Fitness apps you can use to motivate yourself through runs and workouts so that you emerge from lockdown toned, healthy and feeling good.
You’ve probably heard of how technology has been a saving grace for the social parts of our lives while we’ve all been in the throes of lockdown, but have you considered the physical benefits of fitness apps?
Programmes that keep track of your progress for you so that from working out, running, cycling to just walking, your exercise is guided and made a breeze.
With the social distancing guidelines put in place, many of us have become demotivated when it comes to keeping up an exercise routine. It’s hard enough to get out there and do the miles even without the pressure of maintaining those awkward, two-metre radiuses around ourselves.
But fitness apps provide their users with regular healthy boosts of motivation to keep their feet on the track.
Be it that well-known route you take through your house, a jog across the nearby park, a workout exercise involving squats, or a 20km cycle along Leicester’s main roads, you’ll be provided with plenty of incentive to reach your personal goals and set new ones.
There are several popular routes based in Leicester. For example, there’s a 9.5km run you can take from Pick Everard to Melton Road. Locations like Abbey Park, Aylestone Meadows, the Grand Union Canal, and Victoria Park are also ideal for putting a fitness app to good use.
Here’s a list of some of the apps you can try:
This free app from Nike centres itself around getting you running, but it can also be used while walking. Their Guided Runs feature narrates your run with advice and encouragement, making it a chapter in your day you can enjoy and get the most out of. Setting goals is made entirely personal to you; 5km a week, 14km a week, or 100km a month - it’s up to you! And why not add in some healthy competition? NRC has the option to compete against friends and keep up to date with who’s at the top via a leaderboards feature.
This free app transforms your phone into a smart personal trainer. Using your device’s camera it keeps track of your performance, from your posture to your tempo, ensuring that the instant audio feedback it offers is always relevant to your progress. Stats after every session are detailed and you can also compete with friends on leaderboards here too.
Free and effective, this app offers intensive to moderate workouts that can be done anywhere. And, despite what the app’s name suggests, workouts can go on for longer than seven minutes! Involves tutorials, music, and progress tracking.
Of course, keeping exercised for yourself isn’t always enough to keep going. With Charity Miles, your sweat and effort can go towards a good cause. The app is free, installable on your phone, and donates money to a charity (of your choosing) after every run, walk or cycle you finish.
It might be time to mix some music in. You’ll have your pick of songs and genres with FitRadio, with playlists that are fine-tuned to your needs from the tempo to the intensity. The app offers its users a free seven-day trial so that you can explore the app's classic services before a complete commitment - after this period there’s a monthly charge of £2. Visit FitRadio’s official website if you think it’s time to revitalise your run with some rhythm.
Gemma Knight is a DMU graduate working as an editorial associate intern with Niche Magazine. She’s had work published in Braunstone Life and left university with first-class honours. Along with editing and proofreading experience for Cross Productions’ clientele, she writes pieces for Niche and the new She Inspires magazine.
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