With gyms closed and personal trainers benched thanks to numerous lockdowns, it’s been easy to find excuses to avoid any fitness.
But our blind tech gurus David Woodbridge and Stephen Jolley are here to get you off the couch after sweating through the trove of fitness tech and apps.
Talking Tech’s favourite low cost fitness tech options:
Cost: Free
Why it’s good: The app integrates with the Health app on your iPhone and doesn’t impact the device’s battery.
Cost: Free
Why it’s good: Interval training in disguise as an immersive audio game. Jump on the treadmill or head outside. Hear your mission and music through your headphones. If you’re chased by zombies, you’ll have to speed up. Run to save yourself.
Cost: Free
Why it’s good: Youtube fitness workouts designed for blind/low vision users. Full audio descriptions of movements and exercises.
For those without Apple or Android Watches, a regular smartphone can also track your progress via their in-built health apps.
They are also fully accessible because they use their in-built screen reader software (Voiceover on iPhone and Talkback on Android).
David notes Fitbits are a cheaper option than the smart watches, but there is a drawback for the blind or low vision user.
“They’re not self-voicing, so you’ve got to run your screen reader (Talkback on Android or Voiceover on the iPhone) if you’re a blind person with the Fitbit hardware,” he said.
Listen to the full show for more on fitness tech options:
Hear more tech tips from a blind and low vision perspective every week on Talking Tech, Tuesday 4.30pm AEST or catch up with the podcast via Spotify, Omny, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts.