For more than a decade, I’ve been reporting on health and fitness, and most recently, I’ve become a mom to a baby boy. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have refused to wake up earlier than 6 a.m. to work out before my son and I start getting ready for school and work respectively. Lack of early morning prowess (which I used to be very proud of) caused me to change my training.
In the summer, I use my extra free time to do more cardio and weight training, logging miles every day and lifting weights for 20-30 minutes at least four times a week. And once fall arrives, my Monday through Friday workouts consist of 20 to 30 minutes of yoga every morning, and longer cardio sessions with a little weight training on the weekends. This worked to keep me healthy, but not good. By the time I return for summer vacation, I have lost some of my physical strength and my cardiovascular function is not as good as I would like.
So when I was asked to try the BetterMe: Health Coaching app for 14 days, I agreed to overhaul my lackluster fitness routine. I was looking for an easy way to maintain the strength I gained over the summer, but adding dumbbells wasn’t in the plans for my small New York apartment. Maybe the BetterMe app will be the grade training I need? The only way to find out was to try it.
set up
After downloading the app, list your goals (stay healthy), diet (traditional, eats almost everything), and fitness level (advanced, not totally pro, but I like to think I am) I created a profile. His physical condition is good), his basic data (age, weight, height), and his three activities of interest (I chose wall Pilates, Pilates, and yoga). You can also set daily reminders to exercise (check), read chapters on healthy behaviors and mindsets (of course, why wouldn’t you?), fast and eat breakfast if you like I could have done that. Lunch or dinner (hard pass).
This was followed by an initial training session lasting approximately 10 minutes. It was simple so it was easy to complete, but there were no walls. I was confused; should I start the Wall Pilates program tomorrow?
First day
Once I logged in, I was taken to the daily planning page, and when I clicked to start my daily workout, I was prompted to start a 28-day wall Pilates program. This one was more similar. I like knowing where I am and what I’m doing. I get frustrated when an app is difficult to understand. You have to go through enough mazes already in life. I don’t want it to take over my training time either.
My first workout was a 13-minute full-body conditioning routine, and this time the wall was my main workout tool. Four exercises (think mobility movements like lateral bends and thoracic rotations), each performed for 30 seconds, served as a warm-up. Next, nine exercises were performed for 40 seconds each, followed by a warm-up and similar cool-down with the number and duration of the exercises. During all of the above, I was touching the wall in some way, either for alignment, balance, stability, or strength.
Each exercise uses the wall for stability, resistance, and balance.
Finally, they were asked whether the training was too difficult, too easy, or just right. I’ve never experienced anything like this with an exercise app, so I was hoping that my answer (in this case “too easy”) would make some changes to the program, but I can’t say. I did not know.
From day 2 to day 7
The next day’s training was similar to the first. Each run time was between 13 and 18 minutes, with the core-focused one being the longest. After completing day 5 of my workout, aka the “Ultimate Wall Workout,” I was finally able to rate my workout as “just right.” Repeating the program fatigued my lower body muscles, and I finished with unsteady legs. This was a good sign towards my goal.
Each workout is summarized before you start. As you exercise, the time will be measured and the app will show you your next move.
At night, the app opens a chapter about taking a holistic approach to my body goals, specifically my mindset and beliefs, and how they contribute to how I move through the world. It reminded me to read. I read the chapter while making dinner. If I were someone new to the mind-body connection, I would have found these chapters helpful, but for someone who has been writing regularly about this connection for over a decade, these chapters are I did not know.
From day 8 to day 15
Most of my training continued in the same way. I noticed that my core was strong and my shoulders and triceps stayed in shape. Training difficulty ranged from too easy to just right. I appreciated the ease of instruction and the design of the workouts that kept my heart rate up by going from standing to the floor and back again.
This week, while exploring the nutrition section of the app (I was focused on working out), I discovered Meal Plans and it felt like it opened a portal to get my family out of the eating rut they were stuck in. .
What was so great about this plan was that it suggested variations on foods that my family and I were already eating. For example, we eat tacos for dinner at least twice a week, and the contents are always the same: ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, cheese, and corn tortillas. The app suggested tacos with chicken breast, seasoning variations, and vegetable mixtures. I don’t think any of it was groundbreaking, but it was something that was provided to me when I needed it and I didn’t feel like looking for it myself, so instead of spending hours planning meals, I turned to BetterMe I used the suggestions provided by. For the first time in a while, my family and I don’t have to fear another turkey burger or taco. I find myself looking forward to seeing what BetterMe has planned for me (and us) in the coming weeks.
The plan outlines all the different steps you can take toward your health goals, including meal plans and recipes based on your nutritional preferences.
conclusion
Even though it’s a 28-day wall Pilates program, I tested the app for 14 days. That was my mission. Using the wall as a training tool was new to me and it helped me with balance, especially when doing deep reverse lunges. In the past two weeks, I’ve also rediscovered my childhood dancer posture, where years of desk work and motherhood left me a bit hunched over. By making sure my body was in contact with the wall, I was able to bring my focus back to this posture both during and after my workout. Thanks to this (and the meal planning support) I am on track to complete his 28 day program. And I’m going to see what other surprises BetterMe brings to my life and fitness.
Take our 1-minute quiz to get your wall Pilates plan.
