Growing up as an overweight kid, teenager, and adult, I’ve dealt with self-confidence and body image issues for as long as I can remember. After experimenting with various diets and forms of exercise, I finally decided to take control of my life in 2017. Fast forward to the start of 2020 – I was down 30 kg and was finally starting to feel good in my skin. This is about “My Fitness Journey with StepSetGo”
I HATE CARDIO
But all of this changed in March 2020, when just like for millions across the globe, my world was tipped upside down due to the pandemic.
Now there is one thing you should know about me: I hate cardio. Or at least I did back then. I was a weight-training girl through and through. But all of this changed in March 2020, when just like for millions across the globe, my world was tipped upside down due to the pandemic. You see, the gym was my haven, my refuge from the outside world. And with no access to it now, I was afraid I would spiral out of control and go back to my old, unhealthy ways. I was faced with a difficult choice – use the lack of gym equipment as an excuse to not work out or give in and start experimenting with cardio.
Being an ardent fan of audiobooks and podcasts, I made a pact with myself. I could only listen to something if I was walking around the house. I know it does not sound like a lot, but for someone who despised walking, this seemed like a Herculean task. For the first few weeks, I would diligently plug in my earphones, get off my bed, and stroll around the house while listening to the latest episode. But soon, this motivation faded away as well. I needed something more, something that would make me actually look forward to walking.
Around the same time, I remember talking to a friend about our sedentary lifestyles and that’s when she introduced me to StepSetGo – a step-counting app that rewards users with deals, discounts, and prizes for walking. Now, this piqued my interest! Can I really be rewarded for just walking? There has to be a catch, right? But then I thought to myself, the app is absolutely free to download and use, what’s the worst that can happen? I decided to trust her recommendation and gave StepSetGo a shot.
What I Liked about the SSG App
As a first-time user, the intuitive design of the app really impressed me.
Since StepSetGo was fairly new back then, I expected the app to have a very boring UI (Yes, I was judging it before even trying it out, I’m sorry!) But instead, I was pleasantly surprised with a sleek interface that was easy to understand, use, and navigate. As a first-time user, the intuitive design of the app really impressed me, and even though they had a whole bunch of features and sections to navigate through, the layout did not feel overwhelming at all. Over the years, the app has only gotten better in terms of ease of use.
One other thing you should know about me is that nothing gets me going like some good, old competition. While weight training at the gym was fun, I had nobody to compete against. It did not make sense to compare the weights I was lifting with someone else, different bodies progressed differently. But there is something most people could compete on at a level playing field – the number of steps they walk in a day. And this is where StepSetGo came to the rescue yet again. It allowed me to compete with friends and family in various friendly challenges. Zooming past people and making it to the top of the weekly leaderboard was extremely satisfying!
I loved being part of a community even while being isolated from the rest of the world. Tracking my walks every day and watching the numbers add up motivated me to stay consistent and get better every week. Winning rewards through Arena challenges and getting amazing discounts on the in-app Bazaar was like the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.
More than a year later, I now hit 10K steps on most days without it ever feeling like a chore. I also started observing a whole bunch of positive changes in me.
A few ways in which walking (and StepSetGo!) changed my life
- Taught me to be disciplined
- Improved my mental clarity
- Provided instant stress relief
- Helped me lose weight!
But that’s not all StepSetGo has given me in my fitness journey so far. It also presented me with an opportunity to be a part of the #StepSetFam! The decision to join a startup was not an easy one, but after weighing the pros and cons, I decided to take the plunge and embark on this exciting (and challenging!) journey.
The sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with contributing to a fitter India has been my biggest motivating factor and I am grateful for having the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. From an avid user to now a member of this rapidly growing startup that is disrupting the fitness industry, my time at this organization has been quite fulfilling and I cannot wait to grow with StepSetGo!
