iOS developer and co-founder of the indie Melissun’s Team, Alexey Borunov, is working on Stretcha, an iOS service for anatomically accurate muscle stretching. The idea for the project came about unexpectedly after reading a Japanese manga.
iOS developer and co-founder of the indie Melissun’s Team, Alexey Borunov, is working on Stretcha, an iOS service for anatomically accurate muscle stretching. The idea for the project came about unexpectedly after reading a Japanese manga.
Having started stretching on his own, the developer faced a problem: existing services offered either general «whole-body» complexes or exercises without explaining which muscles were involved and why. «I realized that if there is no tool that suits me, then I have to make it myself,» the author explains.
The developer explains that the manga «Gymnastics» caught his attention with its everyday approach to exercises and detailed explanations of anatomy — which muscles work and how to perform the movements safely. This is what, the author says, he found lacking in most popular fitness apps.
Work on Stretcha began with the theoretical part. The developer studied a large amount of anatomy materials, collected information about 54 muscles that can be safely stretched, and structured them into 14 muscle groups. All information was additionally checked by people familiar with medical education for correctness and safety.
A separate challenge was the illustrations. According to the author, using stock images or generative AI was not suitable — due to the requirement for anatomical accuracy. To work on the visual part, an illustrator joined the project, with whom the developer had already collaborated before — in particular, on the board game and illustrations for the audiobook for «The Witcher».
Stretcha is currently available in beta testing via TestFlight. Development is progressing more slowly than planned due to the realities of war — power outages and heat are affecting the pace of work.
The app is scheduled for release in early spring. A pre-order page is already available on the App Store — all users who place an order before the release will receive the app for free. After launch, Stretcha will switch to a paid model.
The application offers:
anatomically accurate stretching of individual muscles;
ready-made 5-minute workouts for quick sessions;
full-fledged 20-minute programs for comprehensive work with the body;
the ability to create custom workouts by choosing the necessary exercises and muscle groups.
According to the author, he tried all the exercises on himself.
«This story is about how a random hobby can grow into a full-fledged product: manga → idea → code → illustrations → application,» the developer concludes .
