LOOKING to get fit in 2026? Let tech do some of the hard work for you – and without spending a fortune.
I’m The Sun’s tech editor and I’ve pulled together some of my favourite fitness apps and gadgets that are currently discounted in New Year promotions. These tech delights have all helped me trim the fat – in fact, I used almost all of them to shed about four stone last year. I hope they’ll help you too (and save you from breaking the bank with posh gym memberships and strange green smoothies).
APPLE FITNESS+
Apple Fitness+ is one of your best options for virtual workouts.
The Apple-ran service has upwards of 4,000 premium videos (and they sync up with your Apple Watch too).
I’ve done a decent selection of Fitness+ workouts and they’re fairly beginner-friendly.
You’ve got a good selection of hosts and workout types (HIIT, Dance, Yoga) so you’re bound to find something that you like.
And while it’s normally £9.99 a month, there are three ways to get it for free.
First off, you can bag a seven-day free trial, which is currently extended to 14 days in a promotion.
Secondly, if you’ve recently bought a new Apple gadget (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV) then you’ll find a three-month membership waiting for you in the Apple Fitness app. Just make sure to check within the first three months of setting up your device.
And thirdly, if you want to try it without signing up for anything, Apple recently started offering monthly samplers.
Each month you’ll be able to give five workouts a go, so there’s one a week for free.
If you like it and find yourself wanting more then it might be time to sign up.
Apple Fitness+, £9.99
WITHINGS SMART SCALES
When I’ve been trying to trim the fat in the past, I found it a real pain to manually log my weight.
Even weighing yourself religiously is a bit of a chore, so having to upload it every time was a pain.
What I found massively useful was a smart scale.
I’ve used both the Body Comp (cheaper) and Body Scan (pricier), and they’re a godsend. They’re also both discounted right now.
Stand on them and they’ll automatically upload your weight to the Withings app, which I would then have auto-syncing into Apple Health.
That way, you can easily see your overall weight trends, which are often more encouraging than day-to-day changes (which can vary wildly!).
Withings Body Comp, £149.95 (down from £189.95)
As a bonus, they’re also able to monitor your body composition – so how much of your weight is muscle and fat.
That can give you a good idea of how your body is changing. Even if your overall weight isn’t dropping, the ratio between fat and muscle might be improving.
Both scales can monitor your heart rate, vascular age and nerve health, and the Body Scan can also do an ECG (for monitoring heart rhythm) and more detailed body composition measurements.
And both come with a free trial month of Withings+, which unlocks some extra features but is by no means essential. I don’t use it and I get on with my scales just fine.
Withings Body Scan, £289.95 (down from £349.95)
MYFITNESSPAL
MyFitnessPal almost needs no introduction.
One of the keys to losing weight is making sure you’re not consuming more calories than your body is burning.
It’s not for everyone, but calorie-counting can be a great tool.
And MyFitnessPal – which is free, but has a Premium version that’s discounted in a New Year promotion – makes it very easy to do this.
You can just scan barcodes and the calories (plus full info on carbs, fat, protein and so on) all magically appear in the app.
Then you can easily pair it with a fitness tracker to see how your movement is stacking up against your calorie intake.
TIPS FOR STAYING CONSISTENT
Apple Fitness+ trainer Kim Ngo tells The Sun the best way to stay consistent with exercise is finding an activity you find fun and exciting.
She says: “An example for me would be dancing. I love to put a dance workout on, and I’m not a dancer.
“Don’t put me on a dance floor and put me in front of people – but if you put me on a dance workout, I’ll get down in my living room and shake my hips with my toddler running around and it’s the most fun ever!”
Fellow trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm says setting up a plan via Apple Fitness+ also helps.
Cory says: “You wake up, it gives you a little nudge – ‘Don’t forget, you’ve got this workout today’.
“And it’s not pressure, it’s more of a reminder. That’s a great way to stay consistent.”
And if your item doesn’t show up (which, in my experience, is very rare) you can still add it manually.
It gets easier as you get into the habit of it too, as you can save meals that you make regularly.
MyFitnessPal, save 67%
ALLTRAILS
Getting fit doesn’t just mean running around, doing strange body exercises, or furiously sweating at the gym.
You could just head out into nature and do a nice bit of walking (or hiking, if you’re up to it).
The good news is that AllTrails is currently running a significant discount on its membership.
The base version of AllTrails is free, and gives you access to a vast library of walking trails, with full reviews, and live mapping for your routes.
And with the premium membership, you get offline maps (which can be very handy out in the wilderness), wrong-turn alerts (also a life-saver), and Live Share so your trusted contacts can see your exact location in real-time.
As a personal tip, download the Merlin app too. It uses your phone’s microphone to identify birds based on the noises they make.
So you can treat “catching” as many birds as possible as a bit of a game while you walk. It’s totally free!
AllTrails (with free trial)
PELOTON BIKE (OR JUST THE APP)
I am genuinely a Peloton obsessive.
I’ve spent hundreds of hours on the Peloton Bike and Bike+ indoor bicycles, and I expect to continue that trend well into 2026. I think it is absolutely one of biggest drivers for helping me actually shed fat.
They’re easy to get started with, have a screen loaded with classes for all difficulty levels, and feel easier on the joints that running.
It gamifies fitness, and is constantly updated so there’s always new content to enjoy.
The downside of Peloton bikes is that they’re expensive.
But you can pick one up cheaply in the Peloton sale right now.
It’s also worth considering a refurbished bike, which is significantly cheaper.
Peloton Bikes, £200 to £500 off
And you can still pay for refurb units over time too, if the upfront cost is too high.
And as a bonus tip, if someone you know has a Peloton bike, ask for their referral code.
You could slash loads off the bill – here are the current discounts as per the Peloton Refer-A-Friend website:
- Original Refurb Bike – £150 off
- Cross-training Bike – £250 off
- Original refurb Bike+ – £350 off
- Cross-training Bike+ – £450 off
If you’d rather just do at-home workouts, Peloton has a membership called App One.
This gets you unlimited strength, yoga, HIIT and outdoor running classes, all guided by professional trainers.
It’s £12.99 a month, which is likely cheaper than the cost of an in-person trainer.
And there’s a New Year’s deal running on the promo that gets you three months for £12.99 total – before switching to monthly billing.
Peloton App One membership, £12.99 for three months
PELOTON BIKE+ PROS & CONS
Pros:
- Very convenient
- Enormous class catalogue
- Strong line-up of trainers
- Looks good
- Easy to use, but with unlimited scope for intensity
- Lots of payment options
- Works perfectly
Cons:
- Takes up a decent amount of space – so make sure it fits in your home
- Price will be obstacle for some
STRAVA & RUNNA
I’m pairing these two apps because (1) they’re both for running and (2) can be bundled together for a discount.
Strava is an extremely popular (and social) way to track your running, and measure yourself competitively.
So if you have any competitive streak at all, you’ll quickly become obsessed with it.
Runna (which was recently bought by Strava) is more about giving you personalised training plans.
So if you want to move from running a 5K to running a marathon, Runna will help you get there.
Of course, you can get more beginner-friendly training too.
You can currently get up to 60% off Strava and Runna together, or you can by a Strava-only plan (the cheapest way is to get it annually, which is about half the price of the usual £8.99 monthly billing).
Strava & Runna bundle, up to 60% off
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APPLE WATCH
I’m circling back to Apple again because I think that the Apple Watch is one of the best fitness gadgets on the market.
I’ve been using the Apple Watch as my main fitness tracker since 2017 or 2018 without regret.
It can track all manner of health metrics including your heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, your ascent, how well you’ve slept and more.
All of this is tracked neatly in the Apple Fitness app (free), and displayed with a brilliant triple ring system that is extremely motivating.
You set your goals for each ring (a Move ring for calories burned, an Exercise ring for exercise minutes, and a Stand ring that tracks each hour you stood up in) and try to close them every day.
Seeing those Rings inch closer to completion each day is seriously motivating.
And it’s not just fitness you’re tracking with the Apple Watch either: they can also detect heart rhythm issues, sleep apnoea, and even if you’ve had a hard fall or been in a car crash.
It’s hard to put a price on that.
But Apple has put a price on it, and there are some surprisingly budget-friendly options.
If you want a budget option, your best bet is the Apple Watch SE 3.
Apple Watch SE 3, £219
It’s the cheapest model at £219, and still includes the fitness sensing you need, including heart-rate tracking, wrist temperature sensing, and sleep monitoring, as well as an accelerometer and GPS for logging your activity.
And it’s water-resistant to depths of 50 metres too, so you can take it swimming (or surfing).
If you want a real saving, go check out Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store.
Apple Watch refurbished discounts
You can get proper Apple-refurbished Apple Watch models that have been fully restored (with a fresh warranty) with up to 15% off the usual price.
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
