BYU Graduates Launched Pactive Fitness Application
Former Brigham Young University students Evan Jensen and Carter Ferguson released a gamified workout mobile application.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Fitness
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BYU alumni Evan Jensen and Carter Ferguson have released Pactive, a new mobile application designed to merge fitness tracking with social and gamified elements. The app rewards users for consistent exercise by allowing them to level up a digital monkey companion.
Why it matters
The developers created the tool to increase user accountability by blending social commitment with physical activity. It provides a unique approach to habit formation through interactive features rather than traditional fitness tracking alone.
The founders invested between 500 and 1,000 hours of labor to complete the development of the application. The software is now available for download on both the App Store and Google Play platforms.
The players
Evan Jensen
He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a co-founder of the Pactive fitness application.
Carter Ferguson
He is a graduate of Brigham Young University who co-developed the Pactive workout platform.
Brigham Young University
It is a private research university in Provo where the founders of Pactive met and collaborated.
The details
The application integrates a social feed, an AI-powered coach, and performance analytics to support users. It gamifies the experience by awarding points for logged workouts that contribute to the growth and progress of a digital monkey avatar.
Timeline
Jensen and Ferguson worked together at Brigham Young University during 2023.
The application was officially launched in September 2026.
The Big Picture
The project follows a pattern set by the Duolingo gamification model by applying streak-based rewards and character progression to the fitness industry. This shift highlights a broader trend of incorporating behavioral psychology to increase daily engagement with health-oriented software.
Users can download the app from standard mobile marketplaces to begin tracking their workouts and managing their digital monkey companion. The application provides an alternative to traditional exercise logs by introducing social accountability and gamified progress rewards.
The takeaway
Gamification can be a powerful tool for maintaining long-term commitment to a fitness routine by providing immediate, low-stakes rewards. Users should remember that consistent habit formation often requires both digital motivation and realistic goal-setting.
Further reading
For more information on the evolving landscape of wellness technology, explore our Fitness section.
More information
To download the software or learn more, visit the Pactive application website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BYU Daily Universe.
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Would you use an AI-powered app that uses games or virtual rewards to track your workouts?
