[App Fridays] Get walking indoors during the coronavirus lockdown with this fitness app

The nation is under a lockdown, and it's best advised to stay home to curb the spread of COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus. In these unprecedented times, the new normal has us all indoors and working from home. Needless to say, most of us aren’t adjusting to it all too well and some of us have all but given up on our fitness goals.

Enter StepSetGo (SSG), a fitness tracking platform that has tweaked its tracking algorithm to favour users who are just walking.

Launched early last year, the app has crossed five million installs with a 4.2 rating on Google’s Play Store. It promises to make the simplest workout like walking fun again. Even if you stay indoors. That is definitely worth looking at in these times of self-isolation.

Let’s explore what the app does

To start off, you need to create an account and add your details such as weight and height. After this process, you land on the homepage, which has a very gamified look and feel. This is refreshing as apps in the fitness category these days prefer optics that promote calmness, but StepSetGo goes for an energised feel with just how it looks.

The homepage features a prominent pedometer that indicates how many steps you have taken in a day. Below the pedometer there are tasks that promise rewards. Upon scrolling down, you can see distance covered, activity calories, daily rewards, coin balance, etc.

21-day lockdown and rewards

The application has a feature that helps users earn SSG coins (StepSetGo’s in-app currency) for every indoor step you take. To make this more alluring, the app makers have introduced a series of challenges that encourage greater engagement during the coronavirus lockdown. There are seven types of challenges spread over 21 days to win more SSG coins. Users can redeem these coins for offers, freebies, and exclusive discounts like Amazon vouchers, headphones, online courses, photo books, discounts on FMCG products, etc.

You get these challenges on the ‘Arena’ tab on the home screen. These challenges are really interesting and cover all that you can do at home. For example, Day 5’s challenge was to complete 2,000 steps within 24 hours. Another day’s was to do 2,500 steps in just an hour.

ALSO READ

Coronavirus making you work from home? We tried these 6 free apps to break the monotony

Within each challenge, users are encouraged to be active, burn calories, test their endurance levels, and find innovative ways to walk more within their homes, among others. 

The app also flashes a step-by-step guide to lock the app in your phone, so that you don’t dismiss it, in order to track your steps at all times. More the steps, bigger the rewards.

One’s fitness journey on StepSetGo is mapped out by five levels. Walk a bit more every day to upgrade your level. Upgrading gives you access to earn more SSG coins daily. If you don’t remain active, you will be downgraded and earn fewer SSG coins. To add more colour to your fitness journey, the app changes its look every time you upgrade or downgrade your level.

Social media and interactions

Since the longing for social connections is at all-time high during the lockdown, StepSetGo has extended the engagement on social media as well. Users can upload a screenshot of their completed tasks on Instagram or Facebook, which will make them eligible for a lucky draw. Besides that, the app has tiny tasks to earn some extra coins, like following five SSG users, following SSG on Instagram, etc. The INR equivalent of SSG coins is not defined. 

If you have a friend who is interested in the app, SSG allows you to invite them, and you both can exchange challenges as well as compete within the app. And these friends can also see when you downgrade in steps. 

The verdict

SSG is a rewarding way to stay fit even indoors. It is a much touted observation that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So why not use the lockdown to kickstart your fitness journey? SSG seems like a perfect app to add some excitement in the mundane hours we are confined within our homes.

The app experience is better if you have a fitness tracker to connect with, so that you don’t have to have your phone on you all the time. We recommend this app for its refreshing, sporty UI and the fact that it counts what you are already doing.

The rewards, gamification, and social interaction/competition definitely can work for many who are listless during this period of self-isolation.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)