Challenges App by FitNow Launches May Fitness Challenge, Encourages Users to Tap Community for Motivation During Social Distancing

BOSTON, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While social distancing measures keep people home, FitNow, Inc., who created Lose It!, the food-tracking and weight loss with over 1.4 million monthly active members, has prioritized the release of the Challenges App to the public. With a focus on bringing friends, families and colleagues together virtually through fitness and movement, the free Challenges App encourages Apple Watch owners to get active and close their rings each day. Beginning May 1 and running for four weeks, the "May 2020 Rings Challenge" inspires Apple Watch users to close their Move, Exercise and Stand rings and leverages social features that enable teammates to support and motivate each other to achieve their goals.

While Challenges has primarily been used as a corporate wellness offering prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, FitNow decided to release the app to the public as a tool to support the community during quarantine, and the results were outstanding. The hugely popular three-week April Challenge had more than 16,000 participants from 5,189 teams who closed over 1 million Rings and logged over 17 million exercise minutes – averaging 52 minutes of exercise per participant.

"When the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting communities across the country, we decided to open up the Challenges App to the public with the goal of creating a sense of community and encouraging participants to focus on their health and wellness goals," said Kevin McCoy, SVP Business Development. "In the past, Challenges was a corporate wellness tool, but looking at the data from the April Challenge we were excited to see just how engaged users are in their home fitness journeys and how much Challenges is resonating with people during this period of social distancing."

Group exercise, even when virtual, has numerous health and wellness benefits. A study from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine found that people who took regular group workout classes reported lower stress levels and a higher quality of life than those who work out alone.

"I love group wellness challenges at any time, but I think they are especially important right now to help keep us accountable and connected while we can't physically be together," said Marysa Cardwell, MS, RDN, CD, CPT and consultant to the Lose It! community. "Challenge groups not only provide an effective way to set and meet new fitness goals, but they are an excellent source of encouragement and support for people to stay motivated and on track with healthy living habits."

To join the free public challenge, Apple Watch owners need to download the Challenges App to their phone and enable it on their Apple Watch. Users have the option to join an existing team or create one of their own. Sign up begins today, April 30.

Currently available to Apple Watch and iOS device owners only, the FitNow team plans to make Challenges available to iOS and Android users who don't have an Apple Watch by summer 2020. For more information on Challenges, visit Challenges.App.

About Challenges
Challenges is a free fitness app that allows Apple Watch owners to combine exercise with friendly competition to motivate participants towards their health goals. This tool, which was primarily used by corporate wellness customers up until the recent public release, has seen a dramatic increase in the level of participant activity when competing in activity-based Challenges. In the current climate, with families stuck at home, FitNow, Inc., the company behind the popular weight loss app, Lose It!, released this free public challenge to get people more active with family and friends. To learn more about Challenges, visit Challenges.App or follow on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

About Lose It!
Lose It! is mobilizing the world to achieve a healthy weight. By providing the most comprehensive, personal, app-based weight loss program, Lose It! has helped more than 40 million members shed over 91 million pounds. Available on iOS and Android devices, Lose It! empowers members to live healthier lives and achieve their weight loss goals through motivation and challenges, coaching, overall health management, and the insights that come from tracking and monitoring daily calories, exercise, and nutrition. To learn more about Lose It!, visit www.loseit.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

SOURCE Lose It!

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