If smartphone technology makes it easier to moderate your personal life — from water consumption, to physical activity, to daily screen time — it also has the capacity to help you become a more engaged Global Citizen. 

Global Citizen is highlighting apps that give them the tools to engage with the global community with nothing more than a smartphone.


For anyone who’s ever experienced the dilemma of deciding whether or not to go to the gym, a big deterrent can be the time spent doing it. Workouts can range from 30 minutes to well over an hour, and often involve transportation to and from the gym. 

But when your workout is only seven minutes long, you can do it in your own home, and your participation in it goes toward a good cause, it’s kind of a lot harder to say no. 

The CPF Challenge app, a fitness app developed by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, helps people of all body types get in shape through a series of short, seven-minute videos led by Nike master trainer Isabelle Derond. The app also has a fundraising component to it, raising money to support individuals who suffer from the motor disability. 

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Cerebral Palsy, according to the Australia’s Cerebral Palsy Alliance, affects an estimated 17 million people worldwide and is the most common global childhood disability. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that roughly one in every 345 children are born with Cerebral Palsy, which is characterized by stiff or weak muscles that limit physical mobility. 

The workouts in the CPF Challenge app are designed to be accessible to people who have Cerebral Palsy, as well as people of diverse body types. 

“We’re excited about how this app will challenge the way people think about disabilities,” CEO of Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Richard Ellenson, told The Mighty

Read more: Work Up a Sweat + Do Good in the World With This App

The app’s charity function is quite simple. App users can sign up for the challenge — which begins on March 25 and runs for 21 days — as a part of a team, and are then prompted to donate to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. 

The app itself is free to download and users who successfully complete the 21-day challenge will unlock more high-octane, body-positive workouts.  

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