One of my most cherished memories from my childhood was throwing a frisbee with my father in the front yard after dinner every night. When my wife had our first child a few months after my 30th birthday, I vowed to create similar moments for my son. This did not seem like much of a challenge since we were an active couple already. We played sand volleyball in the Summer, flag football in the fall, and indoor volleyball during the winter months. Kids tend to change your priorities and more recently, so do pandemics. The challenges of being a parent coupled with the COVID limitations have pushed exercising to the bottom of the priority list.
Whether you gained a few extra pounds during quarantine or you just want to get yourself to a healthier place, it’s time to shelve all your excuses and get motivated to move. But trying to figure out where to start can be a daunting task. Technology can help, but there are over 250,000 health and fitness apps on the App Store alone. Here are a few apps to kick-start your fitness goals.
Couch to 5k
This program is designed to someone off the couch and ready to run a 5k in eight weeks. Think of it as running for beginners. The app takes you through progressions to get your body in shape to compete in a 5k. The workouts average 30-40 minutes including a light warm up. It gets you out and gets you moving. The couch to 5k program might just be what you need to make exercise a part of your weekly routine. Couch to 5k is something you can do with your kids as well. It is working toward getting in shape while spending time with someone who surely has the energy to keep up with you. Regardless of your ultimate goal, this is an excellent starting point. There are several apps on the App store that offer a variation of this program. I prefer the “C25k 5K Trainer” app from “Couch Potato to Running 5k”. It’s free, has a simple interface, and is very easy to follow.
FitPlan
Couch to 5k is great for cardio, but if you’re looking for a whole body workout, FitPlan is an excellent option. FitPlan takes a personalized approach to home or gym workouts. You start by selecting what you are trying to accomplish: build muscle, tone, weight loss, etc. Next, you’ll select your trainer. The program has pro trainers, both male and female. Lastly, you’ll select a plan based on your commitment in days, how often you need to workout, and for how long each workout should take. FitPlan provides you with step by step workout routines to achieve realistic results. Each exercise has a detailed, high definition video (filmed from multiple angels) explaining exactly how to perform the routine. FitPlan offers single day workouts to get you started. The app charges a monthly fee of $15.99 to access the ongoing experience. Monthly payments are not ideal; however, it is more affordable than most gyms, and the app gives you personalization that you would typically only get from a personal trainer.
NEOU
NEOU (pronounced New You) takes a different approach to fitness. NEOU provides its users with access to a community of well known, high-quality fitness instructors from all over the world. These elite trainers have designed hundreds of workouts that can be accessed on demand. Scroll through the app, find a workout that seems appealing and read the reviews before you start. You can choose from boxing, yoga, dance, fat burning, and lots of other categories and concepts. Think of it like Netflix for fitness. NEOU also offers live classes if you prefer. Stream the workouts from your phone, SmartTV, or tablet. On NEOU users states “As a mom of two, gym time is hard to come by. No matter what your mood is, there is a class for you. No matter what your stage in fitness is there is a class for you.” NEOU is more expensive than the others listed above due to the quality of the content and classes you are receiving. There is a free trial available though so check it out before committing.
Calm
The apps we’ve looked at so far are focused on your body’s health. If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that mental health plays a critical role in your overall happiness. Calm is an investment in your mental health. The whole app is dedicated to sleep, meditation, and relaxation. Experts lead you through daily mindfulness exercises designed to help you with focus, stress, anxiety or relationships. Sleep stories help you fall asleep by taking your mind off the stress of the day. Calm even has meditation, sleep stories, and soothing music for kids as young as three years old. Calm has a 7 day trial followed by a $14.99 per month price tag. making a commitment.
Other Options
Not everyone is willing to pay a monthly fee for an app, however, you’ll struggle to find a full featured free option. Most of the health & fitness apps start with a free 7 day trial before asking for a weekly or monthly subscription. The limited trial is a perfect way for you to explore what these apps have to offer and find one that fits your needs. Here are some additional fitness apps to consider:
- PEAR / All Out Studio — Similar to FitPlan, these apps help create a customized workout routine with the help of videos and fitness experts.
- WakeOut / Seven — Designed for busy people who cannot make it to the gym and need to workout at home. These are a bit less intense than some of the other options.
- Apple Fitness Plus —A relative newcomer to the fitness scene, Apple Fitness Plus has received rave reviews from customers due to its ease of use and variety of options. The service costs $9.99 a month, but Apple offers bundles which include AppleTV, ESPN+, and Hulu along with iCloud storage. The bundles may actually save you money, especially since you can share it with up to five family members. The downside is that you need an Apple Watch Series 3 or newer in order to complete the workouts.
Don’t Forget Your Prep Work
Getting in shape can become very arduous quite quickly if you are not prepared. For example, a two-mile jog can feel like ten miles if you don’t have something to listen to. Music lovers should look at purchasing a subscription to Spotify or Apple Music to help with the monotony of a run. Pandora is free, but the commercials are annoying mid-workout. Podcasts and audiobooks are fantastic options for those people looking to work their brain as well as their body. A great story can make the time go by incredibly fast. You’ll want to invest in a good pair of wireless headphones as well. The Apple Airpods are incredible if you don’t mind the high cost. There are quite a few similar wireless options that are much more affordable. Search wireless earbuds on Amazon to see your options. My suggestion would be to start with those until you’ve found an app, routine, and style of workout that best fits your needs.
Bond with the Kids and Fitness
Bring your children on this journey with you. Doing these workouts together can be a fun bonding experience. The kids will get excited about watching you progress through the app, almost like playing a video game. You are also instilling in them the importance of staying in shape at a young age. The results of your hard work will pay off quickly in your overall attitude and how you feel about yourself. There are so many positive results that can come from going down this road. In my opinion, this is a win-win for everyone in the family.
