Best fitness apps & tech
Stay trim and terrific this winter!
Getting smart about getting fit is all about doing the right things at the right time. Even if you’re free of specific movement restrictions and curfews, the way we go about our daily business likely isn’t changing for a while. So now would appear to be the perfect time to put that expensive gym membership on hold and dial up your activity in and around your home. There are a host of devices and apps that'll get you moving, with more released in the past year than ever before, but let’s start with those that try to bring that authentic gym experience into your home.
Subscriptions are a big thing now, and they’re only getting bigger. Apple, of course, has its own: Apple Fitness+ ($14.99 per month) fired out of the gate with something of a bang at Apple’s previous big event, joining the likes of Apple TV+ in the firm’s push to add a bunch of content to its growing ecosystem. It’s versatile, with video workouts that let you see your current data on screen (piped there directly from your Apple Watch) as well as customising the music that gets you moving.
Peloton’s instructor–led class formula (US$12.99 per month, and coming to Australia soon) is another that’s gained traction, with a host of exercise options on offer beyond the spin classes you might expect. And Ultrahuman ($17.99 per month) has launched with a top–to–bottom fitness subscription covering overall fitness as well as sleep and mindfulness. That’s not to mention the (partially) free trainer–led workout program of Nike’s Training Club, the personalised workout plans of Fitbit’s premium tier, or the many great yoga apps out there (see “Yoga apps” over the page).
Pick your poison
Which service suits you is going to be a very personal thing, and that assessment probably won’t be an easy decision based on which one looks nicest. It’s going to be something you decide after drilling down a little deeper into the options. You’ll probably prefer different instructors, different workouts, different ways of going about it.
A live class might prove more
motivational than a recorded session, or it might be too much pressure; an enthusiastic trainer might be just the thing you need to get moving, or an irritant you don’t need in your life. Where possible, we’d suggest you sample free trials of these services if they’re available, and don’t get sucked into the perceived value of a yearly subscription – at least until you’ve tried it out for a month.
Of course, that sort of loose commitment is not always an option. Some subscriptions are tied to hardware. Apple’s option demands an Apple Watch, for instance, which does make sense in terms of the data you’re likely to want to gather about your progress, but not so much if all you want to do is raise your heart rate a little. Peloton, conversely, does not demand that you pick up either its Tread or Bike (both costing the thousands) to partake in Peloton classes, but it does divide its subscription plan into those who have and have not. The pricier version, for equipment owners, gets you family coverage and taps into the live on-screen tracking, helping you feel more involved in the classes, while the free version offers a more cut-down subset of Peloton’s features but still offers access to classes.
Fiit is a great option if you’ve got no equipment. There’s a 14–day free trial of its mix of HIIT, strength training, yoga, pilates, and mobility lessons; there are 60 scheduled group
workouts a day if you prefer a little competition, and you can add equipment if you like. It’s compatible with the company’s own heart rate trackers and is also happy to work with third– party trackers.
Spatial awareness
Big kit means a big commitment, both financially and in terms of the space in your home. For many of us, accommodating a large piece of gym equipment just isn’t feasible, but if you’re blessed with space there’s a host of awesome smart fitness devices out there.
Take the NOHRD Sprintbok, a manual treadmill (meaning it’s powered entirely by your legs) with a beautiful curved wooden frame that gives you the opportunity to create your own running workouts as well as following those delivered through its touch screen. A very attractive thing, as long as you have a spare 14 square feet of floor space and somewhere in the region of $9,000 to spend.
So let’s consider some devices with a smaller footprint. The gym-quality TechnoGym MyRun ($5,480) is slightly smaller, can be inclined up to 12 degrees, and includes a stand for an iPad which lets you connect to the dedicated TechnoGym app or something like Zwift to create yourself a custom run. You can fold it down too, but you’ll need to use the included tool to do so. If you really want compactness and don’t plan to go too fast, the WalkSlim 630 WalkingPad (around $1,300) literally folds in half along the middle of its belt, and it’s small enough to easily slide under a bed for storage when you’re done sweating. As long as you don’t have downstairs neighbors, Tangram’s Smart Rope, we suppose, has a footprint as large as yours. As you jump it can track your hops on your phone, track your time trained and, if you opt for the $109.95 version, it ties persistence–of–vision (PoV) LEDs into the rope section. This displays your jump count in mid– air as you train, meaning you don’t lose focus looking over at your phone.
Mastering metrics
A note, now, about availability. Lots of people have used their enforced home stays as an opportunity to purchase gym equipment. That’s understandable, but it does mean stock levels have diminished greatly – there are loads of smart products we looked to recommend here but found entirely unavailable. Fitness gear also tends to be very bulky, meaning availability is often limited just to its own country. Apps don’t (generally) have any limits, so they’re not going anywhere. The key, we feel, is going to be motivating yourself to hit goals that don’t require spin bikes or cross trainers, and instead working on improving your own metrics. So measuring those metrics in the right way is crucial.
There’s no better monitor of overall personal health than the Apple Watch Series 6 (from $599), with its blood oxygen and ECG measurements. As long as you bear in mind that the measurements should generally be used as baseline comparisons rather than ultra-accurate diagnoses, the Apple Watch is a perfect companion for fitness tracking. Take it on a hike, jump up and down on the spot repeatedly, or do exercises like resistance training which movement-based trackers wouldn’t normally be able to get a handle on, and you’ll see improvements and gains as you go.
It’s arguable, though, that although the Apple Watch is a superb personal fitness device, it’s still not enough for the hardcores. Committed runners tend to lean towards Garmin. Its Forerunner 245 Music is a great option at $579, with a vast range of monitoring and the ability to store music, though the $999. Forerunner 945 is a far more advanced choice. But there’s no reason you even need to spend that. If a $25 no-name fitness tracker from Amazon will get you accurate enough stats that you’re happy, that could be the only investment you need to make.
If you’re really interested in running, the best and most accurate heart rate monitors are those which go around your chest. The Wahoo Tickr X ($139) is one of the most highly regarded Bluetooth heart rate monitors out there, slimmer and less conspicuous than its predecessor. It doesn’t only keep tabs on your ticker, it’ll help you track runs or bike rides and can even detect your reps if you’re doing weight training. Garmin’s HRM–Run ($129) is probably a better choice if you’re specifically into running above all other forms of exercise, but it has hit the pandemic curse and stock (at press time) has been affected.