FEATURE: Five fitness apps you should download as gym facilities remain closed

 The global war against COVID-19 is central to all countries, as a third of the world remains on lockdown in attempts to conquer it. A few industries stand to benefit from this crisis. One of these is the technology space. In this series titled, COVID Tech, SABC News’ Tshepiso Moche reports on coronavirus-related tech developments in South Africa and globally. 

As we enter into the fifth month of the lockdown, we will look at some of the exercising or fitness apps you can download and keep your body fit and in good shape.

Gym facilities across the country have been closed since the beginning of the lockdown in March.

The fitness industry has suffered enormously since the national lockdown was implemented.

There are plenty of exercising apps both on the Google Play Store and on App Store (IOS) that are available for free.

From abs, arms, shoulders, stomach and glute exercises, these apps will definitely keep you in good shape and give you that ‘summer body’ that you’ve always wanted.

Below are the five apps you can try:

The Nike Training Club App

Make your home the perfect place to stay active with this NTC app.

The app gives you suggestions and expert tips, on which food to avoid and which food to eat and sleeping patterns to help you achieve the best results in a good time.

Some of the exercises are also kid friendly, which means even your little ones can join you and make your training sessions fun and enjoyable.

Choose from content that targets specific muscle groups, or opt for a full-body workout that will leave you feeling it the next morning.

The app also allows you to add your training partners so that you can keep track of their training activities and they too, can keep track of your record.

Home Workout – No equipment App

The home workout app provides you with timed daily workout routines for all your main muscle groups.

The app has workouts for your abs, chest, stomach, legs and butt and full body workouts.

None of these workouts needs any equipment or coaching instructors.

According to the information on the app all these workouts have been designed by experts.

So, if you stick to these daily routines, and eat healthily you are guaranteed to get the best results in just a few weeks.

7-minute workout: Fitness App

The seven-minute fitness app is one of the most interactive and easy to navigate fitness apps you can get.

The app offers workouts for beginners, intermediate to advance.

It also gives you an option to either focus on different body parts per session i:e upper body and lower body.

The app allows you to add music from your iTunes or Spotify to your workouts.

So, you can listen to your favourite track while losing few calories and all unwanted body fat.

This app only concentrates on that one prized area of our bodies.

Headspace Fitness App:

 The headspace is another great fitness app on the list on Google’s PlayStore.

Research has shown that mindful meditation helps people stress less, focus better, and sleep well.

Headspace is a meditation app that is easy to navigate, has got tons of features, and comes with a free and paid version.

The free version is good enough to convince you to buy the paid subscription.

There are different packs on the app that you can add to your list about productivity, focus, depression, overcoming anxiety, and fear.

You can also learn the basics of mindful meditation in the free version, and even that is super helpful.

My FitnessPal:

 My fitness pal is a great app that’s extremely helpful to understand what your intake looks like.

The app allows you to track what you are eating and how you can turn that around.

Whether you are trying to burn some fat or gain muscle, this app will keep you mindful of your food choices.

The app has an easy-to-use database that includes nutrition information about different foods, including restaurant meals.

You can just add the food item into the search bar to get a nutritional grade and choose the healthiest option.