Developer used Claude to build an app that forces him to exercise via camera checks
A engineer describes being overweight and screen-bound all day, and says that after a doctor told him to move more, standard fixes like gym memberships and reminder apps never stuck because anything optional gets skipped. To solve this, he built an app using Claude that schedules alarms throughout the day; the only way to stop an alarm is to actually perform a small exercise, such as 5 squats, 5 pushups, or 10 situps, with the exact reps configurable.
The app uses the phone's camera to count repetitions in , so simply tapping a 'done' button and walking away does not work. An early version could still be beaten by force-quitting the app, but that loophole was fixed quickly.
Each alarm only takes 30 seconds to a minute, but repeated across a full day it adds up to a meaningful amount of exercise without ever needing to set aside dedicated workout time. He has used it daily for months and says it is the first fitness habit that has ever actually stuck for him.
Key points
- Standard fixes (gym membership, reminder apps) never stuck because they were optional and easy to skip
- Built with Claude: alarms fire throughout the day and can only be dismissed by completing a set exercise
- Camera-based rep counting prevents just tapping 'done' without actually exercising
- An early loophole (force-quitting the app to dodge the alarm) was patched quickly
- Each session is short (30s-1min) but accumulates real exercise volume over a full day; used daily for months