Why Gixo Is The Best Fitness App of 2018

This is a sponsored post. All thoughts contained in this review are mine (with the exception of a hilarious anecdote from a friend). 

Okay, I’ll admit it: It’s kinda nutso to have “the best of” anything for this year when this year really just started, BUT, if this were December of 2017, I would definitely say this is the best app of 2017! It’s true that I didn’t actually get to test out Gixo in 2017, but who’s counting?

But really, it is the best fitness app of 2018!

So far, my 2018 has been very stressful, but I have managed to get my health and fitness in order. I have been on the Whole 30 since January 1, lost substantial weight, and have a lot more energy. The energy is kind of crazy, actually. I haven’t had coffee in two days, and just realized it! No headache, no walking around like a zombie, nothin’!

Because I have extra energy, when I get home, I don’t really feel like just being lazy around the apartment anymore. It’s super cold, and it gets dark early in the winter here in Maryland, so it’s not like I am up for an evening run. By the time I get home (and I’ve worked a few 12-hour days this week alone), I rarely want to head back into traffic to go back out to the gym, so that doesn’t leave me with too many options for exercise these days. That’s where Gixo comes in.

Gixo is this awesome app that allows you to take fitness classes from the comfort of your own home (or your gym, or outdoors, etc.), while being coached by a live trainer! It’s really cool because the instructor can interact with you during class, and you can also interact with your classmates! There are a bunch of different types of classes, but I’ve really been enjoying their “quickie” style classes because I can do them back-to-back, or sneak one in as soon as I get home or before a volleyball game. In fact, I may try to sneak in this quick 15-minute booty work class during my tournament tomorrow. We’ll see!

I love how they email you your stats and the Spotify playlist that accompanied your class. They send this to you right after class! Sometimes, your instructor will send you a text message with some feedback or words of encouragement. I love the extra support! I’ve been feeling very frustrated by the Whole 30 the last week and some change, so it’s nice to have some positivity to distract me from the fact that I can’t eat cheese this month (or “the other OTHER c word” as I’ve been calling it. This cheese drought has caused me to become even more dramatic and ridiculous than I ended in 2017). They offer a lot of different classes of varying lengths and formats. It’s so cool!

I took a really great class with my girl Nic, which was nice because we could send each other messages during class, and she actually encouraged me to follow through and take the class! (I was still at work that night, and was heming and hawing about whether I wanted to take a fitness class at all. She was like “see you there!” and I was like, well, guess I’m working out tonight after all!) I don’t currently have a gym buddy (still accepting applications!), so it’s actually neat that you can follow your friends and have gym buddies from the other side of the country. I like that it tells you when you have a friend taking an upcoming class, that way you can try to fit it in and virtually take it with them!

You can also have live video and sound on you if you choose, that way the instructor can give you feedback. I have an equal-parts hilarious and ridiculous story that a friend shared with me today. I am not going to bust this friend out, despite the temptation, but I did inform them that I would be sharing this anecdote on the blog today.

In Gixo, you can turn on/off your video and sound separately. I often don’t wear real pants or a shirt when I do my workouts, so I make sure to turn off the video right away, and it took me a couple of classes to realize that I could mute the sound too, that way the instructor didn’t hear me cursing or breathing all hard in the middle of class (only the instructor can hear you). This friend of mine didn’t learn this lesson so quickly. (Edited for clarity and some colorful language.)

Wow. I didn’t realize you have to turn your mic off too. I farted and said, ‘this is what’s nice about working out at home: You can fart, and no one is around to hear.’ And so, midway through, the coach asked, ‘what is everyone having for dinner? You don’t have to text it to me. Just yell it out! The microphone will pick it up.’ 

Insert awkward smile emoji here. Followed by the crying laughing emoji. Hilarious. And awkward. That poor instructor! (I will note here that I accidentally typed “poot” instructor while writing this, and considered leaving it to see if you guys noticed. But, sadly, I am an adult.)

It’s true that you have to be careful, and I pay especially close attention when we get to the water break. That’s usually the point in the workout where the mic and camera cut back on (if you’ve allowed Gixo to access these in your settings for that class), which coincidentally is also the point in the workout where I look like the hottest of messes.

One of the coolest parts of the app for me, besides what I’ve already mentioned, is that there is video footage demonstrating how to do all of the exercises for the non-cardio classes, as well as for stretching segments.

Other cool stuff: The app sets some goals for you, and tells you how you’re doing and if you hit your goal. For the Cardio Quickie workout, it tells you if someone else has passed you, which made me run faster! For other classes, it allows you to enter your reps, and the teacher I have had calls out what the class’ PR is for that exercise, so you know what to beat, or if you’re moving too slowly. I also like that the app sends you reminders, and that you can easily sign up for a class, or cancel your signup. Oh! And there’s a super encouraging Facebook group for Gixo subscribers!

Needs improvement: That creepy weird robot voice that accompanies the app. It just gives me the creeps. But it also drives me crazy when it says, “good things come to those who sweat!” when you finish a class. It says “swee-at.” Creepy. I would love it if they had indoor cycling classes. Maybe they have them during the day and I just haven’t seen them, but I don’t think that’s the case. I’d even agree to teach one! It must be a pretty sweet gig to get as an instructor because you don’t have to physically be in the same room, so you can come up with a plan for the class, and stick with it. I also wish you could sort classes by instructor and by class type, and then figure out which time your favorite classes are being offered.

All in all, though, I don’t really have many complaints about this app. I think it works great, and is so encouraging!

I love that they’re encouraging people to say, I AM LIMITLESS! As I’ve been using their hashtag and repeating this mantra, it has definitely encouraged me to push myself and work out more than I was this time last month. I can definitely feel my core getting stronger, and my at-home workouts have truly become limitless as well!


Want to learn more about the Gixo app? Visit https://go.gixo.com/flecksoflex for more info! If you end up signing up, look for me in the app!