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With the plethora of fitness options available in today’s day and age–dancing, swimming, pilates, power yoga–going to the gym can seem outdated and tedious for some. Unless you are someone who heavily relies on traditional exercise equipment, going to the gym is honestly no longer a pre-requisite to staying fit. With the dawning of the digital era, fitness trainers started aiming at online audiences, first via Youtube, and now, via a simple app on your phone. These apps can help you customise your fitness routine according to your food habits, weight, age, height and lifestyle. In fact, some apps offer workouts for as short as 10 minutes. With such convenience at our fingertips, there’s *really* no excuse left for us to NOT workout, is there? Here’s a roundup of some of our favourite at-home work out apps:
Best Workout Apps For Beginners
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If you’re just starting out with your fitness routine, going to the gym with all the bulky equipment can be intimidating. Try these fitness apps from the comfort of your home and you’ll be gym-ready in no time!
1. Sweat
Sweat is easily one of the best apps out there for beginners because it gives you easy-to-do, non-equipment workout programmes where YOU get to decide your pace. Sweat is famous for it’s Bikini Body Guide (BBG) program, which is run by app founder Kayla Itsines. The BBG is a 12-week programme that you can follow three-four times a week. You can do the BBG program as many times as you want. Once you feel like you need something stronger, you can graduate to the PWR program by Kelsey Wells, which is based on strength training and muscle building. The app also gives you great meal-plan suggestions along with delicious, ‘healthy’ recipes. What more could one ask for?
Also Read How To Do Dip Exercise At Home
2. Flexter
The main selling point of this workout app is that you get to decide the length of your workouts–be it seven minutes or sixty. You can choose to either work on specific areas like abs or legs, or on days when you want to go at it hard, try the ‘total body shred’. If you’re a beginner and aren’t sure about the form, we suggest you workout in front of a mirror and try to follow the video tutorials in the app.
3. iDance
This is a great alternative for anyone who HATES working out. I mean, it can’t be called working out if you’re having fun, right? WRONG! iDance lets you learn new dance forms, from salsa to Bollywood to hip-hop, all while burning some serious calories and building muscle. And it definitely helps that you can later show off your cool new moves at the club. Score!
4. Yoga Wakeup
They say the best time to get moving is as soon as you wake up so that you can brush off the sluggishness and get your blood pumping. Yoga wakeup claims to do exactly that! The app plays calming audio and prompts you to do a 10-minute stretch routine as soon as you hop out of bed. This is possibly one of the best practices for beginners. Also, there are plenty of yoga apps that can make your journey much easier and can guide you through every movement.
Best Free Workout Apps
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Who says you need an expensive gym membership to stay fit? Did you know that you can try a plethora of workouts (yes, even the super strenuous one) for free at home? Try these free apps to stay your strongest self, without burning an unnecessary hole in your pocket!
1. HASfit
Started by fitness trainer Coach Kozak and his wife Claudia, HASfit stands out because it doesn’t follow the boring sets and reps routine. All you need to do is select your workout and follow their lead. Oh, and did we mention the plethora of workouts available? You could choose from 10-minutes to full one-hour workouts, for different focus areas or a full-body one, all according to your fitness level! HASfit definitely makes workouts fun and interesting!
2. Freeletics Bodyweight
If you’re working on strength and building muscle, without the fuss of a gym or equipment, this app is a great option for you. The app will first make you undergo a fitness test, and then use your results to customise a workout plan for you based on your body type and fitness goals. Plus, if you’re stuck working out of a small apartment (we’re looking at you, Mumbai), you can choose the 2×2 workout mode, that provides workouts to fit a 2 meters x 2 meters space.
3. Nike Training Club
Why should you spend thousands of rupees on gym fees and trainers when you can access Nike Training Club’s free workouts? These workouts are designed by Nike’s master trainers, including tennis ace Serena Williams. The app lets you decide your own specific fitness goal, be it weight loss, muscle gain or strength. Did we mention that it’s free?
4. 30-Day Fitness Challenge
The 30-day fitness challenge is perfect for those busybodies who have little time to fit in a workout during busy days. The app offers High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts as long as you have 20-30 minutes to spare. The idea is to perform the exercises in short spurts with maximum effort. The best part is that all the exercises can be done at home without any equipment! So are you ready to take the 30-day fitness challenge?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do Fitness Apps Really Work?
In most cases, the workout programs that fitness apps design are well-researched and effective. However, just how effective they will be for you can only depend on how seriously you take your workouts. If you’re a regular with the apps, you can expect to become moderately fit. However, if you have medical conditions or want to seriously build some muscle for professional purposes, then consulting with a physical trainer would be your best option. This is because your trainer will first run some medical test on you, check your fitness levels, your lifestyle, and then customise not just your workout routines, but also your meal plans and other activities. And most importantly, a trainer will be able to tell you when and where you’re going wrong, figure out what works best for your body, and change up a routine that doesn’t work for you.
Is The Seven Minute Workout Effective?
The seven-minute workout, which is a science-backed circuit routine that uses only body weight, has become the latest internet fad. It’s a HIIT program designed by two scientists to be the *most effective* workout. Most people who’ve tried this seven-minute workout reported that doing this workout in the morning gave them a surge of extra energy throughout the day, and made them feel good. However, if you’re wondering whether this workout is enough, then the answer is no. Seven minutes, no matter how high-intensity the exercises, is not enough exercise time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. To remain fit, you need to work out for at least 30 minutes three-four times a week. But the seven-minute workout is a GREAT option if you’re on vacation or if you have an extremely busy day and want to fit a quick workout between meetings.
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