9 apps that will help you practice physical activity

You apps geared towards the practice of physical activity offer more options for people to exercise. They allow training to be done at home with few (or none) devices. The team of CLAUDIA tested the best evaluated on the market for various levels of conditioning and delivers the results here. Check out:

BTFIT

WHO TESTED: Fernanda Morelli, beauty editor

“Tired of the gym’s sameness, I’ve been looking for alternatives to keep up the activities without losing the rhythm. BTFIT, produced by Bodytech teachers, offers free dance, functional, abdominal and pilates classes or personalized plans with yoga and fitness ballet, among others, at 129.90 reais per year. I chose the 20-minute video classes with functional exercises and I felt like I was in the room with the trainer. The instructions are super didactic and highlight important points at all times (indicate when to stop to drink water or remember to fix your posture). I was excited to continue!”

SWEAT

WHO TESTED: Isabella Marinelli, behavior editor

“I had already tried exercise apps, but I never got excited. I decided to give Sweat, by American personal trainer Kayla Itsines, a chance. Among the various programs (which promise to increase strength and endurance or are indicated for the postpartum phase, for example) I chose HIIT. The practice includes short but high-intensity exercises. I came out dripping! Time passed and I didn’t even notice, which is perfect for those who are too lazy to work out. If you want to explore the application further, there is a tab to monitor loss of measurements and food control. The downside is that it’s all in English. It costs 389.90 reais per year.”

RUNTASTIC

WHO TESTED: Lorena Tabosa, home and kitchen editor

“I’m pretty lazy when it comes to gymnastics, but I love going out for a walk aimlessly. Runtastic’s proposal, which is to exercise on the street, therefore seemed ideal to me. I chose the free beginner plan, which aims to learn the basics of running in six to ten weeks. There are three other programs available. A map and a timer help to follow the route and evolution. The app also marks the lost calories. This allowed me to observe the movements, know which expends more energy and understand how to combine elevation with speed. It made it easier to establish the rhythm of the training to reach the objectives.”

7 MINUTE WORKOUT CHALLENGE

WHO TESTED: Anna Giulia Petrosino, art intern

“What caught my attention the most about the 7 Minute Workout Challenge was the promise to complete the challenge in just seven minutes. The proposed exercises are easy to perform and do not require the use of equipment: jumping jacks, squats, sit-ups and push-ups. In total there are 12 activities of 30 seconds each with a ten-second break between them. I didn’t feel so tired at the time because the plan alternates aerobic and anaerobic exercises, but the next day my body was sore. It’s worth it if you don’t have much time to practice exercises. Although it is only available in English, it is simple to use.”

DOWN DOG

WHO TESTED: Pamela Malva, text intern

“Named after a yoga position, Down Dog lets you choose from the activity level to the voice to narrate the exercises. The free version offers complete activities, but the paid plans (162.90 reais per year or 25.90 reais per month) add increments. I chose a 20-minute class for beginners. Although the audio is in English, there are texts in Portuguese and all the commands are quite clear, showing the positions step by step. The workout works all areas of the body. I felt the muscles in my legs, arms, and trapezius pulsing. I had never taken a yoga class before and was happy to be able to complete a practice, feeling the immediate benefit in controlled breathing and a sense of well-being.”

NIKE TRAINING CLUB

WHO TESTED: Natalia Garcia Maruyama, digital intern

“Ideal for anyone looking for a complete application (and completely free), Nike Training Club lets you choose the difficulty levels and customize the workout according to your goals (work just your legs, abs, arms, stretch…). To avoid surprises, it is possible to observe which movements will be made before starting. For those who don’t give up a good playlist when exercising, a bonus: you can link your cell phone’s music to the app and plan when it should play. It’s not essential, but if you have the Apple Watch, you can still track your heart rate and record calories lost.”

FREELETICS

WHO TESTED: Isabella D’Ercole, editor

“The ripped women demonstrating the app’s workouts spell out that Freeletics is for people who really like to exercise. I go to the gym five times a week and I confess that I found it intense. After providing data such as weight and height, I was faced with ten workout options for different goals. Some sets (30 to 60 minutes) can be done at home or in the park; others require barbells and accessories to complement. Any of these options costs BRL 199.90 per year or BRL 39.90 for a month (it has a free trial week, which is highly recommended). The videos are explanatory and repeat the movement several times. My tip is to master the exercise before trying to do it more fluidly.”

COUCH TO 5K

WHO TESTED: Alessandra Balles, digital editor

“The name does not deceive: ‘from the couch to 5 kilometers’ is an ideal app for sedentary people who want to start running. With well-planned stages, the program lasts two months, with 30-minute workouts a day (on average), three times a week. The goal is achieved gradually. In the beginning, you alternate, for example, one minute of running with 90 seconds of walking. As you progress, the length of the race increases. For those who haven’t been exercising, running for six minutes on the first day can be quite strenuous. Although Couch to 5K is in English, it is quite intuitive. In the third week, the plan starts to be paid (37.90 reais), but it is a valid investment for making the 5K a possible dream.”

HOME WORKOUT

WHO TESTED: Barbara Cestaro, fashion reporter

“Despite bringing a man as an icon, the app is unisex and has options for all conditioning. Easy to navigate, it offers different goals and divides the workouts by body parts. During the activity, the system generates a report with the calories lost and the time spent. Since I’m not a very active person, I chose the one suggested for beginners and started with the abdomen. There were 15 minutes in total, with 12 types of exercise, which makes the practice more dynamic. I managed to do all of them with ease until the final count, but I felt pretty tired afterwards. There are few free packages. The annual, which gives access to the complete program, costs R$ 152.90.”

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