Sweating and self-reflection now go hand in hand as Brain-Body Therapy launches its hybrid mental health app
What if the future of therapy looked less like a couch and more like a workout? That’s the vision behind Brain-Body Therapy, a startup combining counseling techniques with physical exercise.
The new mental wellness app, which officially launched on Wednesday, offers users 45-minute hybrid sessions to address conditions like anxiety and depression while laying the groundwork for future offerings focused on ADHD and PTSD.
Each session opens with a therapeutic theme that flows into movement before closing with reflection. Plans are personalized through a clinically informed questionnaire and delivered via video. Each plan runs in 12-week phases, beginning with a foundation of three days of cardio and two days of strength training per week. As participants progress, movement styles like yoga or dance may be layered in, depending on the mental health condition being addressed.
Adding industry muscle to the mission is Luke Lombardo, the app’s director of fitness. A former Ironman triathlete and Global Fitness consultant, Lombardo has trained celebrity clients and certified trainers and holds several credentials, including Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist and Performance Enhancement Specialist.
“The mind-body connection is undeniable, and the evidence supporting exercise as a mental health intervention is overwhelming,” Brain-Body Therapy founder Rio Wilson tells Athletech News. “Yet it remains vastly underused in traditional care. With Brain-Body Therapy, we’re introducing a new kind of therapy that merges movement with mental health to promote truly holistic well-being and revolutionize mental health care.”
And if there were ever a moment to use fitness as a connector, it’s now. Stress and division are rising across the U.S., rates of anxiety keep climbing and consumers are searching for wellness practices as lifelines.
“Fitness and wellness are powerful equalizers,” Wilson said. “When people move their bodies—whether it’s in a gym, outside or through guided routines like Brain-Body Therapy—they tap into a shared human experience that transcends background, beliefs or circumstance. Exercise naturally reduces stress, improves mood and creates space for openness. When paired with intentional conversations about mental health, movement can bridge divides by fostering empathy, resilience and connection.”
Beyond individual use, Brain-Body Therapy is being designed with community features in mind, including the ability for universities and organizations to provide the app to their members.
“A future version of the app will also include a dynamic community feature, allowing users to share encouragement in real time, much like a live high-fiving system,” Wilson said. ” We also plan to establish connections with nonprofits, with the goal of making Brain-Body Therapy available in underserved communities where both fitness and mental health resources are limited.”
Wilson, who founded the company after her own experience with depression, anxiety and C-PTSD, says consistent movement helped transform her mood, focus and emotional stability.
“Now, more than ever, health and wellness are not luxuries—they are lifelines,” she said. “In a world where stress, isolation and uncertainty are common, investing in your mental and physical well-being is one of the most powerful steps you can take. Small daily practices, like moving your body and checking in with your emotions, compound into real change.”
Brain-Body Therapy is available on the Apple App Store for $9.99 per month ($119.88 annually) or as a one-time lifetime purchase of $159.99. New users can explore the platform with a seven-day free trial.
