CALIFORNIA — Want to push beyond your comfort zone and break out of your same-old workout routines in 2020? Here’s Patch’s guide to some of the best fitness apps for new challenges that will help keep you in good health all year long.
Nike Training Club
Activities: Strength training, cardio, mobility
Why: Take it to your living room, backyard or garage. Nike Training Club is perfect for people without a gym membership or those needing variety in their fitness routines. (HINT: It’s also a great choice for frequent business travelers seeking anytime personal training.) The app features on-demand video workouts that vary in length — many are free, but you can upgrade to a premium membership that will open up a complete video library featuring sessions led by trainers who offer tips and guidance. The app includes a good variety of individual workouts and multi-week training programs.
Price: Free; fee-based premium membership available
More info: https://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/nike-plus/training-app
MapMyFitness
Activities: General
Why: Tracking steps is a little old school these days, but for those just getting started this one is a gem. Simple to use, MapMyFitness monitors your moves in real time (feel good about vacuuming, taking out the trash) and it tells you how many calories you’ve burned. You can also log your activities manually, and MapMyFitness is compatible with other trackers, such as Fitbit and others. The app also lets you set goals and challenge friends in the MapMyFitness community, and it can lead you to the best walking, hiking, running and cycling trails.
Cost: Free; fee-based premium membership available
More info: https://www.mapmyfitness.com/
Strava
Activities: Running, cycling
Why: Strava is a community platform for serious athletes and beginners alike. Yes, it tracks your performance stats and gives a deep dive into the data, but it also lets you interact with friends, family and professional athletes who are on the platform. You can upload photos and activities, find cycling and running routes, ask for advice. You’ll form new bonds with others who can help keep you motivated. It’s the ultimate social network for athletes (pro and amateur alike).
Price: Free; fee-based premium membership available
More info: https://www.strava.com/
Charity Miles
Activities: Walking, running, cycling
Why: Need a reason to get moving and don’t mind a little in-your-face marketing? Charity Miles donates money to the organization of your choice when you use the app to log miles. Its motto is “Walk, Run, Bike for a Cause.” Corporate sponsors donate a few cents for every mile you track, and in exchange you get to see their branding in the app. (Read more about how Charity Miles works). The app also helps you run pledge drives and supports a large number of nonprofit organizations.
Cost: Free
More info: https://charitymiles.org/
Jefit
Activities: Strength training
Why: If you’ve got a solid cardio routine but need help with strength training, Jefit is a good pick. Like so many other apps out there, it’s a community platform where users share goals, progress, tips, workout routines, etc. But instead of chatter about the best running routes in town, users are more likely to discuss deadlifts and barbell split squats. The Jefit sessions are sport-specific and/or targeted to particular muscle groups, and there are tools to keep track of your workouts, rest days, and overall training schedule.
Cost: Free; fee-based premium membership available
More info: https://www.jefit.com/
Glo
Activities: Yoga, pilates, meditation
Why: Even if you already have an awesome fitness routine, throwing in some yoga and pilates will help you stay flexible, improve balance, and may help stave off injury. At the highest levels, yoga and pilates workouts are butt-kicking sessions that leave you wringing wet. Glo offers online on-demand classes (more than 4,000) with what it calls “the world’s best teachers.” By answering a few simple questions, Glo can help you find classes best suited to your level.
Cost: Subscription-based
More info: https://www.glo.com/
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