Using fitness to combat hunger: Vizer Workout App
USD Alumni creates app to improve community’s wellbeing
Brooke Tooma / Asst. Feature Editor / The USD Vista
Being active and giving to the community can go hand-in-hand. Students at the University of San Diego now have the opportunity to further the benefits of their workout routine by donating a meal each time they reach a fitness goal.
Vizer is a social fitness rewards app aiming to fight hunger and incentivize users to reach their fitness goals. The app was co-founded by USD alumna Samantha Pantazopoulos, who graduated in 2017. While studying on Semester at Sea, she realized that there was a way to fight unhealthy habits and support social good simultaneously.
After seeing the consequences of bad health within their own family, Pantazopoulus and her cousin Dylan Barbour decided they wanted to give people the opportunity to make health achievable, no matter what the circumstances. Through collaboration, dedication, and hard work, they brought their ideas and goals into fruition. Vizer was launched in 2020.
Vizer works on a basis of goals and donations. When a user reaches one of the app’s daily activity goals — walking 10,000 steps, exercising for 30 minutes, or taking a class at a Vizer partner studio — corporate sponsors will donate a meal through a partner food bank on the behalf of the user.
With this idea in mind, Pantazapoulus and Barbour utilized assistance from the helping hands at The Brink Small Business Development Center at USD, which is publicly funded in a partnership with USD, working to provide free and confidential support to small businesses that are innovative in technology.
As one of the first ten clients of The Brink, Vizer received plenty of assistance from advisors. Director of The Brink Rachel Lozano Castro was one of the individuals who guided the creators in beginning their journey towards health for the whole community.
“The Brink has been able to help with Vizer’s development in a variety of ways when it comes to monetizing, legal aspects, relationship development, and the strategic buildup of the team,” Castro said.
Vizer made its way to USD’s campus community during this past fall semester.
Upon receiving the news that the semester would be remote for all USD students, Jordaine Tran, student facilities supervisor and senior at USD, pitched the idea of bringing Vizer to USD Campus Recreation in a meeting with the team.
“We were thinking of workout-oriented things to do, while keeping in mind social distancing protocols,” Tran said. “I knew it was a great way for people to use their exercise to get active, while also helping the general San Diego community.”
Everyone on the Campus Recreation team loved the idea of bringing the workout app to USD, Tran said. Students can download the app for free and automatically track their daily steps and activity through their phone, Apple Watch, or Fitbit and ultimately donate a meal by the end of the day.
Students can also reach their fitness goals and donate meals by booking an appointment through Campus Recreation at one of their outdoor facilities — they are currently offering swim, tennis, and TRX — and eventually at Bosley Fitness Center and the Jenny Craig Pavilion when they open up again.
Participants can choose to log their workout and donate a meal at a kiosk on their way into their on-campus workout, or on their way out after their workout is complete, making meal donations as simple as possible.
Through using the Vizer app, students in San Diego can even find local San Diego gyms, earn points with each meal donation that can then be redeemed at different San Diego restaurants, and ultimately work toward community health while improving their own health.
Tran shared some of her personal experiences with the workout app.
“My friend and I play tennis together and the app encourages us to play,” Tran said. “We can get our fitness in while helping someone in need.”
Some USD athletes are especially intrigued by the app and its benefits. Sean Van de Grift, a sophomore on the USD rowing team, spoke about his daily activity as a USD athlete. On most days of the week, Van de Grift has two practices a day that include cardio sessions, aerobic training, and weight lifting. Being a rower for six years, Van de Grift has had plenty of experience tracking his activity using a heart rate monitor.
He mentioned his interest in using Vizer because of its community service aspect, but also mentioned the limitations of not having an Apple Watch or Fitbit.
“Without an Apple Watch or Fitbit, it’s hard to track all the activities, other than just the steps,” Van de Grift said.
Despite this, Van de Grift is still interested in tracking his own steps as he goes about his daily training. He went on to describe the opportunities and possibilities that he can see for the app at USD, especially among athletes.
“I’ve thought about how beneficial it could be if all the athletes at USD were tracking the workouts that they would be doing anyway,” Van de Grift said.
All of that activity means all of those meal donations. Another USD athlete, Benjamin Keefer, is a sophomore on USD’s club rugby team. He trains for his sport throughout the week by lifting weights, going on runs, and practicing on the field with his teammates.
He used to track his activity using the Adidas Running App by Runtastic, but eventually started tracking his activity on his own. The benefits of Vizer peaked Keefer’s interest.
“I would definitely use Vizer,” Keefer said. “It sounds very beneficial to tracking and keeping you accountable, while also having a good cause.”
Vizer has already donated almost 800,000 meals, at the time of print, to the community, and users can increase that number each day just by being active.
USD Campus Recreation has worked diligently to assure that using the Vizer app is as user-friendly as possible for the USD community. Working toward one’s fitness goals while also giving to those in need has never been easier.Photo caption: