Barre | Down Dog 9+

Thank you for these apps!! I got a free trial of them as a grad student during quarantine and am totally hooked. I did ballet when I was younger and have lately struggled to keep up a regular workout routine, especially as a college and grad student—I used to go to the gym or go for runs but after a few weeks my workouts would just be the last priority and I’d stop. These apps have totally transformed my lifestyle, I love that I can do a quick 7-min workout on that app if I am feeling low energy, or do yoga or barre for however long I want but still get a well-balanced session. I also hate pre-recorded sessions and especially the sentimental philosophizing that usually accompanies them, but these apps just get straight to the workout in a gentle yet encouraging way. I am hooked, these are so much better for me than trying to go to a gym or go running on the street, not just during quarantine!

The yoga app (down dog) is great but Barre is awful. The only pro is that it does provide a large number of exercises for the body part you want to focus on. The negatives are many: 1) arms are completely left out, you can target most other body parts but not arms at all 2) there is no adjustment for ability level. Many of the excises given are too hard for me and the video doesn’t provide any modifications for making the move easier or harder 3) the verbal directions are terrible. The instructor says vague things like “lift” (lift what? In what direction?) “tuck” (tuck what? How?) “squeeze” (squeeze what? For how long?) “lift to the side” (what side?). And, even if you watch the video while trying to do the exercises it is very hard to see what movements the demonstrator is doing. 4) sometimes numbers are shown on the screen counting down how much longer you need to do the exercises and sometimes they don’t appear at all. It is frustrating to not know how much longer an exercise will last. 5) the music is very repetitive. I’ve heard the same songs over and over.

I like how visually simple and acoustically relaxing these workouts are while still being challenging. I’ve never been into the peppy lady yelling at me vibe, and this isn’t that. I usually listen with a podcast playing in the background (major plus that it allows this) but their music options are good too and not mind-numbingly corny like some workout backtracks. My favorite aspect of the app is how short I can make each workout. Sometimes I’ll start with just 2 minutes of glutes, which gives me momentum to keep going with different areas of focus. By the same token a 3 minute workout is a great way to break up a study session that’s long from over.