Let's be frank: keeping fit can be a challenge. It's easy to sign-up to your local gym, it's harder to keep to a workout plan that actually works. Worse yet, not everyone can shell out for a trainer to work out with them on the regular and tell them what to do and how to work out. I had my fitness membership for about a year before I finally got the courage to start going daily and really commit.
Problem is, I didn't know what I was doing - one day I'd halfheartedly go on the treadmill, and then lift weights another day, with no plan or structure in mind. When talking to a mate about it, he suggested I give Aaptiv a try, a fitness app with built-in audio workouts. I was a bit skeptical at first that an app could be the thing to get me going, but considering nothing else was working, I figured I had to give it a go.
Aaptiv offers thousands of audio fitness classes for every experience level, coached by actual personal trainers. You can choose classes by workout type, trainer, music genre, class length, or level of difficulty. I was excited to find a lot of beginner level classes to pick and choose from.
The first class I tried was the full-body beginner strength training class, "Stamina Push" taught by Mike, a certified personal trainer with 5+ years of experience. Mike's passionate and motivational style was extremely helpful for someone who never had any formal workout training. He constantly reminded me to focus on quality rather than quantity, and kept me focused on my form. I did a variation of planks, squats, and push-ups, all set to a pop/hip-hop playlist. I loved how he counted down the seconds left in each set so I was able to push through each time. The class was only sixteen minutes long but felt like a solid workout - right from the comfort of my living room.
I love that I can use the app anywhere - at home, in the gym, or on the go - I can turn on an outdoor run class if I'm feeling some fresh air or a treadmill one at the gym, or do a yoga or strength training class at home or in a hotel room if I'm traveling. The best part is I don't feel like I'm locked in to a subscription - I can go month to month for $20 CAD or $130 CAD for the entire year.
Aaptiv has helped me find my motivation and discover a workout routine that actually provides results. The class variety, the different trainers and the music have me coming back for more, and I'm always excited to discover new classes every week. I've finally found an exercise life hack and actually look forward to my next work out. But don't take it from me, try it for yourself.
