The revenue in the fitness segment in the US amounts to $14,8 billion in 2018. Experts predict an annual growth of 5.2%. According to a report of the American College of Sports and Medicine, the main trends of the fitness industry are HIIP, group training, wearable technology, body weight training, strength training, educated fitness professionals, yoga, personal training, workout for older adults, and functional fitness. These trends influence the fitness app development and define the most popular types of workouts.
The fitness industry is becoming more digital. Wearable technologies have become a global trend for a few past years. Fitness apps concerning healthy nutrition and bodyweight have also gained popularity. Moreover, today the fans of fitness can benefit from using apps for workouts. They can choose programs and intensity, watch video instructions, and even consult professional instructors in real time. Fitness apps such as Fitbit are quite popular and have millions of unique users per months.
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Here are a few examples of the trendy training activities that you can do with fitness apps.
1. High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT remains in the top three fitness trends since 2014. HIIT apps also flood the application market. This type of training includes high-intense trainings with small breaks. They usually last no more than 30 minutes.
One of the most widespread HIIT trainings is the Tabata method. It was founded by a professor Izumi Tabata in 1996 and consists of repeated cycles of 20-second ultra-intense exercises followed by 10-second rest. The whole training lasts for four minutes. This methodology is highly effective. It improves glucose metabolism and general athletic capacity, and burns fat.
Other HIIT workouts include Peter Coe, Gibala, Zuniga, and Vollaard regimens, which comprise warming-up, high-intensity training, and rest rounds.
HIIT Apps:
HIIT Workout Timer doesn’t offer a particular workout plan. Instead, it provides you with an elaborated timer to build your training effectively. You can choose a level, duration, a number of reps, and more.
Tabata Pro is an app that works as a 4-minute timer divided into 20-second workout rounds and 10-second rest by default. However, you can pick a suitable intensity by changing the workout and rest duration.
2. Bodyweight Training
This type of exercising involves only your body weight. For example, pushups, lunges, abdominal crunches, pull-ups, squats, planks, etc. Such workout activities strengthen the muscles and do not require any special equipment. They are convenient to use both at home or at the office.
Bodyweight Training apps make it easier to pick the exercises and get the instructions.
Apps for bodyweight training:
The You Are Your Own Gym app provides you with a series of workouts of different complexity that you can do anywhere. The creator of the workout is an ex-military and Special Forces operations participant Mark Lawrence who wrote a book on the course of bodyweight training. A user of the app can choose exercises, check the instructions, and set a number of reps. Also, You Are Your Own Gym offers to join longterm bodyweight challenges and training sets developing different muscles and building a nice body architecture.
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Gorilla Workout includes over 40 fast-paced no-equipment exercises targeting specific muscle groups such as core, abs, chest, back, arms, and legs. It also has four levels and video instructions on each exercise. Moreover, you can share your workout achievements with your friends via social networks.
3. Strength and Endurance Exercises
Most of the fitness apps aim to bring certain results such as weight loss, shaping up, etc. There is a special type of exercises, which pursues to strengthen some groups of muscles. This kind of training includes different techniques and weight equipment.
Strength training doesn’t mean that you are going to become a heavyweight athlete such as Pall Sigmarsson, but it favors improving the general health condition. These exercises are popular among people of different age. And the availability of the relevant apps makes them even more accessible.
Apps to build strength and endurance:
CrossFit is a branded training regimen that incorporates elements of different training techniques from HIIT, weightlifting, body weight exercises to gymnastics and other sports. This training develops general strength and endurance, burns calories and keeps a body in tonus.
WODster (WOD, or “workout of the day” based on the Crossfit terminology) is one of many CrossFit apps that constructs your own workout plan choosing some of the hundreds of benchmarks, sets a timer for each activity, and saves the plans on the boards to return to them next time.
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Sworkit app combines a complex of workouts to make you fitter, stronger, or enhance your endurance. u can decide what and how to do. The app enables to plan fitness goals, schedule 5-60-minute workouts, personalize workout to your needs (beginner, advanced level, medium or high-calorie burn rate, etc.). Also, you can watch fitness guides provided by professional trainers. It is flexible to the needs of consumers and helps them easily achieve their health goals.
4. Yoga and Stretching
Yoga is a good method to remain fit and reduce tension. It has been a popular fitness trend throughout the years. There is a variety of apps for yoga to choose from.
Simply Yoga is a good option for beginners. This app provides you with a personal yoga instructor. The app contains a 20, 40 and 60-minute yoga routine guiding you through each pose. You can choose a workout length and follow an instructor’s guidance exercising at home.
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Lately, a new training that combines strengthening features of pilates and yoga relaxation appeared. For example, Daily Yoga includes more than 50 yoga class plans, 200 guided yoga, pilates, meditation classes and a large pose base that suit yogis of different levels. The app not only helps you stay with yoga every day but also provides health benefits for both your mind and body.
5. Workouts for Older Adults
The age threshold to start exercising is limitless so that people of all age groups can join. Fitness for older people hit the top 10 positions in the ACSM rating. Older citizens need to start exercising from the very basics and gradually change the tempo of training.
Couch Potato to Running 5K is a great option for the older generation to join the sports league. The training program leads users through 30-minute workout 3 times a week. It is supplemented by an audio coach, music by top DJs, a possibility to listen to your own playlists, and a distance and calorie tracker. Also, the app enables people to join the community of successful users, who have covered the way from couch potatoes to runners, and to share their achievements in social media.