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“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter
Finding the time, money, and motivation for exercise isn’t always easy. We can’t all be the type of person who throws on their trainers the second they get up or does hundreds of squats effortlessly. We sometimes need a little encouragement or a push.
In this article, Superprof is looking at the best free exercise apps. Throw on your gym gear, grab your free weights, and let’s go!
Strava for Runners and Cyclists
Strava is the Swedish word for “strive” and since its creation in 2009, Strava has become one of the most popular apps for runners and cyclists.
You can now use it for over 40 different activities but running and cycling remain the most popular. The best thing about Strava is just how easy it is to use and how it acts as a social network for athletes.
On Strava, you can find other runners around town, compare your stats, add photos, and even organise sessions together, but despite its friendly exterior, Strava is also serious. The app also features segments, an area where members can compare their times on a specific portion of road, street, or trail. This can also motivate you to try harder.
Find out more about exercising on a budget
Nike Run Club
The sportswear giant has also developed a series of apps. Whether you’re running, working out, weightlifting, or doing CrossFit, you’ll find a Nike app that’s right for you. Whether you’re an athlete or an amateur, you can track your progress.
With workout videos and coaching programmes, Nike Run Club is worth checking out if you’re training for a run. It’s designed with beginners in mind and can help you with your first runs or bike rides by suggesting useful warmups and stretches so that you don’t injure yourself. However, professionals can still use the training programmes and challenges each month.
You’ll soon want to go out for a run the second you wake up.
Nike Training Club
This app is like a personal coach in your pocket and with over 185 free activities, you’ll find the session that’s right for you.
With guidance from Nike’s professionals, you can achieve your fitness goals. Thanks to the planning system, you can set how many workouts you want to do each week.
You can plan sessions to:
- Improve your endurance
- Lose weight
- Build muscle
- Improve stamina
- Work on your abs
- Tone your glutes and thighs
- Improve your overall fitness
With the help of professional coaches, you can burn calories, work out, or condition as if you were at the gym. There’s something for everyone.
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7 Minute Workout
Did you give up your Zumba or aquabike lessons because you were too busy? Are you still wanting to exercise regularly?
7 Minute Workout is the app you need.
Your living room can become your workout space for less than 10 minutes each day. This app offers 7-minute fitness sessions of 30-second exercises so finding the time to work out has never been as easy.
You can also choose which part of your body you’d like to work on and find suitable exercises. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or improve your cardio performance, you can do it with this app.
Struggling with a certain exercise?
There are video demonstrations to show you exactly what you have to do. The best thing about this app is that it can remind you when it’s time to exercise.
What better way to challenge yourself daily?
Adidas Running/Runtastic
Runners may know this app as Runtastic, which was bought out by Adidas in 2015. The app is very popular with runners or those who exercise outdoors. You can map your runs and track your performance, average speed, heart rate, and distance. The dashboard uses this data to calculate your progress over time.
What better way to burn calories without noticing?
The vocal coaching can give you real-time information on your run and the memberships will also give you access to personalised training sessions, advanced stats, and specific goals.
There are three options with Adidas Running:
- Pay yearly
- Pay every six months
- Pay every three months
The longer you pay for it, the cheaper your subscription will be.
Freeletics
Freeletics is an app for those who are already quite active. Most of the activities don’t require any equipment and use your body weight as the resistance.
The free version of the app is a lot like a demo with just 11 of the programmes from the full version. With the full version, you can get weekly coaching following your objectives and your results.
A nutrition coach can help you to eat more healthily and improve your diet. The free version isn’t for beginners, either, as each workout is intense and you need to keep going with very little time to stop. You’ll be against the clock.
The sessions may be challenging, but the results are worth it. Improving your endurance and mental fortitude will make an athlete out of you and with Freeletics, you’ll get better each day.
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Daily Yoga
This is one of the most popular yoga apps out there. Daily Yoga can teach you the basics of yoga in just two weeks.
It’s suitable for users of all levels from basic poses for beginners to advanced sequences for those with more experience.
It’s very simple to use; just set how long you want the session to last (between 5 and 70 minutes) and Daily Yoga will point you in the right direction according to your goals.
The app features over 500 asanas (yoga poses), 70 yoga programmes, and pilates and meditation sessions.
You can follow the video for each session to better understand the poses and techniques and there are programmes for everything from losing weight to alleviating period pain.
The lessons are designed by expert yogis so you can also get involved with the community of yogis from all over the world and share advice on yoga, diet, or lifestyle.
You won’t miss your daily yoga session and it’s also a good way to start your day.
Namasté!
Learn more about exercising as part of your daily routine
There are quite a few other apps that you might want to check out:
- Caynax HIIT
- Runkeeper
- Endomondo
- Sports Tracker
- 101 Fitness
- Easy Trails
- Charity Miles
Keep in mind that a lot of apps offer free access but need to be paid for if you want to use them beyond their trial period.
Now you can get started!
If you need help with your training, consider getting help from one of the many talented and experienced tutors and coaches on Superprof. You can enjoy personal training face-to-face, online, or as part of a group and since each type of training comes with its pros and cons for you and your budget, you need to think carefully about which is the best solution.
Face-to-face coaching usually costs more per hour than the other types but this is because you can enjoy tailored sessions and a coach that will often travel to you and bring the equipment you'll need. While more expensive, this is usually the most cost-effective type of coaching as every minute of your sessions will be spent focusing on you and your fitness.
Group coaching is an excellent choice for those on a budget as you can share the cost of your instructor's time and expertise with the other members of the class. For some, being in a class with others can be a useful source of motivation and you can spur each other on to work even harder during your sessions.
If you can't find any suitable coaches or tutors in your local area, you can always enjoy online coaching. As long as you have a computer, webcam, and a decent internet connection, a fitness instructor from anywhere in the world can guide you through your exercise routine and diet plans.
Don't forget that many of the tutors and coaches on Superprof offer the first session or hour for free. You can use these sessions to try out various professionals before choosing the one that's right for you. After all, you must get on well with your coach as you may be seeing a lot of them depending on how ambitious your goals are.
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