Exercise is great, but our creativity to come up with excuses not to exercise sometimes stops us from taking that step. Having no time to exercise is the biggest excuse people give. With Nike+ Training Club (NTC) app, you are going to need to come up with a new excuse.
The application has been developed by Nike and is now used by 65 million women worldwide. It features four programmes to address different needs — Get Lean, Get Toned, Get Strong and Get Focused. In each programme, the routines are broken down into three levels — beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The sessions range from 30 to 45 minutes, comprising easy-to-follow moves. Each move comes with approximate calories burnt, so you can have an idea whether you’ve burnt off that guilty post-dinner dessert.
The women-orientated app also has a game element to it, with the Trophies feature for you to compete with yourself and others (because women thrive on the envy of other women). You can unlock each trophy by completing the task, and as a little motivation for yourself, you move up to the next level.
Nike revealed that most people, especially women, who work out with an app like to share their activities on social media, so in this application, there is a feature that allows you to share your workout pictures on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The picture will be shown on Nike Sport Feed for other friends who also use the NTC app to see.
Bulbul Khera, Nike's Southeast Asia brand director, explained that staying connected is a great motivation and inspiration for women who exercise.
“Today, the world has shrunk. We are somehow not comfortable sitting alone by ourselves. It is an extremely important thing for us to have this community feeling. We want to be with our friends and share things with our friends, and stay connected,” she said.
She noted that it is not rare to see people taking selfies during a workout and posting the pictures on social media. In fact, doing so might be a good way to stay motivated.
“That’s just a part of their lives. Staying connected is very important because it gives them a feeling of motivation. It gives them the feeling that they are not alone, and I think that for women, that feeling of community is very important,” Khera explained.
Inspiration and motivation are crucial to creating a habit of exercising regularly. Khera said that working out is not just about moving the muscles — it starts from inside. The person must feel inspired to move in the first place.
“That’s our challenge. We must convince our consumers that sweat is beauty, that it’s OK to sweat, and it gives you the confidence that you never experience," she said. "The first step is the most difficult. We want to inspire people to take that first step, because the 99 next steps are super easy.”
The exercise application also features NTC Tabata Toned Workout, which is a high-intensity programme developed by six female athletes: skateboarding champion Leticia Bufoni, boxing champion Marlen Esparza, British track and field athlete Morgan Lake, footballer Kyah Simon, professional runner Lea Wallace and golfer Michelle Wie.
Available both on the App Store and Google Play, the app is easy to use, but the same can’t be said for the programmes. For beginners, it is advised to take time and take it slow. There is no need to complete the 30-minute session on your first try if you do not feel up to it. Those with joint problems should avoid moves that involve jumping. Let your body be your guide — exercise should not be painful.
Nike Training Club App.
