Staying at home can take its toll on your body, especially if you find that you’ve been spending most of your time lounging on your couch or slouched at your makeshift home office desk. Working out helps, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the motivation to get up and just do it.
Luckily, there are a number of apps designed to help you through such slumps. From those with squawking drill sergeants to the soothing tones of yoga instructors, here are six of the best fitness apps to help keep you healthy while staying at home.
7 Minute Workout
Seven minutes may not sound like much, but this fitness app by Johnson & Johnson will have you drenched in sweat by the time you're done with a circuit. Its smart workout feature will optimise exercise routines to best match your fitness level, continuously updating as you go. There are a number of apps that utilise the seven-minute high-intensity approach – such as 7 Minute Workout, which lets you pick the voices of drill sergeants and cheerleaders to keep you motivated – but what sets this app apart is the fact it is completely free, with no membership fees or in-app purchases to worry about.
Free
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal, which was bought by the sportswear company Under Armour in 2015, uses gamification elements to keep you motivated, which means you’ll be earning trophies and badges as you progress. MyFitnessPal also keeps track of your diet. You can monitor your food intake by scanning the barcodes of various items or manually finding them within the app’s database.
Monthly membership: Dh36.99
Glo
Glo is a yoga app designed to suit varying skill levels and schedules. It has classes aimed at beginners, as well as more intense vinyasa sessions. Glo curates sessions inspired by your interests and your fitness goals, updating them as your skill levels develop. You can also create your own collections based on your favourite classes by theme. The monthly cost may seem steep, but it could also inspire you to keep at it, knowing that you’ve spent a pretty penny.
Monthly membership: Dh84.99
30 Day Fitness
The app designs daily exercise routines to work out every major muscle group in your body. This may sound intense, but 30 Day Fitness takes into account how long each muscle group needs to recover. The app also does well to fend off your excuses to avoid working out by giving you a new set of challenges to beat every day. The aim is to make you stronger and healthier in the span of a month without letting you succumb to boredom or procrastination.
Monthly membership: Dh37.99
Centr
An app designed to help you train like Thor, made by actor Chris Hemsworth. Centr tracks your sleep while offering nutritional advice, and notes from training experts, chefs and meditation teachers. The app includes 20 to 40-minute workouts that you can do at home, taking elements from boxing, yoga, strength training, HIIT and MMA.
“The app was designed to give people the opportunity to access the team that I’ve used over the years, who’ve had a profound positive impact on my life,” Hemsworth explains on Instagram.
The famously buff Hollywood star, best known for his role as Norse god Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, regularly posts pictures and videos of his own gruelling workouts, and founded Centr “to make health and happiness accessible to all”.
Monthly membership: Dh62.99
Daily Workouts
This app is like having a personal trainer with you at all times. Daily Workouts has hundreds of exercises with HD videos to make sure you’re doing them right. It offers a number of tailor-made routines ranging from five to 30 minutes, from full-body workouts to those that specifically target muscle groups. The pro version of the app also offers Pilates and kettlebell exercises, as well as custom workout options.
Free; Pro version: Dh74.99
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
