FitFu: Social fitness, on the iPhone, in the time you have

We all need to be in better shape. No matter how physically fit you might be, chances are you could be doing more. I’d venture to say that the majority of us spend far more time on our backsides than we do in any sort of physical activity, and it’s a trend that only seems to be increasing.

The things that keep us from working out seem to be increasing, as well. Who wants to pay for a gym membership, drive there in the cold or rain and then run across a parking lot only to share equipment with sweaty people of questionable hygiene? Almost without a doubt, though, you have a few minutes in your day where you could do some sort of activity if you were motivated to do so.

These are just some of the thoughts that have gone into FitFu. The idea of FitFu is that it doesn’t push you to do 20 or 30 minutes of sustained activity, rather it helps you to keep track of what you do for those 1 or 2 minutes when you have them. Add to that the social aspect of making friends who serve as workout partners, where you can encourage them to workout and then earn points when they do ad you have a lightweight, social application that really can make a difference in your health.

If you’ve heard of FitFu before, that’s because it has been around for a bit. As time moves on and the versions increase, we’re seeing really impressive things from the brains behind it, and the latest version (1.4) is no exception.

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One of the most requested features from FitFu has been the ability to log in and share via Facebook. With 1.4, that wish has been granted, as well as the ability to refer friends for bonus points.

FitFu works on 3 core principles: Perseverance, Progress and Being Friendly. Getting in shape is often difficult, but being able to keep track of your hard work with your friends makes things just a notch easier. Inside the app, you’ll fine 8 simple exercises, motion detection that can tell if you’re doing them, a social network and a points and levels system to keep things interesting. By challenging your friends, you’re able to gather points for yourself, so it’s a cross-user motivation that we’ve not seen in any other app.

FitFu will run you $.99 from the App Store. For that price, it’s a no-brainer. Even if you’re already paying for and using a gym membership, you could always be doing just a bit more for your health. Give it a download and add some friends. I’m doing it, so feel free to track me down.