Hip & Healthy contributor, Gemma Bath, documents her experience using the latest fitness app on the block, TruBe!

I think I just experienced fitness Tinder. Swiping left is the average busy working gals’ way to a date in London. So I shouldn’t be surprised that logging into an app is the new and improved way to also find your next trainer.

Visiting TruBe’s website I am impressed ‘Fitness made easy’ is the slogan I am greeted with on the homepage, which is an immediate tick in my books. As a 20 something working full time in the city, fitting in a sweat session daily can often be difficult. The whole idea of this app is trainers come to you whether that is in the comfort of your own home, at the office or in a park. As founder Daria Kantor spruiks “it’s about making personal trainers accessible for everyone”. You pick the time, you pick the style of training and you are in charge. Intrigued I downloaded the app, created my profile, uploaded a photo and started flicking through the tabs. As I started to read trainer profiles it dawned on me. I was quite literally PT shopping, not too dissimilar to online boyfriend shopping. Hang on… was I fit Tindering? The app allows you to see a trainer’s photo, read their bio and basically decide if they’re for you. Instead of swiping left or right, you send out an offer, a request if you will – please train me!

I wanted to fit in a training session by the end of the week, and as it was already Tuesday I dived on in. It was about lunchtime, and I thought you know what, no rest for the wicked how about tonight. The awesome thing about this training option is you get access to trainers from all sorts of backgrounds; ballet, yoga, strength, ah-huh – boxing! I was sold, boxing in Regents Park on a balmy Tuesday night anyone? So I found a trainer, sent out my request and I waited…and waited. I watched and checked the little spinning circle that told me it was ‘contacting the trainer’ for about three hours before I started to notice the online dating similarities creeping back in. Why hadn’t my trainer responded? Did they check out my profile and decide they didn’t want to? Maybe their push notifications aren’t on…why doesn’t my boxing expert want me! Drastic action was needed, I sent out a blanket call…does ANYONE want to train me, tonight at 630pm. I watched as dozens of spinning circles appeared. Finally a bite, two trainers accepted my plea to train. And here, I am embarrassed to say is where the dating comparisons continue. I went on their profiles and blatantly judged. One of the male trainer’s profiles looked rather intimidating. His profile told me he was ex –army and his stern looking photo made me scared he’d frog march me through some pretty vomit inducing drills. I winced and checked the other option, this guy looked more approachable, but his PT skills didn’t include boxing. My heart was set so I ignored both offers, and just like when you read and ignore a message from a potential suitor on Tinder, I felt strangely guilty.

I decided on another option, Friday morning before work, my house. How luxurious a PT in my own home! No lining up for a gym shower or appearing in the office with my sweaty workout clothes slung over my shoulder in a back pack. The night before I started to get nervous for my early morning fitness meet, first date nerves if you will. What if she didn’t like me? What if I didn’t like her? I had of course nothing to worry about, the moment Akua arrived at my front door with her gloves and pads I knew I was in capable hands. The session was fantastic, the right mix of challenging and fun, and I had my very own personal backyard motivator. I don’t think I could ask for anything more convenient in a workout. For the time poor and motivation lacking, TruBe is a true life saver. For stay at home mums, busy office workers and even travellers, this is the perfect way to train. At £50 per one-off session, it might not seem like one for those on a budget. But TruBe does offer a bundle deal of four class for £99 pounds, making it £25 pounds per session ( And you can buddy-up and split that with a friend ).

Nowadays we seem to be app obsessed, using our phones for food delivery, clothes shopping, dating and so it seems, fitness – and for the target audience, this app is a winner. It has been up and running since April last year, and has dozens of amazing trainers with impressive credentials signed on. If you need a trainer fast or a sweat session near you pronto, this is the Tinder equivalent of the dating world. Clever, instantaneous, safe and damn successful.

To find out more about TruBe head to http://trubeapp.com/

Words by Gemma Bath – www.sunliteyes.com Instagram: @gembath