The pandemic has transformed how we do everything — and that certainly includes exercise. With so many virtual programs from which to choose, it’s difficult to find the one that's right for you.
As a trainer myself, who works with my clients virtually and over FaceTime, I’ve been itching to try out other private one-on-one trainers and apps to see how they work. Enter … the Future app!
What is Future?
Future is a virtual workout platform that provides a fitness and wellness coach for each user. The program focuses on the fact that everyone is different and therefore should have their own tailored workout experience.
Your coach goes the extra mile to make sure your workout is perfect for you no matter where you are physically or in your fitness journey. If you’re traveling, they’ll even call your hotel in advance to see what equipment is available! Sound too good to be true?
As a health and fitness coach myself, I was skeptical but excited to try out what Future has to offer. First things first, I downloaded the app and registered as a user.
Then, I took a quiz to match me with a trainer. I was asked questions like how often do I work out, what I like about exercising, types of workouts I prefer, what I’m looking for in a trainer, etc.
Within minutes I was matched with a trainer, and scheduled my first meeting with him.
Meet the trainer
Before I even got into my first workout, I had a Facetime call with my trainer, Ryan. He asked me all about my current fitness regimen. I told him I love to play tennis a couple days a week, have been doing core exercises daily, yoga twice a week and still do a few P.volve workouts a week. He said we would capitalize on all of it and combine a workout that includes tennis warm-up drills to help with my agility and speed, strength training and core exercises.
He asked about my mobility and I loved how he honed in on this because you truly never know until you ask. My shoulders have lost some range of motion over the years because of tennis and although I do yoga twice a week, I'm not quite as limber as I used to be. Ryan said he’d weave in some mobility exercises throughout my workouts to improve my range of motion and even add in some physical therapy type exercises to support my body.
The workout
Ryan put together a really well-rounded workout for me based on our introductory call. It was a great mix of strength training with resistance bands and my own body weight. He also threw in some cardio bursts, like marching with high knees and running in place. Then he added in some agility-based workout moves to help me with my tennis game. He also put me through a series of shoulder and chest exercises to help with my upper body mobility that’s recently been tight.
I was a little sweaty at the end of the workout, slightly out of breath and felt very strong and accomplished. I watched videos of each move on my phone, and used my Apple watch to skip explanations when I already knew how to do the moves, like tricep dips.
I loved how Ryan popped into my workout in between every few exercises to tell me what was coming next or why certain exercises were good for my personal fitness goals — tennis, in my case. Each move was demonstrated by an instructor with visual and verbal cues, and then Ryan’s voice came on in between to talk to me personally.
After each exercise I was able to use the comments section of the app to give Ryan feedback on what I enjoyed or didn’t enjoy. I was also able to ask any questions about certain moves or exercises. Ryan will use this information to tailor my future workouts, which drop each Sunday and give me a fitness plan for the week.
What happens next
After three weeks, we did a check-in and focused more on nutrition. After the three week mark, he said he's available for weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly check-ins based on my preference.
As a personal trainer, I was impressed with Ryan’s thoroughness and the process in general. And, on top of it all, the price point is fairly budget-friendly (when compared with pricey at-home equipment and subscriptions).
The app is available for $149 a month here.
Who should use this app?
This is great for people who want customized personal training at a fraction of the cost. It’s just enough personalization that I felt like I was Ryan’s only client! He texted me, sent me videos and was always there encouraging me in my workouts. If you’re struggling to get going and get moving and want a more personalized experience, I would definitely recommend this app.
