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Review Summary:
Although I had my doubts about Reverse Health, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it provides a lot of beginner-friendly fitness and diet information for middle-aged women. For what works out to be a bit more than $10 per month, you get a lot of value in return—assuming that you stick to the program. However, the hosts Matt and Monika make it super easy to follow along and to learn how to lose stubborn weight and, importantly, how keep the weight off. Reverse Health is a great option for women looking to lose weight during or after menopause.
- PROS:
- Excellent price for the value received
- Interactive online community for 30K+ users
- Great introduction to dietary and fitness principles
- Custom-designed program for menopausal women
- CONS:
- Exercise videos tend to run a bit long
- Exercise videos aren’t always engaging or varied
- No integration with Apple Watch, FitBit, etc.
Quick Facts:
Founded: 2021
Price: $2.65/week
Beginner Friendly: Yes
Risk of Injury: Low
Founded by: Matt Jones & Monika
Target Audience: Women over 40
Benefits Expected?: Weight loss, weight management, improved fitness and mobility, improved motivation.
Hello there, I’m Helya, a certified trainer and gym owner with over a decade of experience helping women achieve their fitness goals.
Today, I’m thrilled to share my in-depth review of the Reverse Health app, a dedicated 12-week weight loss program tailor-made for women in their middle ages.
Over the years, I’ve worked extensively with various fitness apps, and I can’t wait to provide you with insights into this particular app, Reverse Health.
At first, I was skeptical. When I first downloaded the app, I thought it would be super similar to other popular weight loss apps like DoFasting. I wasn’t sure if Reverse Health would be able to innovate or stand out from its competition.
However, after having used the app for a few days I really feel as though it provides a considerable amount of value for the price. While it’s certainly not for everyone, if you’re a middle aged woman having trouble losing weight, I definitely think Reverse Health is worth taking a chance on.
Want to know why? Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
Getting Acquainted with Reverse Health:
Let’s begin our journey with the basics.
When you first enter the Reverse Health app, you’re greeted with an “Introduction to the Program” video, featuring Monika and Matt, who serve as your guides throughout this health and wellness adventure.
These are concise videos, most of which are under 10 minutes, that offer a comprehensive overview of what lies ahead. Additionally, you’ll find a helpful video explaining how to navigate the app’s smooth UX/UI, ensuring you get off to a smooth start.
A First Look at Reverse Health:
All you need is about two minutes using Reverse Health to know that it’s designed to be a step-by-step, all-inclusive solution. It encompasses crucial aspects like nutrition, exercise, progress tracking, supplementation, and more. Basically, everything you need to have down to a science if you want to find success in your weight loss journey.
The app has a very simple and clean design with tons of videos to explain everything you need to know. While they’re informative and backed by data, they avoid overwhelming users with scientific jargon. This balance makes Reverse Health fairly easy to digest and I really think this will make their platform super accessible to even total beginners.
Exploring the Different Features:
Now, let’s dive into the app’s various features.
1. Progress Tracking
Under the Progress tab, you’ll discover an excellent tool for visualizing your journey. The Journal section allows you to graphically track your progress over the 12-week program. This feature enables you to celebrate your achievements, identify areas for improvement, and maintain motivation.
I found that this tool was super helpful for me since I’m a visual learner. Being able to see my hard work displayed in a clean, sleek graph made me truly excited to continue using the app in order to see if I could keep my streak going.
2. Mood Tracking
Weight loss can be an emotional rollercoaster. In fact, the link between low emotional states and poor dietary choices is huge. Fortunately, Reverse Health understands this.
Within the Journal, you can track your daily mood, which is crucial for understanding the connection between your emotional state, eating habits, and overall productivity. Options like ‘good,’ ‘medium,’ and the associated feedback and badges provide valuable insights.
While I was already fairly in-tune with how my diet corresponds to my mood, I think this tool will be extremely helpful to a lot of women who might struggle with this aspect of weight loss.
3. Weigh-Ins and Daily Steps
Reverse Health facilitates easy tracking of your weight and daily steps.
You can record your measurements, both starting and current, and even make edits as you progress. While the app doesn’t automatically sync with fitness trackers, it allows for manual input, ensuring you stay on top of your goals.
In my opinion, this is one thing I would definitely change about the app. If mobile fitness trackers like FitBits or Apple Watches could connect to Reverse Health, I feel like it would really take their product to the next level.
4. Exercise and Water Intake
The app offers dedicated sections for manually inputting exercise and water intake data. This ensures that you have a clear picture of your daily activities and hydration levels, both critical aspects of your health journey.
The water tracker is especially important. I find that a lot of busy women tend to forget to drink enough water in their day-to-day life, which has negative impacts on just about every aspect of their health. A visual representation of how much water you need every day—for women, it’s about 2.7 litres—will go a long way to inspire users to drink more water.
5. Nutrition
Within the Nutrition tab, Reverse Health offers a wealth of diet and nutrition-related features.
Before embarking on the program, you’ll be asked to take a quiz to determine your food preferences and daily macronutrient needs.
Based on your responses, the app suggests recipes tailored to your tastes. You can add these items to your shopping list, simplifying meal planning and preparation. Moreover, you have the flexibility to switch out recipes if you find yourself craving variety.
I think this is such an awesome feature because it truly personalizes your dietary journey according to your preferences. After all, you won’t stick to a diet that you don’t enjoy. Reverse Health really makes it easy to develop a meal plan consisting of nutritious and tasty meals.
6. Supplementation
Supplements play a significant role in health, particularly as we age. Reverse Health recommends essential supplements such as:
- Collagen
- Vitamin K
- High-quality whey protein shakes
- Ashwagandha
- Vitamin D
These supplements are bundled together and are reasonably priced, with a protein option for vegans as well. These recommendations aim to support your overall health and well-being.
While supplementation isn’t necessary for everyone, I think Reverse Health does a great job of choosing supplements that are backed by science and have proven benefits. There’s not a single supplement on their list that struck me as unnecessary or out of place.
7. Educational Resources
Reverse Health goes beyond simple tracking and offers a wide range of educational resources.
These resources include articles and videos that cover various topics, from menopause and yoga to sleep and macronutrients. These materials empower you with knowledge and insights to make informed decisions on your health journey. I especially liked the section about how sleep quality impacts weight loss.
Total fitness beginners will have a ton to learn from Reverse Health’s video and article library, and, take it from me, even advanced fitness professionals can learn a thing or two.
Exploring Premium Features
Beyond its core features, Reverse Health provides premium offerings that enhance the overall experience. Let’s take a look at those as well:
1. Family Meal Plan
The app includes a family meal planning, presented in a downloadable PDF format. It’s designed to help your entire family adopt healthier eating habits, ensuring everyone can enjoy nutritious meals together.
Although I never tried any of these family-oriented meals, they looked delicious! While they may not be a hit with pizza-and-burger loving kids, I think adopting some of these dishes into a household meal plan would really improve a family’s overall health.
2. Live Calls and Specialist Sessions
Maintaining motivation over a 12-week program can be challenging. Reverse Health addresses this by offering monthly live calls, where you can interact with experts in various fields, such as sleep specialists. These sessions provide valuable insights and support to keep you on track.
I never set up a live call—I feel like, as a fitness professional, I probably would’ve wasted their valuable time. However, if their team is anywhere near as informative and knowledgeable as Matt and Monika, then I think a live call would provide loads of value.
Community Engagement:
Community engagement is pretty much essential for long-term fitness success. Reverse Health features a private Facebook community with over 32,000 active members. This community is a source of inspiration, accountability, and shared experiences, helping you stay committed to your goals.
Unlike other social fitness apps, like Fitness Singles, Reverse Health is exclusive for women and particularly older women experiencing menopause. Therefore, you can safely post and share with confidence knowing that everyone else has a similar perspective and experience.
I briefly joined Reverse Health’s private Facebook group and I loved the supportive comments and shares between the community members.
Suggestions for Improvement:
While Reverse Health offers an impressive array of features and resources, there’s always room for improvement. Here are a few areas where the app could enhance the user experience:
1. Exercise Videos: The app’s exercise videos could benefit from more engaging content, as some users may find the voice-over approach less inspiring. Adding more variety and interactive elements could make workouts more enjoyable too.
For those who need a more thorough walkthrough of each movement, I recommend supplementing Reverse Health with Gymless’ instructional videos. These include helpful and beginner-friendly tutorials on lower body exercises, ab and core exercises, and much more.
2. Video Length: To cater to users’ busy schedules, it would be beneficial to keep course videos under 10 minutes. Shorter, more focused videos can be easier to fit into daily routines.
My Conclusion: Reverse Health is Definitely Worth a Shot
After a few days using the Reverse Health app, I can honestly say that it’s a terrific resource for middle-aged and menopausal women looking for guidance with their weight loss.
With some minor tweaks, such as enhancing their exercise video content, improving in-app interactivity, and optimizing video length, Reverse Health has the potential to become an even more successful tool in helping users achieve their fitness goals.
It’s crystal clear that the creators of this app are dedicated to making their clients feel heard, understood, and empowered on their health journey. My experience with Reverse Health has been truly positive, and I believe that with continued improvements, it can be an invaluable resource for anyone looking to prioritize their well-being.
Considering trying Reverse Health?
If so, I recommend you give it a shot. Women going through menopause are going to learn a lot from this app, and will build both the expertise and the community necessary to lose weight during this period of life.
Helya is a NASM certified personal trainer with expertise in RKC, 200 Hr Yoga, Animal Flow, Precision Nutrition, Tabata, Pilates, and is currently completing her CrossFit L1 certification. She is an experienced coach with many certifications, but most of her experience comes from the hundreds of people she has helped over the last decade while owning a small functional training gym in Ventura, California. Helya is a people person passionate about helping people move well and hurt less.