Fitness

Low sex drive? Here are 6 ways exercise could help you

Published

1 year ago

August 19, 2024

Low sex drive? Here are 6 ways exercise could help you

Think about the best sex you’ve ever had. Now, consider how you felt afterwards: exhilarated, calm, and pleasantly tired…not unlike how you’d feel after a great workout. Well, that’s no coincidence. In fact, there’s a huge (and perhaps surprising!) link between sex and exercise.

If you enjoy getting sweaty at the gym and between the sheets, you might’ve noticed that both activities are stress relievers, says Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, a certified sex therapist and resident sexologist for Adam & Eve, and director of the Intimacy Institute based in Aspen, Colorado. That’s because they release a similar group of feel-good hormones, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and adrenaline.

And while the two activities boast similar benefits when done separately, they can enhance each other, too. If you’re looking for a sign to book your favourite strength training group fitness class before date night, here it is: Not only can exercise benefit your cardiovascular health and mood—it also has the power to improve your sexual arousal, satisfaction, and well-being, according to a study in Sexual Medicine Reviews.

Why is this, exactly? And how can you optimise your workout routine to boost your, ahem, performance in the bedroom? Ahead, read up on the short- and long-term effects of exercise on your sex drive—plus, exactly *when* to work out to get the biggest bang for your burpees.

1.Exercise can have immediate effects like increasing blood flow—which can, in turn, improve your sex drive

Turns out, pumping iron = pumping blood. Acute (or moderate) exercise increases blood flow to the genitals, activating the sympathetic nervous system, says Amelia M. Stanton, PhD, a researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Boston University. All of this ups the feeling of physiological sexual arousal around the vagina.

Certain workouts can also benefit you sexually, too. When you’re doing resistance training, the body releases androgens such as testosterone, the very hormone responsible for sexual desire, says Nan Wise, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist, cognitive neuroscientist, and certified sex therapist based in West Orange, New Jersey. The same applies to cardiovascular training, especially once you hit a certain intensity. When you reach that point when you’re breathing heavily and it’s difficult to hold a conversation—also known as zone four cardio—you’ll experience a release of testosterone, as well as a ‘runner’s high,’ Skyler says. This comes from endocannabinoids, a.k.a. another feel-good substance released in your brain after cardio.

Plus, training cardio can increase your cardiovascular capacity because your respiration and heart rate tend to increase during this type of exercise. The heart rate increase you experience when working out is similar to the physiological feelings you experience when you’re turned on or in the honeymoon stage of a new relationship, Wise says. You know how your heart starts beating really fast, and you can feel butterflies in your stomach? Well, this chemical state—which happens in the body, but is activated by the brain—is replicated when you work out and your heart rate goes up. This form of physical arousal can kick your sex drive into gear, she says.

Yet another reason working out can improve your sex life? A regular workout routine can help you feel more in touch with your physical self. Exercise is ‘one of the best ways’ to practice being present in your body, says Wise, because you’re focusing on the sensations you feel as you move, like whether you’re tired or sore. This can enhance your capacity to feel present sexually, too.

Although exercise does have immediate physical effects that can enhance arousal, there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ ideal time frame between working out and having sex because everyone’s body is different, Skyler says. By leaning into your own preferences, you’ll work out when you have the most energy and can then reap the rewards of your increased sex drive, Wise says.

So, if you’re more of a morning person, work out in the a.m., and if you’re more of a night owl, work out in the late afternoon. But, word to the wise exerciser: People usually experience benefits first thing in the morning or at lunchtime, per Skyler, because it builds their confidence for the rest of the day and, therefore, can put them in the mood for sex.

Plus, while some people might feel confident and ready for bedroom activities immediately after their workout, others might need an hour—or four—to cool off before feeling their best. ‘Testing out your own system is the best way to figure out your timeframe,’ she says.

Either way, you’ll feel the effects of those feel-good endorphins within a few minutes to a few hours of exercising, Skyler says, which might put you in the mood immediately. Stanton specifically found that genital arousal is most heightened 15 to 30 minutes after a moderately intense workout, like running on a treadmill for 15 to 20 minutes. And unless you’re running a marathon, a moderate workout won’t make you so exhausted that you can’t perform in the bedroom afterwards.

2. Maintaining a regular exercise practice boosts your physical, mental, and sexual health

For one thing, your testosterone levels will continue to increase as you lift weights long-term (think: a few months), kicking your sex drive into high gear and increasing your libido.

Because doing cardio regularly can increase your cardiovascular capacity, it’ll help you last longer in bed, which benefits both those with vulvas and penises. ‘The more cardiovascular fitness you have, the more confidence and capacity you have in the bedroom,’ Skyler says.

Plus, because regular exercise also increases blood flow, you’ll have more endurance and vitality during sex, Wise says. More blood circulation in the body provides the tissues with oxygen and other nutrients that give you more endurance, both at the gym and in the bedroom. And the opposite is true: Because your body can take in more oxygen, all of your body systems can run better too, she adds.

Not to mention, you’ll literally become stronger, allowing you to try different, and perhaps more physically demanding, sex positions and acts. (And if you’re lasting longer, that means you’ll have more time to experiment with tons of new positions, too.)

But on a more psychological level, exercise’s effects on your mental health—such as reduced chronic stress hormones—will also help your sex drive in the long-term. When you get stressed, the body is automatically flooded with the stress hormone, cortisol. However, sex and exercise ‘are natural healthy ways to reduce the nervous system’s overactivation,’ Wise says.

Exercise specifically reduces cortisol flooding so your parasympathetic nervous system (the system that helps you relax) can reset and be more effective at its restorative bodily functions, like digesting food, repairing muscles, and removing toxins from the body, Wise says. And, of course, when your parasympathetic nervous system spends more time in the restorative state, you’re less stressed, and more likely to become aroused. Additionally, when the sympathetic nervous system (the system that enacts your fight-or-flight stress response) is aroused, it’s accompanied by cortisol, which lowers your testosterone, hijacking your sex drive and making it hard to focus on pleasure, says Wise.

The biggest long-term effect that exercise can have on your sex drive, however, is the feeling of confidence you’ll gain from working out over time. ‘If you feel good exercising and then walking down the street, or going out to dinner, you’re going to feel good in the bedroom,’ Skyler says.

3. Regular exercise can uniquely benefit those going through perimenopause and menopause

Going through menopause can decrease your libido, due to hormonal shifts. But those who exercise regularly often experience reduced menopausal side effects and have better sexual functioning, Wise says. (So, whether you haven’t yet reached menopause or you’re already there, you should still start exercising to reap these benefits!) Pelvic floor training, specifically, increases sexual satisfaction and decreases sexual dysfunction in women of all ages, she says.

Strength training can also help mitigate other symptoms of menopause, too—such as loss of muscle mass and bone density—especially when coupled with eating protein for your muscles, and upping your calcium intake for bone density, Skyler says.

However, when it comes to the vaginal dryness that some might experience in (peri)menopause, it’s unclear whether exercise can help with that, Wise says. While exercise can help increase arousal, lubrication does not always correlate with sexual arousal. If vaginal dryness is causing discomfort and pain during sex, it’s best to consult your doctor and assess treatment options, recommends Wise.

4. Exercise can also improve the sex lives of people with other health concerns, too

While exercise is helpful for counteracting sexual dysfunction symptoms among those going through (peri)menopause, it can also help other groups experiencing libido-diminishing side effects, such as those who are on SSRI medications, those who have had hysterectomies, and those with cancer.

For starters, exercise is a well-known mood booster, and it can even potentially decrease someone’s levels of anxiety and depression, per research in Trends in Molecular Medicine. Mental health conditions such as those can potentially inhibit someone’s sex life and make them crave physical intimacy less, so exercise can also be helpful for this group, Stanton says. And while you can’t necessarily counteract the sex drive-related effects of an SSRI, you can diminish them with exercise, Skyler adds.

For people experiencing a low libido, a moderate amount of sympathetic nervous system activation through exercise is helpful for improving sexual arousal because it triggers genital blood flow, Stanton says. The key word here is “moderate”—you don’t want to over-activate the sympathetic nervous system and majorly fatigue your body, but you also don’t want to under-activate it and end up not seeing any results.

5. Moderate exercise is the best type of workout for your sex drive

Resistance training and weightlifting in a moderate fashion can release testosterone, which will increase your sex drive, Wise says. But there’s one type of training that can really help you reap the best results: Pelvic floor and core training, both of which have similar benefits when it comes to increasing blood flow to the genitals, and therefore, improving sex drive. Pelvic floor muscle training is specifically beneficial for those going through (peri)menopause, those who are on SSRI medications, those who have had hysterectomies, and those with cancer, when it comes to increasing sexual satisfaction and arousal, and decreasing sexual dysfunction, Wise and Stanton say. Try kegels (unless you have pelvic floor issues or pain during intercourse) and core work through strength training exercises or the stationary bike.

But don’t sleep on cardio. In fact, the best way to maximise your sex drive through a workout is by running on the treadmill for 15 to 20 minutes, according to Stanton’s research. She recommends running at a moderate-to-high intensity level that gets you to 60 to 80 percent of your VO2 maximum, which is the max threshold of oxygen your body can use at a time, Claudette Sariya, CPT, a NASM-certified personal trainer and founding instructor of Sole Fitness, based in New York City, previously told Women’s Health US. (The higher it is, the more endurance you have.)

A caveat: With a moderate workout like this, you shouldn’t feel too fatigued to have sex immediately afterwards. But a gruelling workout—like a training session for an Ironman or marathon—can have negative immediate effects on your sex drive. Sure, the workout itself may increase your testosterone, which can help boost arousal in the long-term. But because you’re also using up so much of your body’s energy resources, you might feel too depleted to have sex that day, Wise says.

So, when you’re planning your workouts for the week—whether you’re optimising them for your sex life or not—just make sure you’re listening to your body, Wise says. Some days you’ll be craving a more strenuous workout, and other days, you’ll want a lighter one.

**6. Working out with your S.O. can improve your relationship, too**

When you work out with a partner, your nervous systems are syncing—a process called entrainment, Wise says. So, you’re not just experiencing the individual benefits of working out; you’re experiencing them together. ‘There’s a synchrony that happens, like a falling into a similar sort of pattern between the brain, the heart, and the nervous systems,’ Wise says. Your heart rates might even sync up, she adds. This can be beneficial because it helps co-regulate your nervous systems, so your emotions are aligned.

It can also help both of your moods improve and boost your emotional bond, simply because joint exercise involves the physical and emotional intimacy of doing an activity together, Skyler says. Plus, it can be straight-up hot to watch your partner sweat—whether you’re sharing a pull-up bar or bed.

Meet the Experts: Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, is a certified sex therapist and resident sexologist for Adam & Eve, and director of the Intimacy Institute based in Aspen, Colorado. Amelia M. Stanton, PhD, is a researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Boston University. Nan Wise, PhD, is a licensed psychotherapist, cognitive neuroscientist, and certified sex therapist based in West Orange, New Jersey. Claudette Sariya, CPT, is a NASM-certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, on-camera coach, and founding instructor of Sole Fitness, based in New York City

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These are the best fitness and nutrition apps to hit your 2026 health goals

Published

7 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

These are the best fitness and nutrition apps to hit your 2026 health goals

Whether you’re trying to hit New Year’s resolutions or just need a good workout or diet tracker, the best health and fitness apps can help you get there. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by the choices available, I’m here to share personally-tested workout and planning apps to get you started.

Some people thrive with personalized, AI-made workout or diet plans. Others benefit from social apps like Strava where challenges and “kudos” from friends keep you motivated. And you’d be surprised how a good spreadsheet or basic workout log might work better than an expensive app with videos and plans.

Broken down into specific categories — general health/ fitness apps, workout apps, companion apps for smartwatches, and weight/ diet apps — these are the best apps to help you hit your goals for 2026, with info on key features, pricing, and why they’ve helped our staff succeed with their goals.

General health & fitness apps

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(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Key Health Features: Sleep Score, Daily Readiness Score, Stress Management Score, Menstrual Health, Meal & Water logging, Mindfulness sessions, Trend “Insights”

Key Fitness Features: Active Zone Minutes, Cardio/ Target Load, Gemini-made personalized workout plans, video workouts, Fitbit/ Pixel Watch integration

Subscription: $10/month or $80/year (AI plans/ analysis, video workouts, long-term reports)

Why Fitbit will help with your goals: Recommending Fitbit Premium became easier once Google employed Gemini to make the Fitbit Personal Health Coach. It allows you to “speak” to an AI coach and create a comprehensive workout plan within minutes, incorporating dozens of different indoor or outdoor workout types. So whether your fitness goal is to lose weight, improve at a specific sport, increase muscle mass, walk more, or anything else, Gemini can give you weeks of personalized workouts for that goal. No other app is as comprehensive or customizable.

AI aside, Fitbit benefits from syncing with cheap Fitbit trackers, so the app can track stats like resting heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, sleep zones, and HRV. The new app shows “Insight” cards with trend data for these stats, so you can see how your health is improving as you try to get fitter or lose weight.

Why we rely on Fitbit: “Fitbit is simple and accessible for anyone just starting out with serious workouts.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

“I love the new interface and how simple it is to get important data at a glance. I’ve been impressed with the AI coach and its recommendations. I think it’s one of the best lifestyle fitness apps with a holistic approach.” — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

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A screenshot of a Google Doc showing Running and Steps goals broken down into twelve-month categories. — (Image credit: Michael Hicks)

Why a spreadsheet will help with your goals: Apps can be motivational and auto-track your data and progress over time, with fancy graphs and AI analysis. But they’re usually (A) paid, (B) mobile-only, and (C) specialized to one activity.

That’s why, when it comes to New Year’s resolutions or making a workout calendar, a simple document or spreadsheet works better than trying to find the perfect, all-in-one app! Use other apps to track specific goals like miles/ steps/ weight loss/ books read, but consolidate them all into one document you can check on your phone or computer, using tables and drop-down menus to label your progress (as I did above).

Or, use a spreadsheet to lay out your long-term workout plans, then a specific running or strength app to put those plans into action. I used that method to plan my months-long marathon training (see above), paired with my Garmin watch, and it was highly effective.

Why we rely on Google Docs/ Sheets: “Yeah, it sounds silly, but I actually found a use for spreadsheets. I need upper body strength, so lifting weights is the way I try to maintain it. I can keep record of my current routine as well as any goals, and there is plenty of room for extra notes. Best of all, I can check off each day’s workout from my phone or my desktop and have access to all my long-term progress, so I feel like I’m accomplishing something.” — Jerry Hildenbrand, Senior Editor

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Screenshots showing Strava's Athlete Intelligence: Left - an LLM summary of the athlete's half-marathon run and comparative effort to past runs; center: an LLM summary of how their pace compares to past runs above pace stats; right: an LLM summary of the runner's most common HR zone and the intensity of the workout above a HR chart. — (Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

Key Fitness Features: Activity recording, local routes with 3D maps, Heatmap, Segment leaderboards, Clubs, Challenges, long-term workout analysis, Athlete Intelligence summaries, race predictions, Instant Workouts

Subscription: $12/month or $80/year (Saved routes, full data analysis with AI summaries, Instant Workouts

Why Strava will help with your goals: Most people try harder when cheered on or competing with others. Strava lets you connect with friends to offer and receive “kudos,” motivating you to keep getting out there. You also have “Challenges” where hitting certain thresholds nets you badges and awards from partner companies, and leaderboards where you can compete to be fastest on local routes and trails. And it helps you find local Clubs with like-minded athletes, if you need in-person motivation.

More recently, Strava has doubled down on Athlete Intelligence, a tool that utilizes your workout history to assess the quality of a specific workout and provide context for your improvement over time. This year, Strava launched “Instant Workouts,” with personalized activities across 40 sports types and four types (‘Maintain’, ‘Build’, ‘Explore’, or ‘Recover’), including custom routes from your starting location using a Heatmap of other users’ workouts. Essentially, Strava offers personalized, tailored workouts, without committing to a long-term plan.

Why we rely on Strava: “I found my local running group through Strava last year; I appreciate when Strava tells me a certain activity was my fastest in the last month; and I’m motivated to become the ‘Local Legend’ for certain segments like my nearby track.” — Michael Hicks, Wearables Editor

“Strava is a great app to connect with others who are into fitness and keep yourself accountable. Many fitness apps sync with it, so you can post your watch’s workouts and keep yourself active and motivated.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Workout apps

Screenshots from the Nike Run Club app showing a run activity, annual running stats, achievements, and challenges

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Key Fitness features: Activity tracking, media playback controls, 5K/10K/13.1/26.2 training plans, audio-guided runs, challenges, streaks, real-time location sharing

Subscription: None

Why Nike Run Club will help with your goals: NRC is popular with veteran runners as a running-focused alternative to Strava with similar gamification (i.e., badges, challenges, and likes) and long-term stat tracking.

Why I recommend it for beginner couch-to-5K runners, aside from the lack of subscription, is Coach Bennett’s audio-based guided runs. As you run, the pro running coach will give you pointers and motivation as you’re struggling to keep pace and stay moving.

Why we rely on Nike Run Club: “I’ve used Nike Run Club to run over 1,500 miles across a decade and countless devices. NRC handles the basics excellently, with the bright and bold Nike font making your pace, duration, heart rate, and more visible at a glance. It supports media playback controls, and its post-run breakdowns are both data-rich and easy to understand. The app prioritizes friendly competition with other users (with weekly challenges) and yourself (with awards and milestones) while reminding you to rest.” — Brady Snyder, Contributor

“Nike Run Club helps me get into highly productive steady-state runs and brainless interval training. I just open it, choose a run that matches my intention, and move my feet.” —Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

Alternative option: Try Zombies, Run!, which has dozens of hours of audio stories designed to keep you motivated as you run, including some Marvel adventures.

Strong Hero

(Image credit: Source: Jordan Palmer / Android Central)

Key Fitness features: Customizable workouts with custom sets, full exercise list, workout graphs, macronutrient tracking

Subscription: $5/month or $30/year (Unlimited workout templates, analytics like muscle maps and macros)

Why Strong will help with your goals: Whether you’re working out at home or the gym, you don’t need an app distracting you. You need simplicity, a streamlined workout log where you can check off one exercise or set, then move on to the next, without giving yourself a chance to slack off.

Strong fulfills that niche! You can build out workouts using its comprehensive exercise library, including Warm-ups and Drop/ Failure sets, and then follow that workout to completion. The PRO subscription gives you more data, but the free version is more than good enough to get you started.

Why we rely on Strong: “Strong is the gym diary where I fully flesh things out. I built out my workouts and track not only my progressive overload but my body part gains (i.e., biceps, calves, quads, etc.).” — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

Alternatives: Try Hevy for a workout log with more community features, or Fitbod if you need AI help building your workouts.

Screenshots of the Sweat app showing a weekly workout plan (left) and a specific workout called Ignite Strength (right) with form videos

(Image credit: Nandika Iyer Ravi / Android Central)

Key Fitness features: Prebuilt programs, on-demand workouts, pro trainers, exercise form guides, healthy recipes

Subscription: $20/month or ~$120/year (mandatory)

Why Sweat will help with your goals: Tailored to women, Sweat has long-term strength programs tailored to any skill level, with a clean UI that makes it easy to navigate through workouts and see (A) the proper form for every exercise and (B) the muscle map of how it’ll impact your body. It’s on the expensive side but offers a lot of value as an alternative to a (more expensive) personal trainer.

Why we rely on Sweat: “I subscribe to Sweat because it provides a perfect balance of cardio and strength training workouts, without requiring me to plan my entire week. As a postpartum mom with very little time, knowing exactly which workout I’m due to do each day is incredibly helpful and truly eases my mind.” — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

Alternatives: Peloton or Apple Fitness+ are the obvious big hitters for general coaching, while Centr is a more hardcore option.

Smartwatch/ smart ring companion apps

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A phone showing the new Nutrition Tracking widget with Garmin Connect Plus — (Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

Key Fitness features: Garmin Run/ Cycling/ Strength/Triathlon Coach, daily suggested workouts, strength/ yoga workouts, Training Status, Training Load, long-term metric graphs, Garmin Golf, Garmin Trails, LiveTrack, downloadable/ custom courses, Challenges & Badges, gear tracking, race predictions, and more

Key Health features: Body Battery, HRV Status, Sleep Score/ Coach, menstrual tracking, food logging with AI image recognition and barcode scanning, Lifestyle Logging, Health Status

Subscription: $7/month or $70/year (AI summaries, Nutrition logging, Trails, Performance Dashboard, coaching videos, and other small features, not required)

Why Garmin Connect will help with your goals: Garmin watches mainly get praise for the long-lived hardware and post-workout analysis on your wrist. Garmin Connect is a bloated, labyrinthian app that takes time to adjust to, but it’s filled to bursting with features you won’t find elsewhere (especially for free), most notably personalized training plans and daily suggested runs, rides, walks, or strength workouts.

The Activities tab lets you see how your efforts compare week-to-week or month-to-month, while the Performance Dashboard (above, subscribers only) makes your data even more colorful and dynamic. Garmin also added food logging, Lifestyle Logging, and health outlier warnings to the app recently, making it obvious that it wants Connect to appeal to more “mainstream” athletes, not just the pros.

Why we rely on Garmin Connect: “Garmin feels more comprehensive and ideal for serious gym-goers than Fitbit.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

“Garmin has helped me hit marathon and half-marathon PRs, improve my VO2 Max, and run more miles than I ever have before. It motivated me with dynamic run suggestions based on my training load and running tolerance, so I always knew how hard to push without overdoing it.” — Michael Hicks, Wearables Editor

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Oura app redesigned Vitals tab — (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Key features: Readiness, Sleep Score/ Debt, Health Panels, Meal logging, Cycle/ Pregnancy/ Premenopause insights, Cardiovascular Age, Daytime Stress, Resilience, Oura Advisor, Automatic Workout Detection

Subscription: $6/month or $70/year (mandatory)

Why Oura will help with your goals: The appeal of a smart ring is to get a laundry list of data, day and night, for those who find smartwatches too bulky, distracting, or uncomfortable for sleep tracking. And the Oura Ring tops our best smart ring list on the strength of its app.

Over the last few years, Oura has packed its app with a comprehensive list of health metrics, with the AI Oura Advisor as the flashy topper to make everything more accessible. Aside from the obvious nightly stats about sleep quality or heart health, Oura tries to analyze long-term trends and provide more context on your body’s ability to handle stress. And it offers some rudimentary fitness tools.

Why we rely on Oura: “I rely on Oura as my daily mental health monitor. It tracks when I’m stressed and provides personalized tips for getting the rest I need.” — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

“The Oura app is a passive experience for me. I use it to check my sleep quality and overall daily health and wellness, as I wear it more consistently than my Garmin or Pixel watches.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

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Detailed workout data collected by the Amazfit Balance 2 smartwatch, compiled in an easy to read way by the Zepp app — (Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Key features: Readiness, Sleep Score, Exertion Score, PAI score, Zepp Coach training, food logging with AI image recognition, tracked strength workouts with rep counts and muscle maps

Subscription: $12/month or $70/year (Zepp Aura advanced sleep reports, music, meditation, and AI coach)

Why Zepp Health will help with your goals: Amazfit watches are well-known for their budget value, but it’d be harder to recommend these budget watches if the companion Zepp Health app weren’t so useful.

You’ll find the usual collection of nightly health data, but packaged nicely with straightforward scores. The Zepp Coach can help build workout plans tailored to your abilities, while food logging is more straightforward than on other apps. And aside from the optional Aura sub, everything is free.

Why we rely on Zepp Health: “I pretty much use Amazfit exclusively these days. The Zepp app syncs perfectly with Strava, which I use to share with friends and build community. The Zepp app also makes it stupid easy to log food with its LLM-driven technology. I’ve written about this several times now, but you can use natural language to input your meals and snacks instead of scrolling through a bunch of lists or scanning barcodes.” — Nick Sutrich, Senior Content Producer

Weight & nutrition/ diet apps

Screenshots of the Healthify app showing the home screen with current macros and an AI summary (left) and a specific timeline of logged food for the day (right).

(Image credit: Nandika Iyer Ravi / Android Central)

Key features: Nutrition tracking, food logging, AI recognition, AI chatbot for recipes, calls with nutritionists, connected CGM

Why Healthify will help with your goals: Logging every single meal and snack is a major time suck, especially when you need to calculate every ingredient to a meal. HealthifyMe’s whole premise is removing that delay by letting you simply photograph something and get the nutritional stats in a flash. It also has AI coaching and suggestions, or a way to connect with real nutritionists for a fee, but the streamlined food logging is what made this app so popular.

Why we rely on Healthify: “HealthifyMe is my go-to for staying accountable to my calorie deficit.” — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

The MyFitnessPal app on the Google Pixel Watch 3

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Key features: Food logging, calorie and macro counting, voice logging, AI meal scan, barcode scanning, intermittent fasting tracker, recipes, grocery list sharing,

Subscription: $25/month or $100/year (for most features besides basic manual food logging and calorie count)

Why MyFitnessPal will help with your goals: It’s the same reasons we listed for Healthify, except MyFitnessPal has a slightly longer feature list in exchange for its subscription, like thousands of recipes, personalized meal planning, voice logging, progress reports, and so on. You’ll also find Android and Apple Watch apps, making it easy to check your daily stats or quickly log a favorite meal.

Why we rely on MyFitnessPal: “MyFitnessPal helps me keep track of my lifestyle and habits. I log my meals and exercises to monitor my macros.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Screenshots showing the Withings app: Left: the Home screen showing the author's steps, weight, body composition, heart rate, recent workout, and other data. Center: the Body Composition graph showing the author's changing muscle, fat, and bone percentages over the last quarter; Right: Graphs of the author's changing Visceral Fat Index and Lean Mass data.

(Image credit: Android Central)

Key features: Connects with smart scales for weight, body composition, visceral fat, and more

Subscription: $10/month or $100/year (Health Improvement Score, Cardiologist review, Health Assistant, Smart Trends, etc.)

Why Withings will help with your goals: You can replace Withings with other smart scale brands, but this app tends to be a staff favorite. The gist is that you can see more than your weight, but also your body fat/ muscle percentage and (with fancier scales) specific data on how that fat is segmented throughout your body. Essentially, having a smart scale will help you track how your health and fitness goals are directly impacting your body.

Why we rely on Withings: “Withings is very important to me as a Type 2 diabetic. It gives me a segmental analysis of body fat & muscle losses and gains. What’s most important is the visceral fat metrics, how it tracks the fat around your internal organs that can literally mean life or early death.” — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

“Withings shows me my weight, body fat, and muscle mass, as well as how I’m trending, which helps me know if I need to make changes.” — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Fitness

The best exercise bikes for home workouts, spin and getting sweaty, tested

Published

19 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

The best exercise bikes for home workouts, spin and getting sweaty, tested

Cycling has the potential to benefit your health in myriad ways, whether it’s the mood-boosting properties of inhaling fresh air, the social element of riding with friends or the simple act of improving cardiovascular fitness with every pedal stroke.

The UK weather doesn’t always play ball, though, so for those who don’t want a dire forecast to result in a missed workout, indoor training replicates the exercise (if not the fresh air).

The best exercise bikes are not only fantastic for burning a few calories without donning all the outdoor gear, but they can also help you nail training goals if you’re a more serious rider. With many letting you connect your phone or laptop to make the most of online training tools, it’s never been easier or more enjoyable to work out from your home.

I tested 12 exercise bikes, including the sort you might find in a commercial gym, along with more dedicated riding simulators and recumbent models for those who find it tricky to sit hunched forward for any length of time. The resulting list features those that I think performed best.

While I’ve tried to appeal to a wide range of budgets, it’s difficult to recommend much under the £500 mark because the build quality of these cheaper models is often not worth the investment.

At a glance

£1,899 at One Peloton

£569.99 at Johnson Fitness

£1,575 at Wattbike

£3,620 at Technogym

£2,095 at John Lewis

Why you should trust me

While I no longer compete in official cycling events, I still consider myself a keen cyclist, often heading out with friends on a gravel bike, even if those rides now end in a warm pub, rather than a timed finish line. But when the weather isn’t playing ball, I’ll get stuck into a home- or gym-based exercise bike session to keep fit and stay in shape for when cycling season comes back around again.

Having tested exercise equipment for numerous publications, I’m always one to get stuck in and test a product for as long as possible. With exercise bikes, this meant getting plenty of hands-on experience, no matter how sweaty it made me.

How I tested

Wheels on fire: some bikes were tested in dedicated workout spaces. Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Exercise bikes are bulky items that typically require an element of setup or construction. To make testing so many of them viable, I either borrowed a pre-assembled machine for one or two weeks or tested the bikes in a dedicated boutique or workout space.

During each test, I used any workout modes that were available, syncing a smartphone or laptop to take advantage of third-party software or online classes, if these were offered. The machines were judged on their build quality, features, ease of setup and storage (some companies offer premium white glove deliveries), as well as the overall adjustability or suitability for numerous members of the household.

After slipping into a pair of fetching cycling shoes, I assessed noise levels with a smartphone-based decibel meter, and made more subjective assessments on the general ride feel, comfort and the overall quality of the workout experience.

The best exercise bikes in 2026

‘Unmatched when it comes to live and on-demand classes’: the Peloton Bike+. Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Horizon 3.0SC Indoor Cycle — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Leon rides the Horizon SC bike — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Technogym Bike — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Leon rides the Technogym bike — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Life Fitness RS3 Lifecycle Recumbent Exercise Bike with Track Connect Console 2.0

The best of the rest

Wahoo Kickr Shift — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Leon rides on the Wahoo Kickr Shift — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Schwinn 510R Recumbent Bike — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Leon tests the Schwinn 510R Recumbant — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Matrix U50 — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

Leon tests the Matrix U50 in a gym — Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

What you need to know

Look for a connected bike with an integrated screen and app compatibility if you want to be entertained while riding. Photograph: Leon Poultney/The Guardian

How much should I spend?

Exercise bikes vary wildly in price, with the cheapest models often taking the form of basic upright or spin bikes that focus purely on pedalling, and the most expensive offering large HD touchscreens, automatic resistance adjustments and fully integrated training platforms.

Budget models typically start at £250-£400, but often lack the build quality and adjustability needed for long-term use. At the other end of the spectrum, premium connected bikes – such as those from Peloton, Technogym and NordicTrack – can set you back £2,000 or more, and often require monthly subscriptions on top for interactive classes.

For most riders, a budget of between £600 and £1,200 is a good place to start for solid build quality, smooth resistance and decent connectivity features without straying into commercial-gym territory.

How much room do you need?

Even the most compact exercise bikes take up space, with the smallest options measuring about 55 x 120 x 130cm (WLH). While that’s less floor space than a treadmill or cross trainer, you’ll still need clearance around the bike for safe mounting and dismounting, as well as enough ceiling height to remain comfortable when standing on the pedals.

Recumbent bikes, which offer a chair-like riding position, often require more floor space, while upright and indoor cycles are more compact. It might be tempting to look at folding exercise bikes, but they can often be flimsy and offer weak pedal resistance.

What features should I look for?

The most important thing is the resistance system: magnetic resistance is smoother, quieter and requires less maintenance than older friction-based systems found on traditional studio spin bikes. Belt-drive systems are also preferable to chain-driven units for their silent, low-maintenance operation.

Adjustability is another key factor – a bike with multiple saddle and handlebar positions will ensure better ergonomics and comfort over long sessions, and it will also fit more members of the household.

For those who want to stay entertained, connected bikes with integrated screens and app compatibility (Zwift, Peloton, iFit, etc) can make training more engaging. Heart-rate monitoring and Bluetooth/ANT+ connectivity are also useful for tracking progress.

Finally, noise levels are worth considering, especially if you live in a flat or plan to exercise when everyone else is sleeping. Modern magnetic systems are whisper-quiet, making them perfect for shared living spaces.

Leon Poultney has been a consumer technology and automotive journalist for longer than he cares to divulge. A lifelong fitness enthusiast, he can often be found trying not to kill himself on a mountain bike/surfboard/other extreme thing, often at the request of an editor. Whether getting to know the latest connected kettlebells or partaking in CrossFit sessions, Leon is always willing to put his body on the line for great editorial

Fitness

How long does it take to get fit? Exercise scientists reveal progress you can make in 3, 6 and 12 months

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

How long does it take to get fit? Exercise scientists reveal progress you can make in 3, 6 and 12 months

Whatever your fitness goal, seeing progress when you start working out can take time, yet when we take just a few weeks off, it can feel like starting from scratch again. This can be really frustrating, so fitness experts always say the key to seeing positive results is to enjoy the exercise you’re doing (whether that’s walking workouts, strength training, or Pilates workouts at home) and stay consistent.

Jo Clubb, a sports science consultant and founder of Global Performance Insights, says: “The body is an amazing machine. When you expose it to something new and repeat that stimulus over time, it adapts to make that task feel easier.” But she adds that “how long this takes depends on several factors, such as the type of exercise, the volume and intensity of the training, and the individual’s training history”.

Jo says people who are sedentary or physically inactive have the greatest potential to see change, and this could be as quickly as within one to two weeks. But it’s maintaining a realistic routine that can be hardest, especially if progress stagnates along the way. In a bid to boost exercise motivation to continue exercising throughout 2026, I spoke to some experts to dig a bit deeper into how our bodies change over time and other benefits we can expect.

How long does it take to get fit?

Nicole Chapman, personal trainer and founder of the Power of Mum fitness app, says most people start to feel fitter sooner than they expect. While you might not notice changes such as weight loss or muscle definition, she says that “within 2-3 weeks you might find you have a bit more energy, you are sleeping better, and you ache less”. “Everyday things like stairs or carrying bags can start to feel a little easier too,” she adds.

“Initial improvements to exercise are largely driven by changes in the nervous system,” Jo explains. “The Central Nervous System (CNS) adapts to the new stimulus to try to move more efficiently. You probably haven’t got stronger in the first few weeks at a muscular level, and yet things feel easier.”

It might be someone else, like a friend or partner, who points out physical changes to you at first. Nicole says: “Because we see ourselves every single day, we tend to overanalyse and miss the gradual progress that is happening right in front of us.”

However, this answer varies from person to person and depends on your history of exercising. If you’ve done weight training, running, or another sport before, you’ll regain your fitness faster than those who are completely new. People who are used to weight training will have more muscle flexibility and elasticity than those who haven’t. It may also mean that recovery time is faster.

After 3 months

Weight loss
Your clothes may fit better
More stamina
Better cardiovascular health

If you’ve been exercising consistently for three months, you’ll definitely have started to see some real changes and progress. You might have lost weight and notice that you feel more toned in your legs, arms and core, and your clothes may fit differently.

You might have more stamina when walking the dog, going up stairs may feel easier, and there might be fewer groans when you get in and out of the car or bed.

Your exercise routine will have become a habit, and if you skip a session, you might feel stiff or sluggish. “Emotionally, people often feel steadier and clearer, simply because their body feels more supported,” says Nicole.

“After a few months, more visible and structural changes start to occur. On top of the early neurological changes, the body now adapts on a structural level, increasing in muscle size and strength,” says Jo.

Our cardiovascular fitness also continues to improve, and some people may notice improvements in their resting heart rate. “You may find you can exercise for longer or at a higher intensity, recover more quickly, and feel less breathless during everyday activities,” she says.

After six months

Improved strength, balance, and coordination
Improved core strength
Boosted long-term energy levels and mood

“By six months, there’s often a real step up in how your body feels and performs,” says Nicole. “Strength, balance and coordination are usually much more established, so movement feels more controlled and powerful, rather than like hard work.”

She adds that you might see improvements in your core strength in particular, which can mean the back feels more supported and aches are reduced. “Many people also notice they move with more ease and confidence because their body feels stable and reliable,” she adds.

She says people often find they feel more energised and feel more positive.

The key to progress is consistency, so find an activity you like – that way you’re more likely to do it frequently.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

After 12 months

Improved strength and endurance
Quicker recovery after each workout
More confidence

A year in, your life will be looking very different. Your “strength and endurance are usually significantly higher than when you began, and recovery tends to be quicker,” says Nicole. “Your muscles, joints and connective tissues are now working together more efficiently, which gives a sense of physical resilience,” she adds.

However, one of the biggest differences after a year will be internal. “Many people feel connected to their body in a different way, with a sense of stability and confidence that comes from looking after it consistently over time,” she says. At this point, set yourself a goal, such as an organised run or a strength milestone like your first push-up or pull-up. “Having something positive to progress towards can be a great way to celebrate how far you have already come.”

It’s also important to keep pushing yourself, if you want to continue to see results. This doesn’t always mean exercising harder, says Jo, but instead “gently progressing the type, amount, or intensity of activity to keep the body adapting”.

Tips for getting fit in 2026

1. SPORT

No, I’m not talking about taking up a new hobby. Jo uses the acronym S-P-O-R-T in her work as a sports scientist to help clients understand their body’s response to exercise.

If you’re looking to improve your fitness, it’s a good set of guidelines to refer to:

Specific (S): The body will adapt based on what it’s being asked to do whether this is functional exercise, or strength training.
Progressive Overload (PO): If you want to continue to improve then you need to graually increase the stimulus.
Reversibility (R): If you don’t use it, you lose it! While it doesn’t always need to be focused on getting fitter, you’ll always need to maintain your exercise to keep those gains.
Tedium (T): Training needs variety, otherwise people get bored and the risk of injury can increase due to overuse.

Keep your goals realistic

When you set any goal, whether it’s for fitness, your career, eating habits, social life, or something else, the key is to keep it realistic. If you’ve struggled to do 10 minutes of exercise every day in the past, don’t set yourself the goal of working out every single day.

Instead, focus on what you can do. For example, can you get outside for a 15-minute walk every day or get your 10,000 steps in at home? If you can’t get to the gym, can you do a quick kettlebell workout before you start work or have breakfast?

Small habits over time build consistency, which builds confidence in ourselves, and we’re more likely to follow through.

Nicole agrees. “Short, manageable workouts that you repeat regularly will take you much further than pushing yourself hard and then stopping because it feels unsustainable,” she says.

Prioritise small bursts of activity

Most of us don’t have time to be in the gym for hours at a time (and we don’t need to be!). Small bursts of activity, sometimes known as exercise snacking, have been proven to be almost as effective as dedicated exercise sessions in a study in Exercise and Sports Sciences Review.

Dr Reem Hasan, NHS GP and chief medical officer at Vista Health, says: “Start with something manageable like a short walk during your lunch break, stretching before bed, or taking the stairs instead of the lift. These small bursts of activity add up and make movement part of your lifestyle rather than a short-term resolution.”

Get stronger

If you want to get fitter in 2026 but you’re not sure where to start, weight training is essential for women over 50. From the age of 35, we start to lose muscle and bone mass. With menopause, the rate increases.

Simply lifting weights at home, doing Pilates with weights, or getting in a dumbbell gym workout can improve strength, boost bone density, reduce the risk of muscle loss, and, contrary to popular belief, give your cardiovascular system a boost as well.

Lifting weights means you can do everything you want with better control and stability outside of the gym, whether that’s navigating an uneven path on a hike this year or getting on the floor to play with your grandchildren in the future.

W&H editors’ essential recommendations

Sportnow Adjustable Dumbbells Set, 2kg/4kg/6kg/8kg/10kg Weights, Space-Saving Dumbbells Pair With Safety Locking Mechanism and Non-Slip Handle, Home Gym Fitness for Men/women Weights

SPORTNOW

Adjustable Dumbbells Set 2kg/4kg/6kg/8kg/10kg Weights

Fitbit Inspire 3 Fitness tracker

Shock Absorber D+ sports bra Support

Shock Absorber

D+ Max Support Bra

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Low sex drive? Here are 6 ways exercise could help you

1.Exercise can have immediate effects like increasing blood flow—which can, in turn, improve your sex drive

2. Maintaining a regular exercise practice boosts your physical, mental, and sexual health

3. Regular exercise can uniquely benefit those going through perimenopause and menopause

4. Exercise can also improve the sex lives of people with other health concerns, too

5. Moderate exercise is the best type of workout for your sex drive

6. Working out *with* your S.O. can improve your relationship, too

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Fitness

The best exercise bikes for home workouts, spin and getting sweaty, tested

At a glance

Why you should trust me

How I tested

The best exercise bikes in 2026

Best exercise bike overall:Peloton Bike+

Best budget exercise bike for beginners:Horizon 3.0SC Indoor Cycle

Best compact exercise bike:Wattbike Proton

Best gym-quality exercise bike:Technogym Bike

Best recumbent exercise bike:LifeFitness RS3 LifeCycle

The best of the rest

Wahoo Kickr Shift

NordicTrack X24 Studio Bike

Schwinn 510R Recumbent

Matrix U50

What you need to know

How much should I spend?

How much room do you need?

What features should I look for?

Fitness

How long does it take to get fit? Exercise scientists reveal progress you can make in 3, 6 and 12 months

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**6. Working out with your S.O. can improve your relationship, too**

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Best exercise bike overall:
Peloton Bike+

Best budget exercise bike for beginners:
Horizon 3.0SC Indoor Cycle

Best compact exercise bike:
Wattbike Proton

Best gym-quality exercise bike:
Technogym Bike

Best recumbent exercise bike:
LifeFitness RS3 LifeCycle