For the modern consumer, time saving, even for a minute, is a luxurious commodity.We’ve seen brands such as Campbell cater to this need through their on-the-soups. The trend is now moving onto the exercise segment.
The 7 minute work out has been trending for a while for good reasons. As people become increasingly educated on health in order to accommodate for their nomadic traveling lifestyles and busy schedules, people look for these short cut exercise routines to keep them in tip top shape.
The well loved family brand Johnson & Johnson cashed in on the trend by building their own 7 minute work out app and that is also available on the Apple watch. The app demonstrates the move through videos. It also allows tracking and sharing with friends. The slogan “fitness that fits into your life” pretty much sums up the trend.
Then there’s the 12 minute athelete, designed to get you in the “best shape of your life” as long as you can dedicated 12 minutes a day to its exercise regimen. It is a HIIT workout based on “calisthenics, cross-training and functional fitness.” Its $2.99 app offers 12 mins or 16 mins workouts in length with various equipment options. Similarly, it has video guides, data tracking and sharing ability.
The number of apps with “minute” is on the rise. In fact, it has doubled since 2014. Even though workouts are mostly taking over this trend, we are starting to see a rise in other applicable forms.
The Grid Diary allows its users to record their days in short segments. It offers a fast and convenient way to diarize in a modern way. It starts with little weather and mood icons to easily record the simple details of the day before moving onto short questions such as “what did I get done today” and “what am I grateful for”. The questions are arranged in a visually appealing format easy for rearrangement and the questions are completely customizable. You can also upload images with a $4.99 upgrade option. It sends daily prompts so you won’t forget to make an entry. The result is magazine like entries once you scroll through past posts. It is honouring an old tradition with a new spin in a time crunched world.
The market is saturated with fitness and wellness related (breathing, meditation) minute apps but there is an untapped market for completing ordinary tasks in minute segments. Things that will serve well for passing time on daily commutes or even just to catch a few minutes of productivity in between minutes will be popular in months to come.
By: Carol Lin
Image credit: Tikkho Maciel and Johnson and Johnson and 12minuteathlete.com and The Grid Diary
