Best Home Workout Apps for IOS and Android
Gyms are closed, cities are closed, and I don’t have a dog. All of these factors resulted in a drastic reduction in my daily step count, and I desperately needed a home workout solution. In the video above, I’m testing five apps to find out which one is best for the quarantine we live in.
Note from Abu: For some reason I am misinterpreting Aaptiv as “Adaptiv” and keep calling it with the wrong name in the video above. This quarantine is hitting me harder than I thought.
Best: Nike Training Club
I was immediately impressed with the Nike Training Club ( iOS , Android ) when, after a quick registration, I received a message stating that Nike was offering its Premium services for free during the coronavirus pandemic. Access to graceful workouts led by experienced trainers and programs designed to get me in shape typically cost me $ 9.99 a month. Even during normal times without a pandemic, most of Nike’s 300+ workouts are available without a Premium subscription.
The app itself is polished and easy to navigate. It was easy to filter the workouts and find the ones that I could do without equipment in my small apartment in New York. I could even filter by skill level, time, and training type.
The workout itself begins with a warm-up as a soothing voice guides you through each technique. The video looping makes it easy to get the shape right, and I never lagged behind or got discouraged. Workouts are easy to follow, but that doesn’t mean they are easy. A free 16 minute workout called Full Body Goal Crusher got me out of breath towards the end. Maybe it says more about me than training.
The app also tracks your workouts and motivates you with goals and achievements. Overall, it really felt like a complete package.
Others: Peloton, Adidas Training, Fitbit Coach, Aaptiv.
All other applications I tested fell short of expectations in some way.
Peloton’s high-priced subscription ( iOS , Android ) ($ 12.99 / month) gives you access to daily activities with expert trainers, but I’ve found that energy isn’t for me. The trainers are energetic, vocalists and move quickly from one technique to another. It just isn’t for me. I don’t need anyone to scream, “NEVER GIVE UP!” in my ear when I tremble in the plank position.
Adidas Training ( iOS , Android ) and Fitbit Coach ( iOS , Android ) were similar to Nike Training Club, but didn’t quite match them. Adidas only has 30 workouts, and while most of them are free, it just felt like the app wasn’t updated regularly. Fitbit Coach blocks most of its workouts with a premium subscription for $ 9.99 a month, and its interface was awkward to use. It was almost impossible for me to find workouts that could be done at home without equipment.
I didn’t even have time to test Aaptiv ( iOS , Android ) because the registration process was so boring that I was completely disconnected from using it. The app locks up all of its workouts and features for a $ 14.99 / month subscription, and there is no free trial unless you subscribe to the $ 99.99 / year option. I couldn’t even try the basic workout and the app kept reminding me to register. No thanks.
I will stick with the Nike Training Club during this pandemic, and this is the app I recommend to anyone looking to do a good workout while sitting at home.