The 5 Best Fitness Apps to Keep you Motivated
With so many of us working out at home or at a distance, fitness apps have never been more popular. Whether designed to give you workout ideas, provide training programs, connect you with friends, or track and analyze your data, these apps are changing the landscape of personal health.
The problem is that with so many apps out there, it can be tough to know where to start or which to try next! So we rounded up five of our favourite apps to get you moving, with expertise from a few of our incredible sponsored athletes.
Here are our top picks.
Strava
A long-time favourite among cyclists and runners, Strava uses GPS to track your distance, pace, and performance. It’s also a social network, so you can follow friends and competitors, and see how fast you finished a route compared to others in your area.
From Rumble founder Paul: “I've used Strava for years - I was one of the first people to do so here in Victoria. Many of the local 'segments' that are well-used by cyclists are ones that I created, actually!”
From Rumble athlete Yuki Tsubota: “I love Strava, especially for biking. I get quite competitive with myself and love to be able to track my time on the trails.”
Peloton App
With a 90-day free trial, the Peloton app isn’t just for spin. There are video workouts of all kinds, from cycling to running, walking, and HIIT.
From Rumble athlete Shanice Marcelle: “[Because of the variety offered by Peloton], it’s a really convenient way to get a workout in, whether you need something quick or a bit longer.”
Training Peaks
Many apps offer workout plans, but this one offers training plans. Geared towards serious athletes and those working towards specific goals (like race day), Training Peaks allows you to choose between set training plans or get matched with an accredited coach to create your very own plan.
From Rumble athlete Laurin Thorne: “I love it because all of my workouts get uploaded by my coaches, and I can add workouts myself and add comments to my sessions so my coaches can see how it went. [Training Peaks] is comparable to running and biking software, so you can analyze all of your data! I use this as my calendar by also putting in my school schedule and any other time commitments. It keeps me organized and keeps all of my coaches on the same page about what’s going on with me.”
Nike Training Club
Complete with workouts and nutrition advice, the Nike Training Club app provides training programs and routines for all fitness levels.
From Rumble athlete Christopher Curran: “I used it when I was travelling in Burma last December and didn’t have access to a lot of equipment. It offers a great range of strength, power, and endurance workouts. I particularly enjoyed the HIIT type workouts that were typically under 30 minutes, and were easy to follow along with on my phone.”
From Rumble team member Martin: “I like the HIIT workouts. You can target specific muscle groups or even specific warm-ups and cool downs, like strength for yoga.”
Fitbit / Fitbit Coach
Along with a Fitbit, the Fitbit app tracks your steps, heartrate, fitness level, and goals. The Fitbit Coach app then takes that information to provide workout recommendations.
From Rumble team member Danielle: “I’m a bit of a data nerd, so I like counting my steps, tracking my activity, and watching my resting heart rate. It encourages me to make fitness and movement a priority throughout the day.”
Honourable mentions that didn’t quite make our top five list - but are definitely worth checking out - are RunGo (to help you find new running routes), Sweat (a fitness app by women, for women), and C25K (the couch-to-5k app for beginner runners).
What are your top fitness apps? Let us know! @drinkrumble
