BOSTON — So you started a New Year’s resolution to get fit, but inevitably there’s that teeny-tiny chance you’ll slack off by week two.
Solution: GymPact.
It’s an iPhone app that will reward you (or cost you) depending on your level of commitment.
At the beginning of each week, users will select the number of times they plan to hit the gym. They’ll also name the price they’ll pay if they don’t go. Options include $5 to $50 per day. If they miss their gym dates, they pay the price. If they meet their gym dates, they’ll receive a portion of the money collected from those who failed to meet their goals. According to Mashable, GymPact collects a three percent fee of this transaction.
To ensure users are being honest, GymPact has users “check in” at their gym via the iPhone app. GymPact then confirms the location using GPS.
GymPact is the brain child of 2010 Harvard graduates Yifan Zhang and Geoff Oberhofer, who believe people are more motivated by negative action than positive rewards. Click here for more on Zhang and Oberhofer.
GymPact is the first iOS app to create badges for gym attendance. It launched January 1, 2012.
