Most Americans don't get enough exercise.
Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 64 met the government's recommended physical activity guidelines between 2010 and 2015. Those guidelines call for healthy adults to do a minimum of two and half hours of moderate intensity activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity — plus at least two muscle-strengthening days a week.
Exercise is essentially the closest thing that exists to a miracle drug — something that can extend life, boost mood and improve mental health, fight disease, and just make you feel better as you live your day-to-day life.
But once you decide it's time to get fit, it can be hard to know where to start. Fitness apps can help.
No app is a solution on its own, but there's more and more evidence that whether your goals are to start running or get stronger, apps that can guide workouts can help.
One of the top apps for getting in shape is the free version of the Sworkit app, which functions as a sort of playlist for exercise, whether you want to do bodyweight strength exercises, stretches, cardio, or yoga. The company behind the app received a $1.5 million investment from Mark Cuban after appearing on "Shark Tank," and there's scientific evidence backing the use of Sworkit for training, too.
In 2015, a team of sports scientists analyzed 30 popular free fitness apps and found that Sworkit was the most closely aligned with the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) training guidelines.
Those guidelines say a workout should include aerobic, strength, resistance, and flexibility components; it should follow evidence-based guidelines for frequency, intensity, and types of workouts; and it should include safety measures to help make sure beginners start at a safe point.
No app was perfect, the analysis found (and most were terrible). The biggest concern that researchers had is that by getting a workout from an app instead of a trainer, a person might try to do more than they should and injure themselves.
But overall, that analysis found that Sworkit provided useful guidelines for strength training, cardio, and flexibility exercise, and I personally have found it a fun and effective way to fit in a workout on busy days.
(It is worth noting that another recent analysis that compared apps to the ACSM's training guidelines had many of of the same concerns about injuries, and that analysis didn't rank Sworkit as highly as several other popular apps worth trying, including Nike+ and the top choice in that analysis, the The Johnson and Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout, highly recommended by my colleague Erin Brodwin.)
But if you're interested in a playlist of exercises that can be done without equipment and for a variable duration of time, we'd recommend giving Sworkit a try. Here's how it works.
The initial interface is simple and clean.
When you open up the app, you can choose whether you want to focus on strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching.
All the exercises are bodyweight-based, so you don't need additional equipment for any of the workouts. While I wouldn't use this as my only fitness option, it's a nice way to get a varied workout that can be done at home or on the road.
There are a number of custom or sport-specific workouts, though many require payment.
If you want some variation from the initial options, there are a number of other custom workouts on the home screen.
Some are targeted towards beginners, older athletes, or people with a specific fitness goal.
But many of these routines are locked behind the Sworkit Premium option, which costs $9.99 a month or $6.66 a month if you pay by the year. This option offers much more customization and the option to message trainers with questions, but is somewhat pricey.
After choosing from one of the four main categories of workout — strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching — you get to select a focused workout from within that category.
Within the "strength" category, for example, you can choose between a full body workout, an upper body workout, core workout, or lower body-focused workout.
The full body workout is a great go-to option here. While I like to go for a run, bike ride, or climb when I can, this is a nice alternative for particularly hot or freezing days.
Still, if you are going to use the app regularly, it's good to switch things up to stress different parts of your body.
You can work up a good sweat and push yourself hard enough that you get the mental clarity that's one of the best benefits of exercise.
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