I’m Sofia and I’m the founder of FreedomFit; the nutrition, fitness and wellness company that comes without the restriction and without the obsession. This year I am taking part in the PTY Enterprise Pathway which is run by Surrey Student Enterprise. I know I have often mentioned in previous blogs/vlogs that time is going by quickly, but as the year progresses the time is just going by faster and faster and I find it hard to believe that I am already a quarter of the way through the process! So here is a little recap of some of the things I have been up to over the last month.
FreedomFit App Development
I am now so much closer to the final FreedomFit app being developed. This app will be a place where clients can access their meal and workout plans in an interactive format, become part of a positive community space via the community feed, message their personal trainer (PT) and nutritionist / dietician directly and access educational blog posts regarding fitness and nutrition.
As mentioned in my August Blog post, I previously received my app prototype for which I have now gathered loads of feedback. This month I was ready to take the next steps for app development. Firstly, I had to design a second app wireframe for the version of the app that the PTs and nutritionists would see. This involves me creating a template of what I want this version of the app to look like, along with annotations, so that the app developers can use it to assist with the creation of the app. I also had to make decisions over what features of the app I would like to be available to non-FreedomFit clients. In order to be able to put it on the App Store, anyone who downloads it needs to be able to utilise the app in some way. This was something I never knew about before! It has definitely been an interesting learning experience seeing the behind-the-scenes side of app development as I am completely new to the process.
Unfortunately, app development is by no means cheap. Luckily for me, Student Enterprise have opened up applications for the Cube Fund! I am now waiting to see if I will be shortlisted next month to pitch for some extra funding. If I am successful, then this will boost my funds sufficiently to allow me to develop the app exactly how I want it and I will be able to offer clients the best experience possible.
PT Course
Anyone who has seen my previous entries will know by now that I am currently undertaking a personal training course so that I can personally focus on that side of the business whilst I complete my Nutrition degree. Next month I have finally got my practical exams! It’s fair to say the nerves are starting to kick in slightly, but I have been doing lots of exam prep over this last month, as I have got both my level 2 and level 3 exams back-to-back! I am hoping I will pass them both first time and then I will be a fully qualified personal trainer.
Nutrition Education as a Solution to the Problem
I have met with Vincenzo this month to bring together all the research I have been doing over the previous months in regards to the problem that FreedomFit is trying to solve; “Too many young adults between 16-30 years old are over-exercising and under-eating”. Social media, the social environment and wanting to see results quickly are all factors that lead to this issue. However, it has now become apparent that the lack of education surrounding nutrition and exercise is a major contributor to the problem.
I have previously mentioned FreedomFit running educational workshops alongside offering meal and workout plans and one-on-one consultations, but now they are going to become one of the bigger focus points for FreedomFit. Better nutrition education can help to reduce the occurrence of restrictive, obsessive dietary patterns (Laramée et al., 2017; Reinstein et al., 1992). I know I personally have found becoming better educated in nutrition and how the body works has completely shifted my mindset and relationship with food and exercise, so I’m hoping that I can help others find a healthy, balanced relationship with both through the power of better education and support from our personal trainers and registered nutritionists and dieticians.
References
Laramée, C., Drapeau, V., Valois, P., Goulet, C., Jacob, R., Provencher, V., Lamarche, B. (2017). ‘Evaluation of a Theory-Based Intervention Aimed at Reducing Intention to Use Restrictive Dietary Behaviours Among Adolescent Female Athletes’, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, 49(6), pp. 497-504. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404617301422?casa_token=GxZBHTeZ60wAAAAA:x6pHDzAk1Ao88GIhyJaTJ-quQJQ3WLzQ4NPDFipvYAsKxamEC3ZlMIEaxLuxC8ePy_Ikghc (Accessed: 28 September 2021).
Reinstein, N., Koszewski, W.M., Chamberlin, B. and Smith-Johnson, C. (1992). ‘Prevalence of eating disorders among dietetics students: Does nutrition education make a difference?’, Journal of American Dietetic Association, 92(8), pp. 949-953. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002822321008324 (Accessed: 28 September 2021).
