How to get fit with your smartphone in less than 20 minutes a day

‘It’s raining.’ ‘It’s cold.’ ‘The duvet is too heavy.’ ‘I’ve got to be at work early.’ ‘I must stay late at the office.’ ‘I’d rather have a drink…’

Any of these gym-avoiding excuses sound familiar? Well, thanks to a combination of smartphone convenience and the latest sports science, you can skip paying a fortune to workout somewhere and get the same results in your own home.

Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) - done three times a week – than hitting the treadmill for an hour.

Fitness brands have been quick to capitalise on this and there are now hundreds of apps promising to kick you into shape in just a few minutes a day without expensive equipment…well, apart from your smartphone, but you’ll probably have that anyway.

We’ve tried out with a wide range of these and come up with a list that offers a great mix of easy access and positive results, and for far less than it would cost to have a screaming personal trainer whip you into shape.

1. Nike+ Training Club

Free: iOS, Android

This ridiculously comprehensive and stylish offering from Nike boasts 100+ workouts covering endurance, mobility and strength with a host of both swift, 15 minute workouts and longer endurance sessions on offer.

AirPlay and AppleTV support (along with Chromecast mirroring) will display the instructions on a larger screen or speaker system, plus a whole bunch of famous people (including Rory McIlroy, Ellie Goulding and Serena Williams) getting sweaty alongside as ‘motivation’.

An added bonus exists if you use the Nike+ Run Club app, as all your jogging efforts will be automatically synchronised to your Nike profile to, giving a complete picture of your fitness.

2. Freeletics

Free (Coaching from £2.28 ($2.69 / around AU$4) per week): iOS, Android

This comprehensive personal training programme is based around four free platforms – Gym, Bodyweight Workouts and Training, Running and Nutrition – which together offer up a host of workouts centred around HIIT.

You’ll use bodyweight moves such as burpees, sprawls, jump squats, pull-ups and sprints that you must complete as quickly as possible, weekly nutrition plans help maintain your fitness between workouts and a superb premium coaching service is available when you need an extra boost.

3. Sworkit

Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got to do it (anywhere from five minutes to an hour), and the app delivers moves to follow during your sweat session.

Choose to upgrade and the app will enable you to customise your workouts by setting the number of reps and the areas of the body you want to focus on.

It’s a simple system that offers great workouts for those already armed with knowledge of the areas they want to target.

4. Adrian James Bootcamp

Adrian James proudly boasts that his bootcamp is the toughest 15-minute workout on the planet.

Yeah, it’s one of those apps, just like the Insanity DVD infomercials you’ve woken up to on the sofa (although we’ve completed that plan, and it does actually work - unlike most things that are advertised late at night).

No equipment needed, lots of how-to videos, points grading, motivation and plenty of exercises that are suitable for beginners too... but do expect to sweat and ache.

There’s also companion Six Pack and High Intensity apps for the same price, should you feel the need to punish yourself further at the end of the 'basic' Bootcamp.