We all have those moments of guilt when we think we should be doing more to stay physically active. Sometimes though, the cost of a gym membership, a yoga subscription, or even a new bike is simply not in the budget.
Don’t worry though, as Amazon’s Echo devices can use Alexa to help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Simply follow our steps below to turn Alexa into your own personal trainer. And she’s a lot cheaper than the real thing.
There are many ways you can play music using your Amazon Echo, and it is one of the best sources of motivation to help you take on the challenge of a pulsating workout.
Whether it’s to get your blood pumping, your mind focused, or your body ready to shred those pounds, Alexa can play the music to set the tone for you to get your sweat on.
To start, say, “Alexa, create a new music playlist”. In response, Alexa will ask you what you would like to call your playlist. Reply with a strong motivational theme, such as, “Epic Gym Tunes” and Alexa will save it for you.
The next step is adding specific songs to your playlist. Once you have chosen your favorite motivational beat, add a song by saying something like, “Alexa, add Lose Yourself by Eminem to Epic Gym Tunes Playlist”. Alexa will confirm it has added your song before you can then include as many as you want.
Alternatively, you can also ask Alexa to put the songs together for you. If you have an idea of the theme or genre you want to workout to, ask, “Alexa, play disco workout music”.
Or, if you really aren’t sure, but you just want to get the body moving, simply say, “Alexa, play motivational music”. Alexa will play the music that will get you pumped for your fitness program ahead.
If you have already linked your Apple Music or Spotify account, then say, “Alexa, play my gym mix on Spotify”.
Set a Timer for Stretching
Now that you’ve got your music set up, it’s time to get ready with a quick warm-up. Ask Alexa, “Alexa, set a 10-minute timer for stretching.” Alexa will start a timer for 10 minutes, which allows you to get your body fully ready for the main event.
Train With an Alexa Skill
Now you are motivated and you are ready to work out. You just need to make sure Alexa is armed with the skills to be your personal trainer. On Amazon’s Alexa Skills page, there are plenty of different workouts for you to choose from.
Or you can take a look at our list of Alexa skills to help you exercise at home. Setting up your Echo with a fitness skill only takes a couple of minutes.
Once you have navigated to the health and fitness skills page choose the type of workout skill you think will help you achieve your goals the best. Using the Amazon Alexa skill, My Fitness Journey, as an example, you can see how easy it is to set up.
Click the Enable button to start the process of downloading your chosen skill. You will most likely see a page asking for permission to send notifications or send reminders to your device. Depending on how involved you want Alexa to be in encouraging you to work out, you set the preferences that suit you best.
