Get fit and healthy with the help of a »digital« trainer

Photo: Matias Jacobi/Unsplash

Losing a few pounds here and there is not difficult, but they do seem to like to come back. The 8fit application does not only help its users maintain a desired weight; it also »teaches« them how to eat right and build a healthy lifestyle.

There's nothing wrong with hating exercise. But chances are that you secretly wish you liked it. A couch is very comfortable, panting while trying to keep up with fit runners is usually less so. That is a pretty good reason to stay on the sofa.

At least until your conscience guilts you into going to the nearest name-brand sporting goods store, where you can end up spending a substantial amount of your monthly income, finish your first short training while oozing motivation, and then return to the sofa. With feelings of satisfaction, justifiably so.

The contentment carries on to the next day. And then the next. There seems to be no end to it! But the second training never happens. You get nervous counting calories, telling yourself there’s nothing to worry about – you did it once, you can do it again. Sure.

10 million users, eager to improve their bodies and their health, follow the instruction given by their 8fit application.

When Pablo Villalba introduced the 8Fit mobile application, this type of »jogger« and other amateur sports enthusiasts were exactly who he had in mind. It was borne from his own experience.

He also felt that he was spending too much of his time on the sofa, letting calories accumulate freely. He was not happy about what he saw in the mirror. Something had to be done. But instead of heading straight to the sporting goods store, he buried himself in scientific literature. He read a ton of articles on nutrition and exercise, bought a wrist activity tracker, and started using all he had learned in practice. Six months later, he was able to buy clothes in sizes six times smaller than before.

Photo: 8Fit

His friends noticed and took advantage of his transformation. Villalba sent them tips by email, the circle of interested friends was growing, and soon he got the idea to introduce strangers into the mix. He left the startup Teambox and created 8fit, which at its conception was the only application combining training and nutrition advice.

He wasn’t in it alone; he had acquired 10 million euros in initial capital, the company’s technological development was taken over by Pedro Solá, and numerous experienced nutritionists and trainers were asked to join the team. The result: by now, over a million »strangers« have followed the app’s instructions.

When a user first downloads the app, they are asked to create a profile. The entered data and desired goals decide the exercise programme and the daily menus.

8fit exercises are free, and by paying a subscription fee the users get a personalised exercise and eating plan.

Each day, a user then receives instructions for five to fifteen minutes of high-interval training and yoga, which can easily be done at home, wearing clothes that don’t necessarily follow the latest fashion trends. At the same time, the user can read articles on healthy eating that the content creators regularly publish in the app.

All tips are free, but can be upgraded. Much like other subscription economy companies, 8fit offers more to those regular users who are looking for a little extra, getting them accustomed to life per month.

If you pay the 5 euro monthly fee for a year, or pay 10 euros for three consecutive months, you can unlock an even more detailed programme, completely tailored to your needs, created by a trainer especially for you. Strength training, fat burning, or fitness maintenance exercises are even more detailed than in the free version. You don’t even have to think about what food to make; you will receive a shopping list and instructions on how to prepare the meal. They’re very thorough, so nothing can go wrong.

Photo: Jez Timms/Unsplash

The 8fit app also gives you and other users advice on how to build a healthy lifestyle. So in the end, when you do lay back on the sofa, you can truly relax. Every day, without a guilty conscience.