Buzz
Group fitness classes bring a level of motivation that individual exercises often can't. There's someone encouraging you to push further, to complete that extra rep, and with some luck, they'll overpower the voice in your head urging you to quit and grab dinner instead.
The team at Mytour tested a variety of apps that offer a group workout experience directly from your phone. Here's a breakdown of how each performed and our recommendations.
Peloton
I gave a Peloton workout a go on an exercise bike at the gym. I'm not exactly a cardio enthusiast, but I’ve heard it’s crucial for maintaining good health, so I've started adding short bike or rower sessions after some of my lifting routines.
The Peloton app (available for Android, iOS, and Fire TV; $12.99/month after a free trial) features an instructor who guides you through an interval workout. I opted for a 15-minute Tabata ride, which felt similar to the Cyclebar classes I've taken in the past. The instructor struck a perfect balance of energy and focus, and the music was spot-on. The only downside was the reference to specific Peloton resistance settings (like reaching 55 during a certain interval), which didn't apply to my gym bike.
In addition to bike rides, the app offers workouts for various other equipment types and home exercises.
Studio.live
Our video producer, Joel Kahn, is familiar with the actual Peloton bikes, so I had him try out Studio.live (available for iOS; $14.99/month after the free trial) for comparison. He tested a treadmill workout and shared his feedback:
The workouts were fairly similar to a live class, but the poor audio at times made it challenging to follow along. Having an instructor present to guide you on your form is definitely beneficial. There were no on-screen indicators to show the required speed or incline at any given moment, so if you miss an instructor's instructions, you might end up walking for a full minute when you should be running. While I do think it’s better than working out alone, I’d prefer to explore another app with a more user-friendly interface before adding this to my routine.
Nike Run Club
Our podcast producer, Micaela Heck, loves running outdoors, so I sent her out to try a guided run using Nike Run Club (free on iOS and Android), an app I personally enjoy when I'm stuck on the treadmill. (The interval routine called “Run fast. Repeat.” is one I particularly like.) This app offers only audio workouts, with no videos.
Micaela tried the “First Long Run” and “Second Long Run” routines and had the following to say:
Coach Barrett’s voice is pleasant, and he provides just the right level of encouragement—without being cheesy or overbearing. His conversational tone makes it feel like you have company on your run. I also found that having someone talk to me helped me pace myself better.
Personally, I’m not likely to attend a class or seek coaching for running, but I do think this is a great (and free) way to enhance your running without needing a coach or a running club. With so many guided run options available, it’s hard to imagine running out of them anytime soon.
This would definitely be helpful on days when I’m lacking motivation, but I probably won’t use it regularly since I prefer just zoning out to music while I run.
Aaptiv
Our food and beverage editor, Claire Lower, was looking for a home workout, so I had her try Aaptiv (available on iOS or Android, $9.99/month after the free trial). She opted for a 10-minute core workout. Aaptiv doesn’t have built-in videos, which turned out to be a drawback for this type of exercise. Here’s her feedback:
I’m not a fan of the Aaptiv app. For one, you can’t see anyone demonstrating the moves during your workout. You have to switch to a different screen to view the moves, which I find distracting. Also, I don’t like the music, and it turns out I’m not fond of people speaking to me in loud, motivational tones. I’ll stick to watching short demo videos and gifs at home, and asking the older guys at the gym if I’m ‘doing this right.’
For what it’s worth, the cardio workouts appear to be much more effective in this format, and you can listen to sample clips on the Aaptiv website.
