When life gets hectic, most people start to ignore their fitness. I was no different. My wife, Samantha, and I transferred to Chapman from Fresno, not knowing anyone on campus when we arrived. Like most college students, we wanted to meet new people, but developing a network outside of class seemed impossible. If I wasn’t in class, I was working two part-time jobs, or studying.

If I had an hour break, I chose to study instead of exercise. It’s ironic, because we know that a healthy and active lifestyle boosts productivity and creativity. We should actually put a greater focus on our health if we expect our bodies to keep up with our schedules, but for me, I simply didn’t make time to exercise. I’m sure many of you can relate.

After graduating, my wife and I experienced a great loss in our family. We moved around a bit, and my unhealthy lifestyle didn’t improve. I became disappointed and ashamed of myself. As a former athlete, I asked myself, “How did I let my body get to this point?”

Then, in October 2014, Samantha and I moved back to Orange County, settling in Irvine. I decided to get a gym membership at LA Fitness, and after a couple of sessions, I realized how out of shape I had become.

I would quit an exercise midway through a set, due to fatigue and a lack of motivation. Disappointed in myself, I wondered if I would ever get back into the shape I wanted to be in.

I thought about how hard I used to work on my fitness when I was a competitive athlete. Back then, I had my teammates who always held me accountable, and expected me to do the same for them. But here in Orange County, I still didn’t have a network of friends to rely on.

What if there was a way to find motivation through the people at my gym? I determined that’s what I needed, so I started researching available solutions. When I didn’t find any apps that solved my problem, I immediately started working on my own.

Fast forward to today. LegDay is an app that brings students together to stay motivated at the campus gym. It’s a great tool to meet new people, while making your workouts fun and challenging. See who’s at the gym or going to the next group class; message other students; and earn points to climb Chapman’s leaderboard.

LegDay is available on the App Store now, and Google Play in the near future. If you download the app by December 9 at 4:59 p.m., you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Airbnb gift card. LegDay will be raffling off three $100 Airbnb gift cards in total.

Join me in building a stronger gym community at Chapman. See you on LegDay.