Each week, I’ll go inside the refrigerator of a Boston fitness professional to find out what exactly they eat. Think of this as MTV Cribs gone healthy. Because, honestly, don’t you want to know if they practice what they preach? We do.
When it comes to the headquarters of a household fitness app, one might assume their community fridge is stocked with kale and pre-made protein shakes. Incorrect.
While I didn’t see large bowls of candy or cans of soda, my recent raid of the Boston-based company, RunKeeper, reassured me that being healthy means more than just the next dietary fad or nutritional trend.
From the constant stream of Polar Seltzer containers to the inaugural canister of peanut butter pretzels for new employees, the RunKeeper headquarters’ kitchen is stocked with all of the essentials to keep their team fueled up. And with their twice a week team workouts, the individuals behind this thriving app truly do practice what they preach.
Speaking on behalf of RunKeeper, CEO Jason Jacobs filled me in on his nutritional habits as well as how he has positively influenced the health of this office.
Caroline Earle: What is one go-to healthy snack that you fuel on pre or post run?
Jason Jacobs: While it’s nice to refuel with cookies, usually I’ll go for something healthier like a protein shake or healthy snack bar.
CE: Do you typically brown bag your lunch or go out for your midday meal? If so, where do you frequent?
JJ: I typically go out but I keep things super efficient and consistent; my go-to meal is a salad or stir fry from a place right across the street from our office.
CE: As an office, it’s clear group workouts are a way of life: Track Tuesdays, Fun Run Thursdays, etc. Do you partake in these activities as well?
JJ: Yes, when time permits! I originally started a monthly CEO run with the company, but that since has evolved to Fun Run Thursdays. I’ve been busy traveling this summer but I make it when I can.
CE: How do you aim to create a healthy office environment for everyone at RunKeeper?
JJ: Our mission at RunKeeper is to help everyone lead a more active and healthy lifestyle, so we’re always thinking of fun new ways to inspire our team to be active!
The group workouts and keeping our fridge stocked with everyone’s favorite, healthy snacks are just a few ways we create a healthy office environment for everyone. We also just introduced an initiative called “Earn Your Kicks,” where employees pick a very aggressive fitness goal for themselves, announce it to the team, and can earn an awesome prize (like custom sneakers) if they succeed.
We just rolled it out but so far the team has committed to doing things that range from running their first half marathon, walking 2,000 miles in 2015, or running 100 percent of the streets of Somerville. A number of us are also doing the upcoming Reach the Beach relay race in September, for the second year in a row.
CE: Leading a healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming. What is one tip you can give to someone looking to takecharge of their sedentary ways?
JJ: Set a goal and start moving! We find that our users who set and complete goals log 50 percent more miles and 30 percent more workouts per month than those who have never set goals. We think goals are so important to getting active that we’ve incorporated easy ways to set and track goals into both of our apps.
In RunKeeper, use our Goal Coach feature to help determine and set realistic and achievable goals for you. And our newest app, Breeze, automatically sets daily step goals based on your previous activity behavior and provides encouragement throughout the day to help you reach that goal.
Images via author & BostInno
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