Finding the motivation to exercise can be an uphill battle. Some days you’re pumped to get out and move, and the post-workout adrenaline rush leaves you feeling good about reaching your fitness goals. But other days, it’s a struggle, and you need more than a motivational quote about how “your future self will thank you for the work you put in today.” Something like knowing that every time you hit the gym, you could be helping others in your community too. 

Enter Vizer, an exercise reward app that logs your workouts and turns every squat, lunge, and mile run into a meal donation for those in need. For every 10,000 steps you clock or 30 minutes of exercise you complete and log on your phone, Apple Watch, or Fitbit, tap “Donate meal” in the app and Vizer will give a meal through a United States food bank on your behalf. 

The idea to use meal donations as a motivational tool came from Vizer’s Co-Founder & CEO, Samantha Pantazopoulos, who needed some next-level inspiration to get moving, “I hated working out!” says Pantazopoulos. “I wanted to be healthier but struggled to stick with my goals. Vizer provides daily motivation to move by making each workout worth more.” 

Vizer launched in mid-2020, when the coronavirus pandemic led to a spike in food insecurity across the country. The opportunity to help others—at a time when many of us feel helpless—turned out to be a powerful incentive to get people moving. Since its launch last year, Vizer has donated 2.25 million meals by supporting over 200 food banks across the United States via the Feeding America network, while also maintaining direct relationships with food banks in select cities, such as the Food Bank For New York City. 

“When a user converts exercise into a meal donation on Vizer, a brand partner in our network funds a meal donation on their behalf,” explains Pantazopoulos. “Food banks operate at the intersection of food rescue and food distribution by bringing healthy, nutrient-dense food to a central location and distributing it either directly or via community organizations to populations in need.” 

While Vizer’s just getting started, they’re in it for the long haul, training for a marathon of leveraging resources, tooling, education, and network effect to make lasting improvements in the health and wellness landscape.

Just like working out with a friend can make a difference in reaching your personal fitness goals, Vizer partners with brands like Territory Foods to fund meal donations and offer rewards for users. In early 2021 we committed to donating 50,000 meals through Vizer’s donation network and this Fall, we donated 50,000 more meals while also challenging you to share your donations on social media for a chance to win a week’s worth of Territory meals. 

Fueling up with Territory meals and logging your workouts with Vizer is a no-brainer when it comes to feeling good about how you’re taking care of both yourself and your community. 

“With Vizer, every day that you make the decision to exercise, you’re able to provide a healthy meal for someone in need,” says  Pantazopoulos. “Not only does it increase access to healthy food, but it also inspires movement as something value-adding and worthwhile.”

Learn more about how to download Vizer in the App store and keep an eye out for more of our partnerships with Vizer in the future.