FitFu Turns Your iPhone Into an Exercise Motivation Tool [VIDEO]

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

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Mobile fitness app FitFu hopes to get you out of your desk chair and on the ground doing situps through a combination of push notifications, short exercise routines, social features and motivational speeches from a strange blue creature.FitFu, which will make its first appearance Tuesday as a member of Y Combinators class of spring 2010, is trying to make micro-exercise a part of daily life. The startups iPhone app sends periodical push notifications letting you know when its time for a quick workout. The app also includes a Fu Time Diary so you can schedule your workouts in advance.The $0.99 app reminds you to take a few minutes out of your day to do some crunches, squats, pushups or jack knives. The app utilizes the iPhones accelerometer to track your progress, and provides motivational talk to keep you moving. If you do pullups with FitFu, your iPhone will call out how many youve completed and when youve reached your goal.Some slick animations, designed by creative digital studio Despark, power these exercise routines. One of these animations is a blue creature with a snout that looks like a cross between an anteater and a toucan. The thing knows how to keep you motivated and engaged, which is one of the most difficult things about keeping a regular workout schedule.Jof Arnold and Benjie Gillame founded FitFu and have been working together on iPhone apps since 2008. In addition to the money they received from Y Combinator, they have also raised funding from several angels and $150,000 in uncapped convertible debt from Yuri Milner and SV Angels Start Fund.To celebrate the newest version of its iPhone app and its debut at Y Combinators Demo Day, the FitFu guys created a short video, below. If you try the app, let us know your experience in the comments.More About: Fitfu, iphone app, Start Fund, y combinatorFor more Startups coverage:Follow Mashable Startups on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Startups channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad Read More ...