Finding a fitness regime that works for you can be intimidating if you’re beginning your journey to better health. Not to mention it can be expensive with gym memberships and classes, plus travelling to and from the gym eats up time in a busy schedule. It’s no surprise that since the pandemic fitness app downloads have soared, with more people turning to home workouts to get their exercise fix in and around their life – of which I am one. And one app in particular has blown my mind, purely due to the sheer quantity of classes, tips and advice to help improve your lifestyle.
As someone who’s regularly paid for apps to work out at home, I was surprised to find when I did the maths that BetterMe works out around half the price of three huge health and fitness apps and comes with a host of additional features. The BetterMe: Health Coaching app isn’t limited to just physical fitness but incorporates nutrition and mental fitness too, encompassing features of mediation station Headspace, nutrition guide Noom and fitness programme FIIT along with a host of extra elements.
As someone who turned to the latter during the pandemic to keep my fitness levels up and the former to help keep anxiety at bay, I was intrigued to see how BetterMe fared in comparison and I must say I am pretty impressed. Let me explain why.
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When you log onto BetterMe you must take a quiz that’ll help determine your exercise needs. This quiz factors in your current physique, lifestyle, activity and problem areas – be that the parts of the body you want to work on most or areas that have sensitivity, like knees or back. You will then be asked about your dietary habits and what affects your eating before figuring out what sort of meal plan you want – be that Mediterranean, gluten-free, paleo and more. After completing the quiz, you’ll be sent a personalised plan to follow.
Of course, you aren’t fixed in these workouts. The app has 3000 different types of exercise classes and combinations that you can opt to do on a daily basis that can add some fun into your fitness journey – plus the subscription includes a personal digital coach to help you figure out your fitness style.
For example, you can shake off the pounds with some dancing (a variety of styles) or channel your inner zen with yoga (which can be done on a chair, sofa, in bed or on a floor mat) or work your way up to a 5K run. It has classes that are also tailored to suit various abilities and needs too – from wheelchair fitness to ‘back-protecting’ regimes.
The app is also a favourite of new mums for its pre-natal and postpartum classes not to mention classes that are tailored to busy mums – there’s literally a programme called ‘Busy Moms Pilates’.
One of my personal favourite classes is one BetterMe is famed for – wall pilates, which claims to transform and sculpt your body in 28 days. All you need is, as the name suggests, a wall. And a mat, of course. But let me warn you – it’s harder than it looks and makes you feel muscles you didn’t even know you had. I say this as an intermediate pilates enthusiast, although you can adjust the difficulty level.
The app doesn’t just focus on building muscle and toning up either. BetterMe has a Somatic guide which is full of easy gentle home exercises that have been created specifically to aid relaxation and muscle tension release. Plus, if you’re needing some time to free your mind, the app features a self-love meditation guided course, too.
It’s the app that keeps on giving as alongside body yoga it has Face Yoga. This form of massage can help improve circulation, reduce puffiness, scarring, wrinkles and tension. Plus, it’s a great way to help sculpt and naturally contour your gorgeous features. It’s a lovely thing to do first thing in the morning to help wake you up as an early spot of self-care.
As for nutrition, the app designs a personalised meal plan with your health, lifestyle and goals taken into account. It prides itself on being anti-diet and anti-restriction too to create a safe and healthy environment in which to reach those goals. Plus, there’s a feature to track your water intake and steps. Nifty!
With so many avenues to explore, it doesn’t surprise me that the app has a star rating of 4.7 on the Apple App Store, with a number of reviews stating: “It’s one of the best overall fitness apps around”.
One wrote: “The BetterMe app goes five steps beyond by creating customized meal plans for you inclusive of daily recipes that accommodate all major dietary restrictions and allergies (shocking for someone gluten-free, egg-free and nut- free, as well as paleo & pescatarian). The app also creates a workout regiment for you that takes into account injuries you identify in your initial survey (knees for instance) with great instructional videos. Honestly, to say I am gob-smacked by this up, would not be an exaggeration.”
Another, who shared how the app was ‘great for beginners’ remarked: “I am enjoying my workouts and can track my progress. Easy to follow with timings and breaks during workouts but rigorous as well. App has various features ti track water intake, calorie intake, step count etc. I think this app is a game changer to your health.”
A third fan of the app liked how the workouts weren’t too ‘crazy or intense.’ They said: “I love how the workouts aren’t too crazy or intense. It doesn’t make me dread doing it so I’m able to stick to it everyday. The workouts also work, I feel the burn while I’m doing it and I feel it after so it makes me feel good and motivates me to keep progressing. I also like the meal plan aspect. I never know what to eat so I like how it at least gives me a general idea and recipes I can make.”
Although it has been a wonder for many looking to boost their fitness journey, for some – as is the nature of many apps – they had problems of it ‘crashing in the middle of my workout’, which discouraged them from returning to the app. Although this does not seem to be a consistent issue with app users.
The BetterMe app is free to download with premium in-app additions available for purchase. Get it here.
