It’s the New Year which means a new you, and it’s time to get the dust off your gym sneakers and membership card because you once again labeled fitness and health as your number one goal for 2012.  You’re determined to stick to it this year for longer than a month, and a new App can help you make that goal a reality by issuing prizes and cash rather than points and badges.  You can always opt for the Walkstation in your office for extra fat-shedding during work-hours too.

The iPhone app is called GymPact and has already seen quite a success rate (90%) across the test population.  The app works by paying you for honoring your workout each day, while making you pay when you don’t make it; for whatever the reason might be.  How do you pay you might be asking? Well with money of course, and for most of us that’s hard to come by these days.

Real Money, Real Rewards

“GymPact lets you set the financial stakes of not getting to the gym, plus earn real cash for every workout you committed; paid for by those who didn’t get to the gym.”  The app is only currently available for iOS (Apple) users, although the company says that they are working on an HTML5 app which can be used across any smartphone.  There’s even a group option which will really instill good old fashioned competition with friends, family and co-workers.

If you wish to sign up, you will have to ration out a minimum of $5 for every day you miss; charged to your credit card.  You must also fill in your pact which entails selecting how many days you intend to hit the gym on a weekly basis (minimum of 1 day), and your pact can be modified by “days and stake for the upcoming week until Sunday at midnight the week before.”

Don’t think you can just skirt around the fact that you didn’t make it to the gym and check-in anyway, because not only does the app make you check in (via GPS), it also requires you to stay at that location for a minimum of 30 minutes in order to get credit for that days workout.

So what happens when you want to go on vacation or get sick and can’t make it?  According to their FAQ section, GymPact believes that “taking occasional breaks is an important part of a healthy life, and you can freeze your account and tell us when you want to get back on your pact.”  Although a medical exemption note (filled out by your doctor) is required for those who find themselves ill or injured.

If you aren’t one for accountability then maybe this app isn’t for you, but if you need that extra motivation and kick in the behind; this could really help you achieve your fitness goals this year.  Hit the button below to go directly to their official site.

GymPact Homepage