Elevation

Being that the majority of the value our application returns to our users is directly proportional to the number, diversity, and quality of the exercises in our database, Elevation has made it our mission to develop the largest institutionally and industrially validated database of peer reviewed exercises. While it would be relatively easy to add exercise after exercise to the database by quickly describing the movements and shooting impromptu photos/videos, our team goes to great extents to ensure that every exercise selected is safe, effective, and thoroughly described.  Before any exercise can even be consider for entry in to the database, our team first validates that its purpose and movements are consistent with the principles of anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics, and kinesiology.  Once validated, the team then proceed to categorize and describe it by assigning the following attributes:

• Type: Weight Training (Free Weights, Weight Training Machine, Body/Resistance, Other Weight Training), Cardio (Running, Swimming, Cycling, Stairs, Other Cardio), Stretching (Static and Dynamic), Functional (Still Under Development)

• Equipment: Every exercise can have multiple pieces of equipment associated to them so that exercises can be searched by equipment type.
• Muscles & Muscle Groups: Not only can every exercise be identified by multiple primary and secondary muscle “movers”, but it is also identified by primary and secondary muscles groups as well.
• Level of Complexity: A low, medium, or high rating system that depicts the number of muscle groups required to work in parallel to complete the movements.
• General Exercise Descriptions: A short paragraph about the exercise and why it is beneficial.
• Movements, Positions, & Pictures: Typically exercises have three movements; starting, middle, and ending.  More complex exercises have more movements.  Within each movement are the step by step form cues (Postions) and pictures that describe how to safely and effectively perform that phase of the exercise.  Since it is this combination of photos and form cues that ultimately allows for comprehension and safe performance, these attributes are scrutinized at multiple levels inside and outside of Elevation.

While we have a good head start on the development of the database, currently it contains 200+ exercises that will soon be ready to release, we know that there are hundreds if not thousands of safe and effective exercises being utilized by all within the health and wellness industry.  So in short, help us help you by send us the descriptions, pictures, and/or videos of the weight training, cardio, stretching and functional exercises you need.

During the development process of the application, Elevation Fitness has continually consulted various Fitness Professional within the industry to ensure that our application is meeting there needs.  It was during this process that we revealed the needed for increased abilities in communication between the Fitness Professionals and their Clients.  While reading an article entitled The Doctor will see you now…online: American Well powers virtual visits, by Eric Wahlgren of Daily Finance, I was reminded of an additional feature set that was developed last month.  Like American Well, Elevation is developing functionality that allows for Fitness Professionals to complement their in-person services with those that can be preformed online, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, text messaging, and screen sharing.  Thought this functionality will not be released in November, it will be at top of our list to add there after.