You can use your Amazon Echo or Alexa on your phone to get in a quick workout wherever you are.
You don't have to turn on a TV, load an app or dig around to install a special skill. And there are hundreds of workout skills listed, ranging from five-minute core and cardio to Tabata interval training and squats.
All you need to do is know the command, and Amazon will automatically install the skill and launch the guided exercise. They've been around for a while, I just never really knew to look for them or that they existed.
I tried two simple ones that encourage you to use them daily, and they're really simple to start:
"Alexa, start seven-minute workout."
Speaking this phrase launches a skill by a company named Pargee that guides you through a quick workout. You can choose low-impact if you want something a bit easier, or pick from standard and advanced workouts. There are 45 exercises in total.
As I worked along, Alexa would ask if I was ready to move on to the next exercise, which was nice if I needed to take a break. I could also choose to play upbeat music if I wanted to. A "Seven Squad" option gives you more features including workout summaries for 80 cents a month, but I found the free version was good enough for me.
"Alexa, open five-minute workout."
Like the seven-minute workout, you can just speak the above phrase to launch the app, created by developer Stoked Skills, automatically. It's a cardio workout guided by a human voice, not Alexa, which I found a bit more appealing than the seven-minute workout.
You'll start off with jumping jacks to get your heart rate going and continue on through different exercises, including crunches and leg raises. I like that it focuses on form, telling you to keep your shoulders off the ground during crunches, for example. If you like this one, try saying "Alexa, try 5 minute pushups," which works your arms and core.
That's all there is to it. If you want to see other skills and commands you can use, do this:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Tap the menu button on the top left.
- Choose "Skills & Games"
- Search "exercise."
- Find a skill and just speak the phrase to Alexa to begin.
