The Sprightly Spud

Should you be ditching the tech when you train?

Unsurprisingly, being constantly bombarded by notifications and subjected to an endless stream of reels, trends and algorithmically curated pages of posts has left many of us feeling a little burnt out. As a result, ‘analogue living’, has emerged as one of 2026’s most popular wellness habits, and, somewhat ironically, has taken social media by storm.

Whether its ditching digital planners for physical diaries, or adopting old-school hobbies like crochet or cross-stitch, more and more tech-weary individuals are making intentional moves towards a life of less scrolling, and more real world connection. 

Phones can be distracting, overstimulating, and overwhelming, but complete digital detoxes are impractical at best. Work commitments, safety worries and a distinct sense of FOMO mean complete abstinence from social media could be more stressful than beneficial, but simple shifts like getting an actual alarm clock, or writing a paper shopping list, are undoubtedly healthy steps in reducing dependency on tech, and it seems we’re embracing the cleanse. 

But what’s the situation with phones and fitness?

Valuable or Villainous?

Technology and fitness are becoming increasingly intertwined, and there are certainly a number of ways in which it can benefit training, or help us optimise recovery, but most of these involve our phones, making it difficult to disconnect at times. 

Potentially the biggest barrier to a complete tech-detox for the duration of your workout, is the fact that many gyms (particularly those with 24 hour set-ups) have transitioned from physical membership passes to app-based QR codes, so you literally can’t access the gym without your phone. On one hand, this eradicates that age-old issue of ‘forgetting your pass’, and makes spontaneous gym-trips significantly easier. On the other hand, it means abandoning your phone at home isn’t an option, so no matter how desperate you are to break free from the digital world, you can’t. Furthermore, most classes are now bookable on apps too. 

For a whole host of reasons, music can have a positive influence on your workout. In some gyms, music is a key part of their identity, and community is built based on a shared enjoyment of the same genre. For other establishments, like CrossFit gyms, athletes are united in their dissociation from the physical pain their experiencing, and coaches can even pick different genres for different types of workout. For example, long endurance WODs may be more suited to D&B or house tracks but weightlifting may be serenaded by some hip-hop or funk. 

Unfortunately, we can’t all choose our gym based on the music it plays, and anyone who has endured PureGym’s playlist will likely have had a moment of deep appreciation for their earbuds.

It might be that your pre-session pump playlist it is your motivation to get to the gym, or picturing yourself in a Justin Bieber music video helps you pass the time on the stair master, keeping boredom at bay and helping you train for longer. Good tunes trigger a dopamine release, making any session more enjoyable, and can reduce perceived exertion. What’s more, you can even tailor your choices to a specific BPM, and use this as a metronome for running or cycling cadence. Given that most of us carry a library of all our favourite songs in our pockets, we have permanent access to rhythmic motivation that fits our own personal taste, and it might just be the extra boost we need to lift that little bit heavier, and gain more muscle as a result. 

Group workout classes – spin in particular – are hugely reliant on their beats, with curating playlists forming an essential part of trainers’ jobs. Some studies even host live DJs, bridging the gap between workout and rave!

Despite all this, there’s an argument to say that gyms full of people absorbed in their own noise-cancelling world can feel a little intimidating, and being too dialled into your tunes can mean you pay less attention to the actual session. When running or cycling outside, there’s an element of danger involved too, not to mention the fact that it can draw your mind away from the beauty of natural surroundings. Many elite runners, including David Goggins, prefer to dedicate full focus to their breathing and pacing, and utilise the silence to be mindful, or build mental resilience.

Its not for everyone, but it’s easy to see the appeal.

Online coaching did preexist the pandemic, but when we all became confined to our homes, and the idea of in-person PT sessions felt somewhat absurd, it experienced a certified boom. One format involves a personalised program devised by a trained PT, delivered over platforms like Trainerize or TrueCoach. Clients often receive weekly check-ins via calls online forms, or photos, allowing coaches to edit exercises and weights accordingly. Alternatively, gym-goers can follow more generic plans on apps like Nike Training Club, some of which are free, and some of which are subscription-based. These usually allow you to track weights, reps and progress, or, more controversially, use AI to generate splits which are supposedly personalised to the user. Regardless of what you think of the quality of these systems, the uniting factor is that they all involve tracking around the gym, following your phone. 

Obviously, this has the potential to compromise your own engagement with the workout, and means you don’t get the benefit of having 45 minutes or so free from the burden of emails, texts and social media notifications. Of course, if the only way you squeeze training into your work schedule is by being on your emails, then this might be a necessary evil, but in general spending a few minutes away from Outlook e is a treat we should all take full advantage of. Not only this, but fellow gym attendees who are using their training time as an escape from the digital world might be somewhat perturbed by the presence of hundreds of glowing screens!

Finally, despite best intentions, its all too easy to flick from Fitr to TikTok, and a quick scroll between sets is overwhelmingly tempting. Where your own workout is concerned, this might lead to extended rest times and less intensity, but it might also mean you ‘hog’ a machine for longer than you should, so others suffer too.

Related to this, filming exercises can be a great way of getting feedback from your long-distance coach, or simply keeping an eye on your own form to ensure you’re performing movements safely and effectively. Equally, with the rise of the ‘fitness influencer’, some individuals choose to film in order to create content. Some gym policies forbid any filming, others allow it with permission or during certain times, and some permit it, but not with tripods. The privacy of others is obviously a huge consideration here, but there’s an argument to say that fixating on angles will mean you pay less attention to the exercise itself! 

Some gyms even have equipment that connects to your phone. For example, Fitness First’s ‘able’ system syncs workouts and performance metrics from strength and cardio equipment to an app, and even builds an AI training programme based on your goals. This can certainly take the pressure off coming up with your own session, and can help inexperienced gym-goers incorporate progressive overload and see results, yet it does, once again, mean phones and fitness becomes inseparable. 

Studio Solitude

Whether the result of a flaming competitive streak, a lack of motivation to rock up at the gym and train alone, or the need for distraction from the physical pain, many people are fiends for a group workout class. These days, they come in all shapes and sizes, from classic HIIT and aerobic styles, to elegant barre and reformer workouts. 

Aside from the oboes perk of not having to programme your own session, there are myriad benefits to classes… For those with busy lifestyles or a tendency to prioritise work over life, the fact that you have to book in means it feel like you’re scheduling a meeting, rather than ‘treating’ yourself to time away from the office, and means you can block out time in the diary, with a solid start and finish time. Equally, late cancel fees (or simply the knowledge that your instructor will know you skived off) will provide accountability and reduce the appeal of that extra thirty minutes in bed. When it comes to the workout itself, some people find having the gaze of others upon them intimidating, yet for others it creates ‘positive peer pressure’ as we push harder to match the effort and achievement from those around us.

In addition to this, there are few things better than watching friends succeed, and sharing in athletic victories can help build the stronger of emotional connections. CrossFit boxes in particular are renowned for this, and it’s not uncommon to see twenty athletes all cheering on the final finisher in a WOD, making it very difficult for them to give up early. Something you’re unlikely to see in a CrossFit box, however, is anyone on their phone.

A psychological phenomenon called the Köhler Effect refers to innate human instincts that leave us fearful of becoming the ‘weak link’, so even when performing a Zumba routine, for example, we are determined not to let the side down. The effect is amplified when we are surrounded by those more able than ourselves, hence why attending a track session with a group of slightly faster people can help us flirt we speeds we perviously thought impossible.*

Once again, if you’re racing round a track at top speed, there’s a good chance you’re not scrolling through Instagram. 

Even if conventional class structures aren’t your style, small group personal training is surging in popularity. It can work out more profitable for the PT, yet more affordable for the trainee, as they benefit from a highly individualised service, at a fraction of the price of a private session. What’s more, you get to train with a group of like-minded individuals, avoiding any awkwardness, providing support, and offering the chance to engage in friendly conversation. So, you end up with solid lifts, and real social connection, rather than digital.

If you’re in search of ultimate workout immersion, then a boutique fitness studio may be right up your street. Strobe lighting, infectious (sometimes live) music, and darkened rooms can transform your workout into a rave, no matter whether your boxing, smashing out treadmill intervals, fighting for your life on a spin bike, or shaking like a leaf on a reformer. 

Some, like Psycle and SoulCycle, enforce a completely phone-free policy, in order to protect the privacy of its riders, and ensure full engagement with the class. The rules are pretty strict, and demand that all mobiles be left in lockers, which inevitably leaves certain individuals feeling like they’ve lost a limb, and worried about being uncontactable. In truth, for most of us the probability of a dire emergency occurring in that 45 minutes is fairly slim, and, as SoulCycle’s FAQs state, you can always leave your phone with front desk staff if you are expecting an urgent call.

Though other studios might not be so stringent on mobiles, and you might get away with bringing it into the class, the general consensus is that usage is inadvisable, and, quite frankly, its something I can get on board with. Locking up your phone for three quarters of an hour is freeing, it lets you fully commit to the workout and come out of your mind, and into your body. From the point of view of your classmates, everyone deserves to be able to go full send, without  being concerned about popping up in an instagram reel. Finally, your instructor has spent hours programming, playlisting  and practicing to give you the best session they can, therefore it’s only fair you show them some respect by offering your full attention. These people give their heart and soul to motivating others at all kinds of unsociable hours, regardless of how tired they themselves might feel, so give a little back, and get off your phone!

Put simply…

Phones can have a place in your fitness routine, particularly if they’re on do not disturb. Nevertheless, if it feels like your mobile is becoming a distraction rather than a tool, then why not try a paper notebook to log your sets, or a soundless run once in a while? It could just change your perspective on fitness; view it as an escape, rather than a chore.