Has the pandemic changed the way we get fit and lose weight forever?

The pandemic has put a big kink in just about everything.

We do less, go fewer places and businesses are suffering. One industry that has really been hit hard, possibly irreparably, could have a big impact on your health…

Many gyms closed soon after the pandemic started, and though some are now opening up amid strict safety rules, they’re finding their clients aren’t exactly sprinting back.

To make matters worse for them, a survey by online broker, Ameritrade, found that 59 percent of Americans say they don’t plan on renewing their gym memberships once the pandemic is over.

Where does that leave you? Maintaining a healthy weight equates to a healthier, disease-free life. Obesity was even found to be a factor that could worsen a coronavirus infection. So now and beyond, giving up fitness is not a good idea.

But are Americans turning away from exercise… or just the gym? According to an article I recently read, people are finding that the lack of access to gyms eliminated some of the barriers that kept them from exercising in the first place. And the pandemic has inadvertently spurred them into better reasons to exercise — including to relieve anxiety, boost confidence and gain energy — the kind that lead to a lifetime commitment to fitness.

So, you don’t need a gym. But what if you needed a little support, motivation or guidance to know you’re heading in the right direction?

Well, now there’s an app for that. For less than what you probably paid all year for a gym membership, you can focus on eating a healthy diet while getting plenty of regular exercise — all remotely — to meet your goals.

An app for remote weight loss and fitness

Opt-IN — short for Optimization of Remotely Delivered Intensive Lifestyle Treatment for Obesity — is a smartphone-based app that in effect brings a weight loss coach to you. And is still cheaper than the existing program options that deliver the same level of results such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (which is considered the gold standard for weight loss programs).

Opt-IN helps keep you on track by logging your daily food and exercise and turning that information, including weigh-ins logged by your digital scale into reports for your coach. You can even opt to have your reports sent to your primary care provider. And, if you want, you can partner with a weight loss buddy who’s undergoing weight loss training on the app as well.

“With an app on a smartphone and a coach who sees the results, you get the help you need,” said lead researcher, Bonnie Spring, Ph.D. “There’s no need to take public transportation or drive to a class or pay for parking and childcare. It makes healthy weight loss accessible for people in rural areas, those who work at night, those who have mobility issues, or those who just can’t get out to classes.”

Impressive results

Sounds convenient, but does it work? Unlike most fitness programs, this one was put to the test. Here’s what was published in the journal Obesity about it…

Researchers split program participants into 32 teams to test all aspects of the app for effectiveness. They found that overall:

• 57 percent of people lost a full five percent of their body weight. That may not sound like much, but according to research, in order to improve your health outcomes and decrease your risk of disease, you only have to lose five percent of your body weight.
• Even better, 51 percent lost seven percent of their body weight.
• And the average weight loss is 13.4 pounds!

Now, the app isn’t free, but as I mentioned earlier, it is cheaper than comparable programs out there.

While the gold-standard Diabetes Prevention Program runs about $1,000 per person, Opt-IN, with all its bells and whistles, is about $427 per person — so less than half. That equates to about $35 a month — which is less than most monthly gym membership fees.

To get more information about signing up for Opt-IN as it’s available, you can fill out a form on the researcher team’s site.

Sources:

1. New, remote weight-loss method helped slash pounds — EurekAlert!
2. Study Finds Big Advantages to New Weight Loss Program — Everyday Health