Lifestyle

Astrofit Is at the Forefront of Innovation

Published

5 years ago

November 11, 2020

In any industry, in order to move forward and keep clients happy, businesses need to innovate. Fitness is no different, and the Canadian brand Astrofit is paving the way for a new fitness reality. “We are heavily focused on innovation. One catalyst that pushed us forward was the pandemic. People found themselves at home, needing to move and feel good. Not only that, but once they were able to leave their homes, they still had to adhere to strict safety guidelines, and we wanted to come up with a way to support them fully,” a member of the Astrofit team says.

Astrofit bets on digitalization. “We digitalized a lot of our workouts and programs, as we believe every fitness brand out there should do, since it allows for extra freedom and flexibility. When you’re able to provide digital resources for people, you’re helping to keep them motivated and holding them accountable, and that’s why they go to the gym in the first place. It’s not only about the movements, but about the community and the support, too,” the Astrofit leadership adds.

It’s natural for Astrofit to gravitate toward innovation. After all, the business is funded and run by the decentralized company TripleOne, where users from across the globe make joint decisions on how and where to invest capital and are constantly seeking to expand and innovate with the help of technology.

Astrofit is currently operating out of two locations in Quebec. During the pandemic, they made plenty of workouts available online in order to keep their community active and healthy. “We want to give people a great balance when it comes to training. Building muscle or losing fat is one thing, and then you’ve got the whole mindset of getting truly fit. We want to provide both to our people,” a team member says.

Astrofit is also playing with the idea of both indoor and outdoor workouts. While traditional gyms only focus on indoor training, the Astrofit team knows that there are plenty of benefits when it comes to outdoor fitness as well. “In the summer, people will get a ton of Vitamin D from the sun, and not only that, but it’s fun to be training out in the open. With the current situation, we’re also able to socially distance better outside, so we’re definitely looking at outdoor workouts, absolutely,” the team member explains.

Each workout at Astrofit is focused on two things: to help the client enjoy the movement and to challenge them to perform better. “We really want to select the best program for you so that you enjoy all of your workouts and they don’t feel like a chore. The plan is for you to become self-motivated and for us to simply guide you toward the best version of yourself,” the Astrofit team member comments.

Here, each client is expertly evaluated by the trainers in order to find the exercises and the training style that works for them. While high-intensity may work for one individual, that’s not necessarily the truth for another, which is why Astrofit’s trainers take the time to review everybody’s goals separately and track them.

For more news, updates, and to see expert tips from Astrofit, follow them on Instagram.

Lifestyle

Confronting Propaganda: Street Smart Documents Honest Reactions to Gaza Indoctrination Footage

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: Street Smart

Byline: Michelle Langton

In a recent project, the Street Smart team gathered 20 strangers and presented them with propaganda footage from Gaza that has circulated widely online but remains largely unfamiliar to many audiences. The aim wasn’t to provoke outrage or test media literacy in a classroom setting. It was to capture raw, unfiltered emotional reactions to material that reveals how narratives are formed at the source. The resulting video offers a candid look at how people process shocking content and how their perceptions shift when they see what is rarely shown on mainstream platforms.

The Structure of the Experiment

The format was simple. Participants were seated and shown a series of clips from Gaza, including children’s programming and broadcasts containing intense ideological messaging. No background information was provided, and viewers were not instructed on how to interpret what they were seeing. After watching, they were asked for immediate reactions.

The footage elicited a wide range of emotions. Some viewers were stunned by the content, admitting they had never seen anything like it before. Others expressed disbelief, questioning why this kind of material isn’t more widely discussed. A few were visibly shaken, saying the experience fundamentally altered their understanding of the situation.

By presenting the footage without narration or added commentary, Street Smart allowed participants’ genuine responses to emerge. The experiment revealed how propaganda can affect an entire generation. It can shock, unsettle, and force people to reconsider their assumptions.

Why This Project Matters

Sage Fox and Dorani aligned the purpose of this experiment with Street Smart’s broader mission of challenging prevailing narratives and encouraging critical thought among younger audiences. In an environment where footage spreads rapidly across digital platforms, propaganda can shape public opinion long before context catches up.

By showing the Gaza Indoctrination footage in a controlled setting and recording uncoached responses, the team aimed to expose the emotional and cognitive impact of this type of content.

“The first reaction is often the most revealing, because it shows how powerful images can be without context.”

The Range of Reactions

While each participant brought their own perspective, several themes emerged. Some expressed sympathy with the imagery itself, saying it was emotionally powerful.

One participant said, “It makes me question what I see online every day. How much of it is shaped this way?”

Their comments highlight how propaganda resonates differently depending on prior knowledge and exposure. Many viewers have simply never encountered such footage directly.

Street Smart’s Approach

This project continues a pattern established by Sage Fox & Dorani’s earlier videos. Rather than relying on experts or lengthy analysis, Street Smart focuses on real people and their honest reactions. The approach is simple but effective. Present potent material, listen to what people say, and share those moments with a wider audience.

The Gaza Indoctrination footage experiment fits this model. It doesn’t attempt to draw final conclusions or offer political commentary. Instead, it documents how people respond when they’re exposed to narratives that are usually filtered through intermediaries.

Implications for Media Literacy

Beyond its viral potential, the video raises broader questions about how people interact with powerful imagery online. Propaganda operates on emotional reflexes. As this experiment shows, those reflexes are often unexamined until they’re brought to the surface.

Sage Fox & Dorani hope that projects like this push audiences to think more critically about what they see and share.

“The purpose is not to tell people what to believe. It is to remind them that every image comes from somewhere, and that source matters,” they said.

Next Steps for Street Smart

As Street Smart’s platform grows, Sage Fox & Dorani plan to conduct similar experiments in different contexts. They intend to use their direct, street-level approach to highlight how people react when presented with challenging material.

The Gaza footage project is one piece of a larger mission. The team uses simple methods to shed light on complex issues. By focusing on authentic reactions, they continue to build a unique space in online media that blends cultural investigation with raw human response.

A Window into Unfiltered Thought

“We showed 20 strangers real propaganda footage from Gaza — and filmed their unfiltered reactions” is not a dramatic exposé or academic study. It is a clear, unmediated record of how individuals respond when confronted with material designed to persuade. In that restraint lies its strength.

By documenting these moments, Street Smart shows how awareness can begin with a pause. A brief space between seeing and believing.