Fall brings with it a host of delights: pumpkin-spiced lattes, finally getting to wear your favorite sweaters, and the transformation of lush green landscapes into a stunning autumn palette. But for many of us in Atlanta, just the thought of cooler holiday weather is enough to make us stay inside on the couch, opting for Netflix instead of outdoor activities — even if the temperature stays the same.

We sat down with Mike Tinney, CEO of FIX Health, the visionary company behind A Step Ahead, the innovating wellness app that gamifies taking control of your health, to delve into tips for staying active this fall.  

Zombie Fever Hits Atlanta in October

FIX Health, the company behind The Outbreak Challenge, provides more than just a fitness app. It’s a community-driven, team-building experience. Atlanta residents can play with friends and family all over the world as the app is available on all smartphones worldwide. The platform even boasts an impressive 94.4% completion rate due to its high levels of competition and team camaraderie.

With Halloween just around the corner, FIX Health is providing Atlanta residents with an exhilarating experience to get more exercise. “The Outbreak Challenge is an exercise-competition app designed to get everyone in the city moving in a fun and spooky way… by running away from zombies,” said Tinney, “There’s so much resistance to exercise as the holiday seasons come around, but FIX Health can help you overcome that and achieve your fitness goals while having fun.” 

Keep Moving To Stay Energized

The old cliche of doing a few jumping jacks if you’re feeling lazy or tired holds true for a reason: exercise gives you energy because, as your heart pumps blood at a faster rate, it improves your circulation. But there can be more resistance to working out when all you want to do is remain cozy and full of seasonal treats in the comfort of your home!

This common resistance to exercise, especially when family is near and the holiday cheer is in full swing, is what led Tinney and his team to invent A Step Ahead. A Step Ahead offers fantasy scenarios to improve your daily steps. Imagine virtual worlds filled with zombies, aliens, and robots, where your physical prowess — or at least the steps you take in a day — translates into points earned. Along the way, you’re engaging in a friendly competition against your colleagues and friends. 

With seamless integration for popular fitness trackers like Fitbit and Apple Watch, players sync their real-world steps and exercise progress to the app. “It’s wellness reimagined in the spirit of playful achievement and a dash of dopamine,” said Tinney. “That’s the reason we have an astonishing completion rate for our six-week physical activity intervention.”

To combat the reluctance of venturing outdoors for exercise and fresh air, consider setting manageable goals and establishing a routine. As Tinney elaborated, “Exercising for an entire hour can seem daunting, but if you allocate just five minutes, you’ll be amazed at how much more you accomplish once you get started. Overcoming that initial resistance to what you’ve been avoiding is often the hardest part.”

Beat The Shortened Days!

Staying motivated during fall and winter months is all about keeping yourself inspired instead of expecting a quick trick to keep you moving. That’s because adding and removing different sources of exercise motivation and games can help you modulate your body’s instinct to ‘hibernate’ for the winter evenings. 

“If you’re trying to force yourself to do a boring workout you hate every single day, you can easily go from motivated to total avoidance in a single week,” said Tinney, “When you’re exercising against family and friends in a gamified setting, you can get inspired and have fun with family pretty quickly, making the habit more solidified.”

Be Strategic and Save Coin

If you’re concerned about an expensive workout regime, diet, or gym, consider a strategic approach to getting active. Instead of spending money on hopeful weight loss methods you might never use, you can instead join a single game where you can strategically plan to spend the majority of your steps!

“Instead of making the workout the perfect Instagrammable moment, if you make it a little easier and fun, you can stay just as active — and ten times happier,” said Tinney, “You can also adopt an on-demand system. For instance, play against people in your own home or workplace, so you see the players you want to beat every day.”

These are just some of Tinney’s favorite strategies for staying motivated, inspired, and active this Fall, but according to him, “The most important thing is to remember to have fun in the process of focusing on your personal well-being.”

About FIX Health

FIX Health powers A Step Ahead and The Outbreak Challenge, wellness apps that FIX Health powers A Step Ahead and The Outbreak Challenge, wellness apps that leverage technology and the expertise of FIX Health’s team to help individuals take control of their physical wellness. The apps are designed to enhance employee health and wellbeing by using video game engagement techniques to drive physical activity in employee populations. For more information please visit https://outbreakchallenge.com/product/walktober/