Platform: Android
Cost: Free (at time of writing)
The Idea:
The basic idea behind this app is to offer workouts that you can quite literally do anywhere, whether you are at home, at the office, in a hotel or have limited space. It's certainly a nice idea, and the app offers workouts in the following categories:- Office Workout
- Hotel Workout
- Minutes to Spare Anywhere
- Airplane Workout
- Some Equipment Workout
During each workout you have the option to have a voice tell you what the next position or workout will be, and how long you have to do it. Or, if you don't want a voice, you can have beeps.
Each specific position or movement comes with an image and explanation, however this comes to be a bit of a pain because sometimes I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, so I've had to pause the workout to read the instructions, which gets to be a bit annoying. I'd also like the images to be replaced with a video or animation perhaps, just to enforce the idea that I'm doing it properly.
Each category features a variety of different workouts with varying durations and fitness levels, so are they any good? Most of them are excellent. I personally have been enjoying doing the Good Morning and Good Night Bed Stretches under the Hotel Workout section. I'm one of those unfortunate souls who struggles to get out of bed in the morning, and I've found the Good Morning Bed Stretch to be amazing motivation, because it starts off with exercises that you do lying down, before sitting over the edge of your bed, and finally standing up. I like the gradual movement that it takes you to get out of bed, and I've found that really helpful.
I love that you only do exercises for a short period of time, because it doesn't get boring.
The Bad: My biggest issue with this app, however, is the fact that some of the exercises really aren't appropriate for the category they're in. For example, lifting your legs up at the knees whilst on an aircraft isn't exactly discreet, and I have visions of the guy sitting next to me looking at me as if I'm crazy (he's probably right, but that's beside the point).
In the office, unless you are working from home is marching in place really that practical? How about Plank Hold on Knees? Or, Side Planks, or Toe Taps? I mean, seriously, who is going to get up and do that in the office, even during their lunch hour?
The exercises aren't really fit for "everywhere" really.
Overall: It's a nice app to start out with, but eventually it becomes repetitive and boring. I think that it needs more workouts, and more thought to be put into the types of exercise that people can - realistically - do in certain situations. I think that maybe differentiating between Home Office and Work Office might be ideal. However, if we're talking about a Home Office, I don't know about anyone else but I'm quite happy to get up and do a proper workout. When I was working an office, in a previous life, I don't think that I would have gotten away with anything more than the Desk Stretches to loosen the neck and wrists as well as increasing blood flow in the legs and feet.
Do you use apps to help you keep fit? Do you think they help?