragging rights.

Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?  I signed up this afternoon.  And one of the most daunting things to do once you join a social network is to get friends to follow.  If you don't know someone who is currently using the site, then it can be pretty lonely.  The Fitocracy solution: not only recommend a few friends for you, but actually connect you with new friends to get your feet wet.  The site will also set you up as a member of several groups based on what interests you picked during sign up (Cardio, Strength Building, etc.)  So when you first get to your feed, you actually have some stuff to look at.  From that point forward it's up to you to continue to build your friends list, add exercises (remember to be honest), and have fun reaching your goals!

There are two tier's of membership on the site.  You can join and use the site for free (I'm a free member), or you can sign up as a Fitocracy Hero which gives you some extra features on the site and let's you challenge other user's to duels.  A Hero account will set you back $4.99/month or $44.99/per year.  There is also an app for the service but it currently only supports iOS (Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad).  Supposedly an Android app is in the works.  For Android user's, you can visit the site via your device's web browser and use the mobile version of the site (which coincidentally is just a mobile version of the sign on screen, but loads the full browser version of the site after login).

So get out and meet some people with similar goals as you, and let's work together to encourage each other!  Follow this link and sign up and hit me up: Fitocracy Sign Up

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