Meet the Reclaimers: A Day in the Life of a Restart! User

With the Restart! app launch just around the corner, we checked in with one of our beta testers to give you a sneak peek of what's to come. Our user/willing guinea pig is our friend Troy Winkler, who has known our co-founder Jeff White since seventh grade. We share that tidbit both for full transparency and just as further proof of the power of Jeff White's positivity: he doesn't just make instant friends, he makes lifelong friends (who will gladly try out a new app for their bud).

Troy was gracious enough to chat with us on the record to share what it's like to use the Restart! app as part of his exercise regimen. For further transparency, we'd also like to note that Troy has received no financial compensation for his participation in our beta testing, however, he has received free access to the Restart! app, which will be a paid app upon public launch. Now with all the disclaimer stuff out of the way, let's hear from one of our very first Reclaimers!

Reclaim Lifestyles: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Troy! We'd love to start at the beginning: what was your very first interaction with the Restart! app like?

Troy Winkler: The onboarding was great, very simple and intuitive to use. Plus, being a beta tester who's friends with the creator has its perks—Jeff has been great about taking in my feedback and answering questions, which will help them make the experience even smoother for new users when the app launches. It's in amazing shape already; they're really nailing their goal of creating something that is exceptionally accessible.

Reclaim: That's so awesome to hear, and we know future users will benefit so much from the feedback you've shared during the testing phase, so thank you! Speaking of accessibility, were you working with any prior injuries or other physical limitations that you needed the app to take into account?

Troy: Yes, actually, my knees have gotten less resilient over the years. I used to run as my main form of exercise, and I still do run, but Jeff happened to reach out about trying Restart! right around when I'd been looking at joining gyms to have access to a treadmill since road running is so high-impact on my knees. The exercises in Restart! are all low-impact and don't require any extra equipment, which is so nice. I love being able to just open the app and in about 30 minutes, do a workout that feels effective without hurting my knees. And if something doesn't feel right, it's easy to give feedback within the app that allows me to get different options.

Reclaim: Yeah, that ability to tell the app if something hurts and have it adapt to your body is something we've invested a lot of time and expertise in. Our fitness expert, Ben Dreyer, is behind that, so we hope to create an experience that feels like Ben or another knowledgeable trainer is there with you, adjusting your workout based on your needs.

Troy: Yes, and since the workouts are so accessible and tailored to me, it's so much easier to stick with it. I don't have to spend extra time looking up alternate exercises or give up in the middle of a workout because I can't find a workaround or I need some equipment I don't have.

Reclaim: How often are you using the Restart! app?

Troy: Five times a week.

Reclaim: Wow, nice!! So many folks can struggle with getting to that level of consistency; what helps you stick to that?

Troy: Exercise is the easiest thing to make an excuse for, and sometimes I've got an excuse too. I'm a big hockey fan and my Avalanches are playing earlier these days, so sometimes if there's a game on when I would've been doing my after-work workout... I'm watching the game instead. But I stick close to that 5x/week consistency most of the time because I know I need it for my brain. Exercise clears my head. I had been active growing up playing sports, but then I went to work and overtime you find yourself less active for one reason or another. And then three years ago, I lost my son to COVID and after a while of sitting around drinking and eating and grieving, I knew I needed to get up and moving. It's hard, but I do it because I know how much better movement can make me feel, can make anyone feel.

Reclaim: That's a really powerful "why" and we talk about that a lot here at Reclaim Lifestyles—having a strong vision for why you want to be able to do things that require a certain level of fitness, or seeing exercise as a way to prioritize yourself, to give yourself the time and space to care for yourself, because you're worth it.

Troy: Exactly, having a strong reason is so important, and makes it so much easier to carve out the time to do it. I'm out on a job right now that I thought would have me walking all over the place, but the site is actually so big, I have to drive between points A and B all day, so having the Restart! app to help me get in exercise is especially important right now while I'm trapped in a truck most of the work day.

Reclaim: How long have you been using the app?

Troy: About two months. I started it in mid-December so I had the holidays to really get into it.

Reclaim: And what changes have you seen so far, if any?

Troy: Well, you definitely feel it—like you can feel that the exercises are doing something even though they're all pretty easy to do and you're not lifting extra weights with them. The biggest improvement I've seen so far has been in my flexibility actually. A lot of the stretches included in the app are taking care of things I'm realizing I hadn't been taking care of.

Reclaim: We love to hear that! That's the beauty of having an app designed by an expert—Ben has really taken care to include exercises that provide a whole-body workout, so you don't have to worry about whether or not you've hit everything you need to. He went through all the major motions that people should be able to do and selected exercises that address each of those movement patterns.

Troy: Yeah, and having that all covered without having to buy anything in addition is fantastic. I'm done with the New Year's purchases that promise to revolutionize your fitness. They end up being very expensive clothes hangers for most of us. Restart!'s about creating a sustainable habit, and that definitely aligns with my experience so far.

Reclaim: Well, if you're using it 5x/week, that certainly sounds like it! We're so happy it's helping you stay committed to your fitness. And thank you again for taking the time to share your experience with us and our audience. And for your invaluable beta tester feedback!

Troy: Absolutely, happy to help and I'm excited for more folks to experience the app soon!

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