Motivating yourself to get across town to the gym can sometimes be the trickiest part of trying to get fit. Particularly if you are trying to find time around work.
However, if you own an Amazon Echo device, you can install some Alexa Skills and work out at home instead. You still get your heart pumping and muscles flexing, but all from the comfort of your own home.
In this article, we list the Alexa Skills you need to exercise at home and avoid expensive gym memberships.
1. Workout Coach
Workout Coach is a customizable skill that aims to get your muscles working with less than 10 minutes of your day. It also gives you the option to create a longer intense circuit if that is what you prefer. Workout Coach lets you choose the personality of your coach too. Whether that be a standard coach, an overly inspiring coach or even an adapted drill sergeant if you are wanting someone a bit more tough.
Workout Coach also lets you choose if you want to play music or not. You can also let Alexa know if you are finding the workout too hard or too easy and your device will adapt it for you. Workout Coach can also keep track of how many times you exercise, so you can make sure you don’t fall behind in your progress.
2. 7 Minute Fat Burning Workout
This workout is designed to be completed before bed. As it is only seven minutes long, the aim of this workout is to help you stay “fit, flexible and fabulous.” The low intensity vibe keeps your body working while keeping your heart rate low in order to make you sleep better.
There is also a video to support you through your first few routines, so try connecting it with your Amazon Fire TV routines.
3. Tabata Workout
Tabata Workout for Alexa takes you through a great Tabata-inspired set of high intensity exercises lasting 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds rest, repeated. Tabata Workout encourages you to use a range of exercises, including sit ups, lunges, squats, abdominal crunches, and interval running. The goal is to complete as many repetitions as you possibly can.
The default setting repeats for eight times, lasting four minutes. However, you can customize the number of sets you want to complete. This skill is great for the slightly more experienced trainer who knows what part of the body they want to specifically work on themselves.
4. 7 Minute Workout
The 7 Minute Workout is great for beginners, intermediates, and advanced training. It comes with 45 new exercises, put together to improve energy, to decrease stress, and to target body fat. The 7 Minute Workout skill includes two built-in soundtracks for you to choose from as well as detailed reporting summaries.
You can also randomize the order of your exercises in order to keep you mentally on your toes as well as physically. Not bad for seven minutes of hardcore exercise. If you join the “Seven Squad” online community, you also get access to a further 25 additional exercises. Because 45 simply isn’t enough!
5. 30 Day Push-Up Challenge
If you want Alexa to guide you through a month’s worth of progress then 30 Day Push-Up Challenge is the skill for you. Alexa will support you with motivational words of wisdom, as well as updating you on your progress.
In order to use this skill to the best of its ability, you just need a couple of minutes a day set aside to perform your push ups. Soon you will have Vin Diesel asking for tips!
6. Fitness Coach
Fitness Coach is designed to offer you short workouts with variation that will get you fit in no time. Simply ask, “Alexa, start Fitness Coach,” and your full body workout will begin almost immediately.
Some of the exercise included are mountain climbers, lunges, squats, sit ups, burpees, and jumping jacks to name a few. However, all you need is your body and some strong, supportive shoes to complete this workout at home.
7. The Plank Challenge
Planking is a simple isometric hold that gets your muscles working almost as quickly as you can say, “Alexa, start The Plank Challenge.” What is great about this skill is that it builds you up from Day 1 with a 20-second hold, to Day 2 with a 30-second hold, etc. The ultimate aim is for you to hold a plank for five minutes.
The Plank Challenge is a great way to start your day, every day.
8. My Fitness Journey
My Fitness Journey understands that if you want that six pack then you better change those habits in the kitchen too.
Offering personalized workouts with over 50 exercises, My Fitness journey also includes nutritional tips to find the right food to go with your exercises. You can also benefit from the after workout health lesson that is provided once the hard work has finished.
My Fitness Journey is great for those who are serious about keeping a routine and making lifestyle changes in the kitchen too.
9. Intent Fitness
Intent Fitness have designed a skill that appeals to your inner competitiveness. Fitness meets mastermind with this clever joining of mental and physical brawn, with your fitness regime dictated based on you answers to some questions.
Intent will get you to choose a category and then will pick five questions for you to answer. Depending on how you answer, Intent will build your workout program. Not only is this skill designed to make you physically fit, it should increase your knowledge base as well.
10. The Body Coach
The Body Coach skill contains 7 x 15 minute HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts designed to get the entire body working and burning fat. Joe Wicks, famed as being the UK’s PE teacher through lockdown, has designed the workouts, with the knowledge that not everyone has a lot of time for fitness. Therefore, you can choose whether you want to do just one workout or two back-to-back.
The workouts range from beginner to intermediate level and can be completed at home with no equipment. They are great for a full family workout that doesn’t require a lot of space.
Get Your Fit on With Alexa
The days of needing to lift heavy weights or go for long runs are gone. We have all experienced expensive gym memberships, cold runs, or the struggle of forcing ourselves to get dressed and walk the long walk to the gym before work.
With Alexa, you can complete your daily needs in whatever space you have at whatever time of day suits you. So give these skills a go and find out which one is right for you.