Sweat it out with these apps

A study published in January in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that users of Sweatcoin—a smartphone app that pays users in digital currency to get fit—showed a 20% increase in their physical activity. There was a sustained 19.5% increase in the daily step count of these users over a period of six months. The study, conducted by the University of Warwick, analysed the movement of 6,000 participants from the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Northern Europe. The app basically converts physical activity (measured through the number of steps counted) into a digital currency that can be used for goods and services.

While an app like Sweatcoin might not available in India yet, there are other apps to motivate you to kickstart your fitness regime or get it back on track.

Here’s a look at some of these apps:

Nike Training Club

Nike Training Club comes loaded with more than 100 workouts that focus on strength, endurance and mobility. The workout library in the app contains everything from body-weight workouts to ones with full equipment. You can personalize your training regime within the app based on experience levels (beginner to advanced), intensity, time and reps. The app’s best feature however is following the workouts of some of the best athletes in the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Ashton Eaton and Isaiah Thomas.

Available on iOS and Android

Evolve 21

The Evolve 21 app lets you choose from a range of 7-minute workouts that focus on cardio, yoga and meditation. Supported by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), the app comes with workouts for people at varying fitness levels. The workouts are customizable and designed by wellness experts. While you use the app, you can also help raise money for CPF, which works towards people with developmental disabilities.

Available on iOS and Android

Daily Yoga

If you are taking your first step into the world of yoga, then Daily Yoga is an app that will fit you well. Designed for everyone—from beginners to advanced users—the app offers more than 500 asanas and the largest yoga pose base. It is available in seven languages and comes with specially designed meditations with online coach guides. The app also supports Google Fit, so you can keep track of your health data. Another highlight of the app is the option to play different meditation music and relaxing melodies to accompany your yoga sessions.

Available on iOS and Android

Aaptiv: Audio fitness

Aaptiv is an audio fitness app that gives you audio-guided workouts in 12 categories from trainers across the world. You can tap into more than 2,500 trainer-led and music-driven workouts from a variety of categories, including running, elliptical, race training, rowing, strength training, stretching and yoga. The app also lets you track progress by minutes, calories and activity.

Available on iOS and Android

Sweat: Kayla Itsines Fitness

This workout and meal-planning app features Australian personal trainer and author Kayla Itsines. Sweat focuses on female health and fitness; it features programmes tailor-made for post-pregnancy, weight-training, power-building, strength and high-intensity workouts. The app also has a bikini body guide or BBG programme, with weight tracking and meal planning features. Apart from Itsines, the app also features programmes led by trainers like Kelsey Wells, Stephanie Sanzo and Chontel Duncan, among others.

Available on iOS and Android

Compiled by Nitin Sreedhar.