Gyms all across the country are now closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your sweat on! Here are some apps I’ve found that are really great for keeping yourself in shape when you’re at home and you don’t have access to a gym. The best part is that all of them are free!
- Run Tracker
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This app is my personal favorite, because I love that I can get out of the house to go for a run. There’s not much to explain here, but the free version of the app can track how far you’ve run, as well as how long and how fast. I usually run with earbuds and listen to music, and every mile, the app pauses my music and tells me how far I’ve run, and my pace and time. This way, I don’t have to keep looking. Once you’re done with your run, not only will it save all your workouts for you and give you a summary of your workout, but it will also show you your run on a map, complete with where you varied in speed.
- Nike Training
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This app was recommended to me by a friend ,and honestly, it’s great. When you sign up, they ask you how often you work out so they can gauge where to start you. Nike Training Premium is free right now, in an effort to keep people at home. There are lots of different workouts to choose from, and each one lists the time it takes as well as the skill level, and the type of workout you would be doing. Some of the workouts are short, only 7 minutes, and some of them are 20 minutes or longer. You can keep track of your activity on this app, and because premium is free right now, you can get multi-week programs for free. Some of the programs require a full gym, but others only require a yoga mat!
- Down Dog- HIIT
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HIIT, for those of you who don’t know (because I didn’t before I downloaded this app) stands for “High intensity interval training.” This means that the workout is usually short, with periods of rest and periods of high intensity throughout the workout, and it’s great for weight loss. All of the “Down Dog” apps are free until May 1st to help fight the spread of COVID-19. This app lets you choose how hard you want to work out your upper and lower body. You can also choose your focus for your workout, as well as background music and the length of your workout— anywhere from 2 to 55 minutes. It will also hold onto the workouts you’ve completed in a “History” tab, so that you can go back and see your progress, which is something I love. There’s also a feature for “favorite” workouts. You can connect any of the Down Dog apps to Apple Health, if that’s something you want to do, too.
- Down Dog- Barre
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This Barre app also lets you choose the focus, length and music you want to listen to in your workout. Just like the HIIT app, it’s free at least until May 1, and it saves all your progress as well.
- Down Dog- Yoga for Beginners
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I’m personally not a huge yoga fan, but I like that this app lets me choose what sort of poses I want to focus on. You can choose “Intro to Vinyasa,” which is more fast paced, “Intro to Hatha,” which is slower, but still challenging and more focused on balance, or “Intro to Restorative,” which is much more relaxing and is great for releasing tension. Other things on this app that you can choose are the voices that guide you, as well as the time limit that you want to be working out.