Many fitness enthusiasts have other equipment at home – in addition to a small range for muscle training – such as a treadmill or an Indoor Cycle. Are you also one of those for whom a gym membership isn't enough? Then you might also have a small selection of dumbbells or a home gym at home. Passionate runners often have a treadmill in their small home gym. Cyclists have an Indoor Cycle at home where they can go for a ride at any time of day or night. And somehow everyone likes rowing machines. After all, they are great for a full-body workout. Thanks to clever ideas and big marketing budgets, globally known brands with their closed (paid) community complete with ultra-high-tech equipment are becoming increasingly popular. And major manufacturers of endurance fitness equipment like treadmills or Indoor Cycles have also realized that it is not enough to simply sell high-quality equipment to people. The included software that supports you during your workout programs and provides community connections to other users of the same machine is also becoming increasingly important. But are there actually apps that work across different fitness machines beyond these closed brand ecosystems? Absolutely. You might have to search a bit, but they do exist. I would now like to introduce you to some of the most exciting apps.
Kinomap – play a sport!
If you are a fan of running, cycling, or rowing (or maybe enjoy all three types of training) and have a corresponding home gym machine at home, you might have already heard of Kinomap. The creators of the app currently provide you with almost half a million kilometers of routes for running, cycling, and rowing. Naturally including a community so you can connect with other members and users. Imagine it like a game: For example, you pick a beautiful cycling route in France on the Kinomap app, and that exact video route appears on your screen via the app. You ride along at home on your Indoor Cycle, having the dream route right in front of you on the screen and virtually riding along.
In addition, Kinomap offers you training aids; you can train with other users in multiplayer mode and share your achievements with the community. Regular challenges let you get a taste of competition mode and get you cycling, running, or rowing even faster. A quick side note: The biggest challenge with apps like Kinomap, as well as others, is probably checking your fitness equipment for compatibility and connecting it to the app. A major app like Kinomap is naturally not completely free, but if you want a bit more motivation and fun during your home workouts, it is certainly worth it. You can take out a monthly or annual subscription or secure lifetime access to the app with a one-off payment. At the start, you can test Kinomap thoroughly during a 14-day trial period.
Holofit – having fun with Virtual Reality in your home gym
With the Holofit app, its creators go one step further. Just like with Kinomap, you can be guided through landscapes while running, rowing, or cycling. The only difference is that you do not have the route in front of you on a screen; instead, you put on VR goggles during your workout. Virtual Reality (VR) pulls you right into the route and the surrounding landscape, giving you the genuine feeling of being right there on location, instantly forgetting your workout corner at home. Here, you can not only train on real-world routes, but fantasy routes are also available to you. With the corresponding free Holofit Companion app, you can track your training progress, unlock trophies, and connect with friends.
Holofit has also thought about users who might still have a slightly older machine and therefore do not yet have the current FTMS Bluetooth standard on their fitness device. These can be connected to the Holofit app via Bluetooth using a separately available cadence sensor. If you have a current model that meets the FTMS standard, you obviously do not need this; your device will connect directly to the app. With Holofit, you make a one-off purchase of the VR goggles and then choose your membership, similar to Kinomap, to make full use of all areas. The corresponding app is then free.
Zwift – free community app for runners, cyclists, and triathletes
The Zwift Run app is initially free. However, you can also sign up for a membership for a reasonable monthly fee. Anyone who wants to connect with a community or perhaps take part in small virtual competitions should definitely take a look at the app. There are real landscapes and routes, but also virtual fantasy worlds. The creators have put a lot of effort into making the app varied. You can participate in competitions or simply run or cycle, whichever you prefer. Community members call themselves Zwifters, and you benefit from workouts and training programs you can take part in. Naturally, all key metrics are tracked. Either via the software on your treadmill via Bluetooth or via your smartphone connected to your fitness watch, for example.
However, there are also some fitness watches, for example, that can connect directly to Zwift. If you run outside, you can get a so-called footpod (Zwift offers you the Zwift RunPod for this). This is a small device that you attach to your shoe, which then sends your data to the app. Or you might have connected running shoes or a treadmill sensor. Zwift offers a good and clear help section for you to read up on this.
Fitness apps as an experience
What all these apps have in common is that they give you the opportunity to belong to a large, global community. You can compete with others, take part in competitions, train on your own, or join a group program. The basic idea is simple: running, cycling, and rowing should be fun. And that happens when you see stunning running, cycling, or rowing routes ahead of you and can mentally immerse yourself in the landscape. Of course, you cannot avoid getting a little familiar with the technology. Things like: How do I connect myself and my home gym equipment to the app, how do I get my vital signs and all the other trackable values tracked? But major apps usually have good explanation sections and a support team that is always ready to assist you with advice and action for minor issues or questions. Feel free to try out the app that interests you most.
