Online fitness: Train successfully using fitness apps, fitness videos and online gyms

Online fitness: Which option suits your needs?

Online fitness is as varied as the potential training goals. Here, we present you with a few digital training options.

Online gyms – professional training at home

The digital fitness industry is booming: If you are looking for an online gym, you can choose from many different providers. Pure online gyms usually offer a range of courses and training programmes.

Depending on the provider, you can select training packages at various levels of difficulty, that will help you achieve your goals (e.g. reduce weight, build muscle, increase mobility) or book a personalised workout.

Online gyms mostly instruct using detailed training videos. However, some providers also offer live-stream courses for you to take part in. Keep in mind that these live courses are not always set up for interactive training, which is why you should carefully read the description prior to registration.

Tip: If you seek more direction during training, you can book an online personal trainer or fitness coach who can develop a personalised training and nutritional plan, consult, and guide you through your workouts.

Fitness apps – for more fitness on the go

If you are looking for a cost-effective training guide, a fitness app could be just right for you. To start training, all you need is normally just a smartphone, and perhaps headphones. Depending on the provider, you can also connect a heart rate monitor or other types of fitness tracker to the apps.

Fitness apps can be a useful tool to complement online fitness training: They monitor your training progress, provide tools to keep an eye on your nutrition, sleep quality and other health factors, and they motivate you with push-notifications and community functions. The following types of apps may help you integrate every-day fitness in your daily routine:

• Fitness apps with training and nutritional plans as well as tracking functions
• Meditation apps for more life balance, relaxation, and better sleep
• Recipe apps for healthy nutrition to support your training goals
• Habit tracking apps as a (playful) reminder of your next workout and reward for completed challenges

Who would benefit from online fitness courses?

Digital training can be a great complementary fitness option for many who are already doing classic workouts at a gym. Who these options are made for and how successful they are, depends on various factors such as:

• Are you a beginner or an experienced athlete?
• Are you looking for cross training to complement your current sports activity?
• Would you like to try out a new sport?
• How easily can you motivate yourself?
• Can you design your own, functioning training plan?
• Do you want to monitor your training progress by yourself?

There is no straight answer to whether online fitness is a good training option for you or not. However, there are clear benefits as well as disadvantages to all variations of online fitness training. Our following overview will give you some guidance in your personal evaluation of how effective online fitness may be for you.

Pros and cons of online fitness offers

If you are looking for a temporary or long-term alternative to physically visiting a gym, you may discover that online fitness is the ideal solution for your requirements:

Online fitness communities: Support each other during home workouts

If you miss the community aspect of conventional sports classes or the atmosphere of a gym when you train with fitness videos or an online gym, then you can join online communities.

• Online forums: Network with other athletes in fitness forums to share your knowledge and experiences, and to motivate each other to go the extra mile to success. Fitness forums for recreational athletes are ideal for seeking advice and support.
• Social fitness apps: Many fitness apps, that allow you to track your daily performance, also offer community functions (e.g. Strava Training, MapMyFitness or Fitbit). This allows you to share your workouts with friends and compare. Such apps are recommended especially for athletes who quickly lose motivation when training alone.

Summary

If you have not done any sports for a while or could not train due to injury, then you may benefit from online training units to ease your way back into a training routine. However, also as an experienced athlete looking to cross train or seeking alternative winter training, you will benefit from fitness courses online. With flexibility in scheduling and the option to put together individual training plans, online training can support a generally more active lifestyle and motivate you to exercise more.

It is important to take the time to find an online workout that suits your training goals and that offers the right level of personal instruction. Also for online fitness, you should remember: If you have not trained for a while, or if you have health concerns, then you should first consult your doctor and, in the best-case scenario, also a professional coach.