Health and fitness app developer Nudge announced April 14 the release of Nudge+Coach, a program aimed at pairing consumers with health coaches through the Nudge platform.
By partnering with one of Nudge's vetted health professionals, users can gain feedback on how to improve their overall health and make sense of the data being pulled from the various wearables and fitness trackers on the market.
"The health and fitness tracking space is very fragmented," Phil Beene, a Nudge co-founder, told eWEEK. "If you look at the app store, there are several hundred tracking devices on the market and no uniform means of making sense of all of the useful data that's being collected. So, making sense of the data and knowing how to leverage it to improve one's lifestyle is a huge stumbling block for consumers.
"This is exactly what Nudge is trying to fix," he said. "We want to help make better sense of the health tracking space, allowing for a more seamless experience between consumers using health tracking platforms and the providers who are trying to better understand the information being collected."
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Through Nudge+Coach, consumers can select a health coach based on their individual needs, whether it's losing weight, eating better or reducing stress levels, to name a few options.
The Nudge coach will then provide actionable feedback in the form of personalized recommendations, goals and tailored health plans aimed to the user's specific needs.
The pricing varies depending on the expertise of the coach, with most packages including introductory phone calls, multiple consultations and unlimited in-app messaging.
"The term 'health coach' has a broad meaning, but essentially they are professionals that provide individuals with the education and accountability necessary to achieve their goals," Beene said. "Our coaches range from personal trainers and nutritionists to medical doctors that want to incorporate a lifestyle component into their practice. These coaches specialize in a variety of areas, so consumers can basically connect with a coach for anything, from creating a weight loss or detailed nutrition plan to help meeting new exercise or strength goals to struggling with sleep issues."
The app is free to use, and users can work with one of the company's coaches for anywhere from $45 to $100 per month, Beene explained.
The service takes the data being pulled in from the 80-plus devices and apps that Nudge syncs with and gives users the option to communicate with a specialized health professional from within the Nudge app.
Nudge+Coach is available only on Apple's iOS operating system, though the company said an Android app is launching soon.
