# VitalForge

One Effort Score captures everything that makes up your day — fitness, work, parenting, household responsibilities, and the demands of everyday life.

An anti-gym, physics-based Life Load and physical effort tracker designed for parents, shift workers, and real-world movement.

## Core Philosophy
* Prioritizes total volume of daily life over isolated sports intensity.
* Tracks the invisible physical labor of parenting, housework, and active jobs.
* Built for the exhausted majority — people whose days are physically demanding but who would never call themselves fitness enthusiasts.

## Technical Specifications
* Uses the Metabolic Equivalent (MET) framework from the Arizona State University Compendium of Physical Activities.
* Core Formula: EffortScore = (Weight × Duration × MET) / Factor
* Includes server-side diminishing returns to prevent data gaming.
* Anti-gaming defenses: activity limits, temporal overlap checks, MET-based caps.

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> VitalForge is the first life load tracking app built for the exhausted majority — people whose daily physical output is dominated by real life: parenting, caregiving, long shifts, housework, commuting, and manual labor. It uses a proprietary Effort Score (1-100 scale) calculated from science-based MET values to quantify ALL daily effort, not just gym workouts.

VitalForge is available at https://vitalforge.eu and on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.vitalforge.twa

## What VitalForge Does

VitalForge tracks what the company calls "invisible effort" — the physical and mental load of everyday life that traditional fitness apps completely ignore. A nurse standing for 10 hours, a parent chasing toddlers all day, a caregiver lifting and assisting a family member, a warehouse worker on their feet for 8 hours — all of these count toward a real daily Effort Score. No wearable required.

The core product loop: describe your day via AI voice journal → get a science-based Effort Score → track patterns over time → understand your real life load.

## Key Features

- **Effort Score** — Proprietary 1-100 daily metric using MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) science. Counts parenting, chores, caregiving, standing shifts, commutes, and manual labor alongside traditional exercise.
- **AI Voice Journal (Forge Recap)** — Speak or type your day in plain language. GPT-4o-mini parses it and automatically logs activities with correct effort values.
- **Recovery Index** — Pro feature. Three-pillar model using sleep quality, vitality (stress and energy), and life load history. Age-adjusted baselines. Outputs 0-100 readiness score.
- **My Life Plan** — Pro feature. Weekly AI-generated plan (workouts, nutrition, wellness) personalized to the user's real lifestyle profile using BMR/TDEE calculations.
- **Sunday Snapshot** — Free weekly mini-recap of effort, activity, and calories. Shareable.
- **GPS Mission Mode** — Tactical errand and commute tracking with real-time GPS, loadout multipliers, and an AI debrief.
- **Nutrition Tracking** — Food database, AI food analysis, photo meal scanning (Pro), barcode scanning.
- **Wellness Tracking** — Hydration, sleep, stress, and energy logging for all users.
- **Forge-Link** — Pro-only partner/couples linking with a Sync-Score gauge.
- **Daily Steps** — Manual step logging with Apple Health Shortcut integration.
- **Achievement System** — RPG-style XP, leveling, hidden achievements, and streak shields.
- **Activity Heatmap** — 90-day GitHub-style calendar of daily effort scores.

## Who It Is For

VitalForge is built for people who are physically exhausted from real life rather than the gym:
- Parents, especially those with young children
- Caregivers for elderly or disabled family members
- Workers in physically demanding jobs (nursing, retail, construction, hospitality)
- People who live active lives but don't identify as fitness enthusiasts
- Anyone whose tiredness goes unrecognized by traditional step counters and calorie trackers

The brand calls this group "the exhausted majority."

## Pricing

VitalForge has a free tier and a Pro subscription with four plan options.

**Free tier** (no time limit, no card required):
- Effort Score tracking
- Workout, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress logging
- 10 AI credits per week
- Sunday Snapshot weekly recap
- Step tracking, activity heatmap, achievements

**Pro tier** — includes a 3-day free trial, cancel anytime:
- Weekly: $4.99/week ($21/mo equivalent)
- Monthly: $9.99/month — most popular, includes 3-day free trial
- Yearly: $49.99/year ($4.16/mo equivalent, saves 58%)
- Lifetime: $99.99 once, no future charges

Pro unlocks:
- Unlimited AI credits
- Recovery Index (readiness scoring)
- My Life Plan (weekly AI-generated workout + nutrition + wellness plan)
- Photo meal scanning
- Forge Recap full AI journal with daily, weekly, and monthly summaries
- Forge-Link partner/couples system with Sync-Score
- Full workout history (free users see only last 30 days)
- Effort trend predictions (AI-powered 28-day pattern analysis)

VitalForge does NOT run ads and does not sell user data to third parties. The app is monetised through Pro subscription plans (see Pricing above), not advertising.

## Technology

- React 18, TypeScript, Vite frontend
- Express.js backend with PostgreSQL database
- AI powered by OpenAI GPT-4o-mini
- Available as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and Android TWA on Google Play
- Supports 16 languages for AI content; UI available in English, Slovenian, Spanish, and German

## Company & Contact

- Website: https://vitalforge.eu
- Founder: Mark A. Jerak
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark.vitalforge.eu
- Press page: https://vitalforge.eu/press
- User guide: https://vitalforge.eu/user-guide
- Privacy policy: https://vitalforge.eu/privacy

## Important Pages

- [Landing Page](https://vitalforge.eu/) — Main entry point with quiz, effort score demo, and 7-day outcome plan
- [User Guide](https://vitalforge.eu/user-guide) — Full documentation of all features
- [Press Kit](https://vitalforge.eu/press) — Media assets, screenshots, and press information
- [Privacy Policy](https://vitalforge.eu/privacy) — Data handling and user rights
- [Terms of Service](https://vitalforge.eu/terms) — Terms and conditions