If being shouted at by a personal trainer until you become a sweaty, withered mess in a room full of fellow gym-goers isn’t your thing, perhaps it’s time to step up your game with something a little more modern-day. If there’s no equipment necessary, no gym membership required, no workout buffs around to make you feel indescribably inadequate… there are no excuses, right? Below is our pick of the seven best workout apps to set things back in motion.
Nike+ Training Club
Best for consistent improvement
Get your sweat on by following some of the world’s top athletes’ personalised fitness regimes, all from the comfort of your own living room. There are over 100 workouts to choose from and each comes with clear audio and visual guides. We can’t get enough of the Serena Williams inspired iteration.
Charity Miles
Best for the compassionate
An app that ties an endorphin rush in with a serious dose of helper’s high, Charity Miles allows you to earn money for charity with every mile you move, be it running, walking or biking. The app’s corporate sponsorship pool donates money for your movements to charities like the ASPCA, Charity Water, WWF and Habitat For Humanity. If that’s not an incentive then we don’t know what is.
Couch to 5K
Best for those who want to pound the pavement
Literally getting you off the couch and on the road to a better self, Couch to 5K helps beginner runners who are gearing up for their first race via 30-minute sessions just three days a week. (A perfect addition to any Auckland half marathon training, if you’re that way inclined.)
Aaptiv
Best for a personal trainer substitute
A complete cardio session, this app delivers trainer-led, audio-only workout classes that match the music with the intensity, so it’ll seem like that hour-long workout took only half the time. A personal trainer at your fingertips never sounded so good.
Seven
Best for incentivised training
Using no more than a chair, a wall and your own body weight, (read: you’ve got no excuse), this app sets you a seven-minute challenge every day for seven months. If you miss a day, you lose a life and missing three days in one month will reset your progress to zero… no pressure.
Sworkit
Best for those with time constraints
Whether it’s strength training, cardio or stretching that lights your fire, prepare to feel the burn with Sworkit. The app has something for everybody; once you’ve submitted your fitness goals, it will provide you with a plan created by personal trainers that you can do anywhere, any time.
Daily Yoga
Best for a spot of relaxation
A way to practice your downward dog without falling and flailing in front of a room full of perfectly poised Pollys, Daily Yoga is ideal for those who like to stretch-up solo. And if you’re feeling stressed, alongside the medley of different asanas, the app also offers meditation classes.
