Talking Tech | Miss your gym, not your workout

If there is one silver lining in this entire lockdown, it is that people like me have yet another excuse to avoid working out.  The gyms are closed, so are the jogging parks. But you and I both know that this excuse is as thin as I hope to be someday.  There are many handy apps that not just help us be fit but look at overall health and wellbeing. We may start using these apps during the lockdown, but these are well worth using when things turn back to normal, and I have to think of new excuses to avoid working out.

#5 Keep Yoga and Keep Trainer – I have included two apps here, from the same publisher. As the name implies, one of them is centred around yoga, and the other is for general fitness exercises. The apps do a great job in recommending exercise routines that are tailored to your specific needs. And there is a social angle to it too, you can add your friends, and share your fitness achievements with them, and also encourage each other. And if you have an Android TV, you can watch your exercise instructions on a larger screen too.

#4 Google Fit – Fit is Google’s health platform but unlike Apple Health, this is available on both Android and iOS. The app does a good job of tracking your activities like walking, jogging, or running, as long as you carry your phone with you. If you don’t feel like lugging your phone along, you will be happy to know that the app is available for WearOS watches and Apple Watch too. It is very minimal and does its job without much fuss.

#3 Runtastic – This popular app has been acquired by Adidas, the well-known fitness brand. And they have done a good job of not just maintaining the app but also adding features. While it still maintains running-related features as its core, it has also since added workouts and also a section for healthy recipes. It is available on both iOS and Android and also supports almost all leading smartwatch platforms.

#2 Yoga apps – I wish I could pick just one or two here, but the world of Yoga is so large. There are several disciplines within it, each with its own benefits and ardent followers. Luckily we have apps for almost all the major Yoga practices. There is an app from the Isha Foundation, Art of living, Sahaja Yoga, Anahata Yoga,  and even from celebrities like Shilpa Shetty. Pick the one you that is right for you.

#1 Headspace – This is my favourite in the lot. Headspace is one app for both physical and mental fitness. It is primarily focused on guided meditation and offers meditation techniques based on your requirements. But the app recently added physical fitness too and has workout videos for various groups.  But this might not appeal to hard-core gym-goers since the exercises are relatively simple and not aimed at bodybuilding.