Many sports enthusiasts have other fitness equipment at home in addition to a small selection for strength 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 as well. Cyclists have an Indoor Cycle at home, on which they can go for a ride at any time of day or night. And everyone seems to like rowing machines. They also make for a great full-body workout. Thanks to smart ideas and large marketing budgets, world-famous brands with their closed (paid) communities and ultra-high-tech sports equipment are becoming increasingly popular. And major manufacturers of cardio fitness equipment like treadmills or Indoor Cycles have also recognized that it is not enough to simply sell people high-quality equipment. The included software that supports you in your training programs as well as the community connection to other users of the same device is also becoming more and more important. But are there actually apps that work across fitness equipment beyond these closed brand worlds? Absolutely. You might have to search a little, but they exist. Here, I'd like to introduce you to some of the most exciting apps.
Kinomap – play a sport!
If you are a running, cycling, or rowing fan (or maybe you like all three types of training) and have a corresponding home gym machine at home, you might have 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, allowing you to exchange ideas with other members and users. Imagine it like a game: For example, you pick out 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, with the breathtaking route right in front of you on the screen, riding virtually, so to speak.
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 free at first. However, you can also sign up for a membership for a manageable monthly fee. Anyone who wants to exchange ideas with a community or perhaps participate in small virtual competitions should take a look at the app. There are real landscapes and routes, as well as virtual fantasy worlds. The creators have put a lot of effort into making the app diverse. 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 join. Of course, all important key metrics are tracked. Either via your software on the treadmill via Bluetooth or via your smartphone, which is 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 apps have in common is that they give you the opportunity to belong to a large, global community. You can compete with others, participate in competitions, work out on your own, or join a group program. The core idea is simple: running, cycling, and rowing should be fun. And that happens when you see beautiful running, cycling, or rowing routes in front of you and can mentally immerse yourself in the landscape. Of course, you can't avoid getting a little familiar with the tech. Things like: How do I connect myself and my home gym equipment to the app, how do I track my vital signs and all the other metrics you can track. But larger apps usually have great help sections and a support team ready to assist you with minor issues or questions. Feel free to try out the app that interests you most.
