Exercise alternatives

Grace Ainslie, News Editor

Juggling a hectic school schedule, rigorous ice skating training, and minimal free time during the day, senior Gabby Tom turns to the Nike Training Club app for guided, chill workouts that work with her time commitments.

“I can choose a time length and it’s really convertible for my workout needs,” Tom said. “It’s really easy to use and follow along.”

The free app allows users to pick from over 160 workouts with different levels of difficulty and constraints, such as equipment options. Quick-Hit Abs workout is a favorite of Tom’s because of its short time frame and intensity.

“They give exact workouts to do and sometimes have a famous person, like Cristiano Ronaldo, talking to you and motivating you, and telling you to keep going,” Tom said. “I like to use the app because I don’t really know how to workout and it gives me very detailed instructions on what to do.”

Senior Sinead McKeon has also turned to an app on her phone for working out because of its convenience and variety.

“I use ClassPass,” McKeon said. “I have a membership to the app, similar to a gym membership, but the app allows me to go to various gyms and different classes instead of having a membership to one gym.”

ClassPass gives members reciprocity with local gyms and gives users different workout options to increase interest in exercising.

“I went to Hit Fit SF which was a super basic boxing class on a Saturday morning,” McKeon said. “Then on the tougher side, I went to Barry’s [Bootcamp] one day and that was really hard.”

The app allows McKeon to vary where she works out and at a lower price. Her subscription costs less than five individual classes — memberships are $65 a month for five classes, whereas five individual classes at Barry’s Bootcamp are about $136.

“There’s so many different gyms and classes to choose from,” McKeon said. “I want to try new gyms and this is a way to do it.”

All students have access to the Broadway Campus’ training room, which senior Edna Tesfaye likes to use for its accessibility and space.

“They have turf on one side of the room and TRX bands and racks on the other side,” Tesfaye said. “It’s really nice to work out in a space where it’s not packed full of people.”

Tesfaye says she enjoys having space and one-on-one time with Athletic Director Elena De Santis during winter conditioning sessions.

“There’s often a lot of people in workout classes at my gym, so they can get really crowded,” Tesfaye said. “It’s really nice working out at the school gym. I can reflect on my own growth because I have the space, and Mrs. DeSantis isn’t worried about a class of 30 people — it’s just a couple people.”

Less expensive workout options can ultimately be more effective than pricier alternatives due to the variety of intensities, helping users to burn more calories.

“It’s nice to have something that’s cheap so I don’t have to pay a lot of money to get in shape,” Tom said.