Louis Coraggio '04: Can You Get Fit from Your Phone?

Very soon, we’ll be sporting summer tee’s and shorts. If you’re a beach or pool goer, you’ll even need to don your bathing suit. With the wardrobe change, you’re probably looking for ways to optimize your fitness. Louis Coraggio ’04, a member of Adelphi’s 10 Under 10, has some tips. A personal trainer, founder of bodyarch.com and creator of the Cardio Mission exercise program, Mr. Coraggio studied physical education and exercise science while at Adelphi.

A technophile himself, Mr. Coraggio is most excited about the many apps, including the Cardio Mission app he’s currently developing, that will help you reach your health and fitness goals. His own iPhone is loaded with fitness apps, and he recommends finding ones that are easy to use and enjoyable. The apps should align with your personal goals, such as strength training or cardiovascular fitness, and provide clear instruction. He emphasizes finding programs that track your progress. Also, read the reviews by professionals and other users.

In addition to apps, Mr. Coraggio offers simple and efficient ways to stay on track with your health. Here are some of his favorites.

1. Eat breakfast—the more natural and wholesome, the better. Even just an egg or piece of fruit is beneficial.
2. Move more. Use the stairs. Get a fitness tracking device and see how many steps you’re taking. Try to take 10,000 steps a day.
3. Know your numbers. What is your cholesterol level? What is your blood pressure level? What is your heart rate? You know the numbers in your bank account. These others are equally important.
4. Vet the professionals. Make sure any fitness gurus who impress you also have solid credentials and certifications. Mr. Coraggio cites his Adelphi degree as an example of a verifiable level of knowledge and training.
5. Don’t leave home without your golf ball. Mr. Coraggio doesn’t play golf, but he carries a golf ball with him to roll out his muscles, particularly on a long flight. Try rolling the ball under the arch of your foot. It’s homemade reflexology.

If you need more inspiration, you can find Mr. Coraggio’s Cardio Mission audio files on iTunes and on Google Play. In the files, he narrates a series of adventures intended to motivate you to move, whether you’re running on the Great Wall, dodging arrows or escaping a lightning strike.

Losing both of his parents to cancer by the time he was 17 was a painful way for Mr. Coraggio to learn the importance of health. “We’re not on this earth for that long, so the number one priority we should have is to take care of our bodies,” he says.