Guided Workout Apps
Sometimes we need a little nudge when it comes to working out. Sometimes workouts are inspired by things we like or that need doing. Our canine or feline companions need a walk. The grandchildren want to go to the park. We need a few items from a store within walking distance. If we’re working out at home by ourselves, we can get encouragement and motivation from guided workout apps on smartphones and tablets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend adults complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic activity each week, as well as strength training.
This month’s post discusses workout apps to help you reach fitness goals appropriate for your age and fitness level. Note: consult with a personal trainer or healthcare provider if you have questions about the amount and type of exercise appropriate for you – especially if you have any pre-existing or chronic health conditions.
This series of posts focuses on wellness apps in essential areas of health and well-being: health and nutrition, guided workouts, mindfulness and meditation, and mental health. While not comprehensive, they will highlight apps reinforcing positive habits for living your best life.
Nike Training Club: Fitness
Nike Training Club: Fitness (NCTF) is a free download and includes over 1,000 free workouts. NCTF is designed to be an all-in-one home fitness and wellness app for people of any fitness level or athletic ability. The app includes workouts for strength training, cardio, yoga, and pilates.
Nutritional guidance, guided meditations, and workout videos with Nike trainers and athletes are also available. Track workouts and progress toward your fitness and nutrition goals. Choose from workouts for men, women, and athletes of any ability, then start where you are in your fitness program.
NCTF shares data with the Google Fit app on Android devices and Apple Health on iPhones and includes Apple Watch support. You can also opt to use the social features of the app and engage with other users.
FitOn Workouts & Fitness Plans
FitOn is free to download and offers over 10,000 free workouts. Choose from cardio, strength training, yoga, and pilates workouts led by celebrity trainers and fitness experts. Customize the app to fit your fitness level and goals, and track your progress.
FitOn provides access to home exercise workout videos, personalized fitness plans, and guided meditations. Workouts are designed for home, outside, or at the gym.
The FitOn catalog of videos includes cardio, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, pilates, barre, strength training, and dance. You can browse by category, body part, length, and intensity. There are also 10-minute HIIT workouts for when you’re short on time. Choose from on-demand videos or join a live class.
FitOn also has a social dimension that allows you to friend and message other users. While free to download and use, a subscription is required to fully utilize the app’s premium features.
Down Dog Yoga
If yoga is your preferred workout type, then consider Down Dog. If you’re new to yoga, start with Beginner 1, and explore the various workouts you can build. You can choose from Vinyasa, cardio flow, Hatha, gentle, restorative, yin, Ashtanga, chair yoga, Yoga Nidra, Hot 26, and Sun Salutation methods.
If you have back trouble, Down Dog states all their practices are designed to stretch and strengthen your back. The app’s Boost feature focus on backbends, back strength, and lower back if you need additional support.
Customize your workout by selecting the instructor’s voice and preferred language. Workouts include dynamic music that changes with your breathing. Down Dog has over 60,000 configurations, so you’ll never do the same workout twice.
Down Dog is free to download but has in-app purchases to fully utilize available features and workouts.
The apps discussed are a curated sample of the wide variety of guided workout apps available. Don’t hesitate to search in your app store for something that aligns with your workout preferences and needs. The next post in this series will discuss mindfulness and meditation apps.
A version of this post appears in the May 2023 edition of Prime Time News.
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