JOIN USStaying fit with a busy schedule is a difficult task. But very often one tries to make time to go to the gym and lead a healthy life. There are many who aren’t comfortable enough to go and work out in a public space and prefer to find a spot in the comfort of their home to exercise. Thanks to the new-age technology, one can work out with a personal trainer. There are various apps on Android and iOS phones that are dedicated to helping people exercise in their homes.
Dharini Dilip Kumar, a freelance professional, says, “I’ve been using the ‘Nike Training Center’(NTC) app for almost two years and I absolutely love it. I enjoy working out at home as I don’t have to worry about anyone waiting behind me to use the equipment. I’m not suffocated with the smell of sweat and socks either, that gyms somehow can’t seem to get rid of.”
She owns a set of dumbells that she uses to strengthen her muscles. “I often feel that because of NTC, I have a trainer at home for free. I can choose workouts that I know suit my body type,” she adds.
Self-discipline is one of the most important aspects of exercise. Whether one works out from home or heads to the gym, allotting a particular time to it requires a lot of dedication.
Manu Kapoor, a project manager at HCL Technologies, has been using apps such as ‘Runastic Pro’ and ‘Moves’ to keep himself fit. He uses ‘Moves’ to track his steps on a daily basis, it differentiates between walking, standing and cycling.
The app automatically switches activities as and when he moves. With ‘Runastic Pro’, he tracks the calories burnt and distance covered on a weekly and monthly basis. He says, “Gyms definitely have the advantage of having a personal trainer, but since I am more of a person who loves to run and do free-hand exercises, these apps are just what I need.”
While one group agrees with allocating time for exercises, Harsha PJ, one of the founders of iRepair India, questions, “How do you quantify an hour’s session with weights at the gym?”
He uses the iOS apps and the Apple Watch to give him that boost. “I do go to the gym on a regular basis, but the treadmill never gives me an accurate picture of what the workout is like. With the Apple watch, I get to know how my workout was and how or where I can improve; it works in the background,” he explains.
The process of exercising at home is slow, but many in the City prefer to save that monthly or yearly bill for something else. “I usually warm up, do some cardio and lift some weights as the YouTube channel Lee Labrada suggests. I do agree that it’s a slow process, but it also depends on the mode of instructions,” explains Prateek Rana, a
Bengaluru-based entrepreneur. Whereas Vinod VS, a software engineer at VMware says, “I once had a personal trainer for three months who billed me Rs 13,000 apart from the regular gym membership. I didn’t find that helpful, so I bought my own bench with some bars and dumbells at home to work out with. With the help of the ‘Nike+’ app, I’ve been fitter than before and happy with myself.”
In a world where comfort comes first before everything else, the fitness freaks are making themselves at home, quite literally. As long as they are happy with themselves, they don’t mind taking a longer time to reach the deadline and meeting their target weight.