It started with a spreadsheet

I wanted to keep an exercise log.

I had found habit tracking apps were too generalised for the specific job of tracking exercise. I had tried fitness apps and found them too time-consuming and complicated for me.

I just wanted to track whether I had done any of the major types of exercise each day:

• Walking (or other moderate aerobic)
• Cardio/HIIT
• Flexibility/Balance
• Arm strength
• Core strength
• Leg strength

So I have started recording that in a Google Sheet.

I could have started building an app there and then. I had already made Veghacker which was a similar thing, but before I dived into the code, I wanted to test this approach to tracking my exercise and see if it motivated me to do more.

Lots of apps can be modelled by making a spreadsheet. Often an app is just a friendly user interface on top of some database tables. Strip away that interface and you can get a sense of whether you are capturing and displaying useful data. In some cases, a Google Sheet or an Airtable is a sellable product!

I don't think that's the case with Fithacker. If it works for me as a spreadsheet, I will make it into an app. That way I can create a much better user experience for myself and anyone else who might use it.