A tiny workout app with a big heart

Shimmy started with a simple question: what if working out felt more like opening a present than checking off a to-do list?

In 2022, co-founder Kaitlyn Krieger — a mom of two looking for her own way back into movement — was inspired by the delight of advent calendars. She imagined a December challenge: one surprise 7-minute workout a day, each in a different style, each led by an incredible trainer. She found two perfect partners in Nina Samarguliani, a design leader for fitness tech companies, and Genevieve Farrell, a producer for wellness media outlets.

Thousands of people Shimmied that first season. They shared GIFs of themselves dancing, boxing, and stretching, and together raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations like Baby2Baby, the Chris Paul Family Foundation, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

That experience confirmed something we believed from the start: movement is better when it's joyful, accessible, and shared. So we kept going. Shimmy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the app is now available year-round — a new workout every day of the month, always completely free. No subscriptions, no paywalls, no ads. We think everyone deserves access to movement that makes them smile, and we built Shimmy to make sure they have it.