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Verv Review 2024: Can It Help You Lead a Healthier Life?
In this review, I’ve conducted an analysis of the Verv app to explore its potential to guide individuals along the complicated journey to better health.
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The world is growing more health-conscious than ever. From switching to healthier dietary options to daily physical activity, we are taking smaller steps toward a healthier future.
Technology is a significant driver of this transformation, and I often see many clients use several health-tracking apps to stay fit. One app that I have seen many of my clients frequently talk about is the Verv app, and it really piqued my curiosity.
What is Verv? What makes it a holistic wellness app? And is its approach to fitness healthy?
To find out, I downloaded the Verv app, researched the brand, went through customer reviews, and religiously stuck to the workouts for a month. This is my in-depth, unfiltered review.
What Is the Verv App?
- An all-in-one solution to stay healthy
- Water, calorie, and step tracker
- 270+ guided meditations
- Meal plans for different dietary preferences
- Sounds for yoga practices and relaxation
It takes more than just exercise and a nutritious diet to stay healthy. Verv understands this notion and stands out as an all-inclusive health and wellness app.
It focuses on four aspects of health – exercise, diet, sleep, and mindfulness – within its single platform. Meaning you don’t have to download and manage multiple apps to follow a healthier lifestyle.
The free version of the app features basic benefits, including a large variety of home fitness workouts and programs, guided dance workouts, meal plans for every taste, step-by-step meditation courses, and sounds for relaxation.
If you wish to access Verv’s extensive resource library, tailored exercise plans, and meal ideas, consider signing up for a one-month subscription for $14.99. Or, you can choose a weekly subscription for $9.99 to get an overall feel of this fitness app and then decide on a longer subscription plan.
How I Started Out With Verv
I heard a lot of positive reviews from my clients, which is partly what led me to test the fitness app. But another critical factor that made me want to use Verv was its focus on four different aspects of health.
So, after my initial analysis of Verv’s website, I headed straight to the app store and downloaded the app.
The sign-up process
After downloading the fitness app, I was asked to answer a series of questions about my lifestyle, such as:
- What are your goals?
- What’s your current fitness level?
- Which activities do you prefer?
- Do you have any equipment?
- How many times per week do you want to work out?
- Which diet type do you prefer?
I completed the process in less than 5 minutes and the app quickly generated a customized plan for me. The fitness program offered two options: optimal and accelerated. The optimal plan emphasized gradual weight loss, while the accelerated option promised rapid progress.
I chose the optimal plan, and the app took me to a personalized home screen with recommended home fitness workouts and diet plans. The dashboard would show my goals, timeline, and daily exercise target.
It also recommended single sessions as add-ons to the main program. These simple workouts helped me accomplish daily exercise goals without committing long hours.
First impressions of the app
Right from the quiz, I was surprised by Verv’s attention to detail and micro-level personalization. They deep dive into your health and lifestyle before recommending plans that best fit your preferences and don’t disrupt your life. This makes you more likely to stick to the fitness program and not give up halfway.
A great feature is the wide range of personalized programs Verv recommends. These programs could be anything from interval training to meditations, running or walking workouts, or even cardio sessions. Since you have initially chosen your likes and dislikes, you won’t have to skip certain moves you don’t enjoy.
One of my favorite aspects of the entire Verv app was the section on top of the homepage highlighting my goal and daily exercise target. It acted as a reminder and made it almost impossible to skip the workout.
Lastly, all the personal recommendations you get on your dashboard are created by experts at Verv, including Dominique Gummelt, a fitness trainer; John Lavoie, a certified strength and conditioning specialist; Gia George, a kinesiologist; and Amy Shah, a double board-certified medical doctor.
How Does Verv Work? 5 Key Features
Essentially, Verv serves as a buddy in your journey to a healthier lifestyle. The platform has several tools designed to address your specific health needs. Furthermore, all the programs are tailored to fit your needs, preferences, and lifestyle.
Now, let me walk you through the main features of the Verv fitness app in detail.
#1 Guided workouts
If you are a beginner doing a home fitness workout, there is a high chance that you will end up doing an exercise wrong and get hurt in the process.
Verv helps you avoid such a situation through guided workouts built on the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. Each workout includes a list of simple exercises, a timer, and video demonstrations. Moreover, they explain in detail what and how you should do an exercise to complete it safely and effectively.
Though this might sound like a basic feature, many apps do not implement this extra level of care.
#2 Fitness challenges
Challenges motivate people to stick to their workout goals. If using a fitness app starts feeling like a routine, with nothing interesting to it, users are bound to give up.
Fortunately, Verv features numerous short challenges that will keep you kicking through your fitness journey. These challenges include everything from a 21-day fitness challenge to an 8-step sleep meditation, a 30-day all-food diet, and more.
Before you take up a challenge, you can review the summary explaining what you can expect from each challenge. These challenges include a new workout or activity each day, so you never get bored or tired of repeating the same routine daily.
#3 Running and walking tracker
Some days, you just don’t want to exercise in a closed room. Instead, you might be more willing to go out for a run or walk. With most fitness apps, logging in your daily step count or the miles you have run is a challenge.
However, Verv has an in-built running app and walking tracker that counts your daily steps and running sessions. This helps you meet your daily calorie burn goal even if you fail to do a workout program.
#4 Meal plans for different diets
Verv has meal plans for every taste and dietary preference, including restorative keto, all-food diet, easy vegan, and balanced vegetarian.
There is a meal plan for every day that is curated to complement your personalized workout program. Each meal plan also outlines the preparation time and calorie count, helping you make informed decisions.
#5 Guided meditation sessions and sleep sounds
Verv has an extensive library of 270+ guided meditation sessions and short practices. In addition, it offers step-by-step guided meditation courses. These programs tell you exactly what to do, just like a personal trainer would, which is great for someone getting started with meditation.
To take their meditation game to the next level, Verv also has 5-minute meditation sessions for those with busy schedules. Nonetheless, if you are more focused on improving your mental health, I recommend looking for the best mental health apps on the market.
What I Liked About Verv: 5 Main Benefits
After using the app for a while, I found a few things I liked about Verv. Here are the top 5 features I can’t praise enough:
#1 It offers a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle
Most often, fitness apps take a niche-specific approach to health. For instance, there would be an app for meal planning and calorie tracking, another for workout planning, and a different app for sleep tracking.
While sleep, mindfulness, exercise, and diet are essential pillars of a healthy lifestyle, managing a separate app for each aspect can be challenging. Not to mention take up a lot of space on your smartphone.
Verv, on the other hand, takes a more holistic approach to health and wellness. It beautifully integrates all four pillars and teaches you how to live healthier and achieve sustainable weight loss.
#2 It’s easy to follow and track progress
On the home page, the first thing you see is your goals and daily targets. It gives you a quick view of your final goal and then tells you what you can do today to achieve it. This keeps you motivated and decreases your chances of giving up.
Another great thing is the easy-to-follow daily tasks. Depending on your preferences, the workout plans may be 20–30 minutes long. That’s all the effort it takes. Plus, single workouts are a great way to burn extra calories.
#3 It’s great for beginners
I was a beginner once, and I know how difficult it can be to get started. You don’t know what to do and what not to do. On top of that, complex and boring exercises and workout plans can make you lose motivation.
The good thing about Verv is that it is incredibly user-friendly. Plus, it focuses on in-depth personalization.
The workout programs, challenges, meal plans, and other sessions are all tailored to your preferences. If you want to go keto, the platform would suggest keto meal plans. If you don’t like burpees, the workout programs would be made without burpees but other efficient exercises.
In essence, Verv is excellent for beginners who need a little motivation to kickstart their fitness journey and stay accountable.
#4 Challenges motivate you to keep going
A challenge is often the best way to start your fitness journey. Because, unlike workouts that you can skip on any given day, challenges make you want to keep up the good work and prove you can do it.
Verv understands this concept and has put together several fitness challenges for new and existing users. These range from weekly to monthly challenges across fitness, diet, sleep, and meditation. You can choose one that best fits your interests and get going.
#5 You get a lot of guidance and coaching
Whether it is a specific exercise or meditation, you won’t reap its benefits if you aren’t doing it right. In the worst-case scenario, it might even cause adverse effects.
Ongoing coaching and guidance is a crucial aspect of home fitness workouts. Surprisingly, most fitness apps overlook this factor, but not Verv. All sessions in the app are guided, offering ongoing information on how to perform an activity correctly.
What I Didn’t Like About Verv
Though I admire many things about Verv, there are a few instances where the app fell short of my expectations.
#1 The search function is limited
Unlike other fitness apps that allow you to search and filter through items, Verv makes you do things manually. You have to head to the Verv topic library and scroll through the entire listing to find what you want.
I found this to be very time-consuming and frustrating. It sometimes also drove me to the point of uninstalling the app.
#2 Meal plans lack nutrient breakdown
The meal plans on Verv cater to various dietary preferences and are easy to follow. However, one aspect that could be improved is the customization options. I couldn’t change the recipe or alter it to my preferences.
Additionally, the meal plans don’t provide a complete macro breakdown. Macronutrients are a crucial aspect for anyone looking to lead a healthy life. A lack of in-depth macro breakdown makes it hard for users to know what is going into their food and may prevent them from streamlining their diet better.
#3 The workout plan is not targeted enough
I did enjoy following the workout programs on Verv. At some point, however, I felt that even after all the efforts to personalize every aspect, the app reverted back to more generalized sessions.
Some exercises were not truly related to my fitness level and were too generic, especially running sessions. This dampens the overall experience.
How Much Does Verv Cost?
Verv offers numerous subscription plans so users can choose one that best fits their needs. A weekly subscription costs $9.99, while a one-month subscription costs $14.99.
However, the price varies depending on the length of your commitment. For instance, you can save on a monthly subscription by opting for a 3-month subscription for $29.99 ($9.99 per month) or an annual subscription for $39.99 ($3.33 per month).
Verv also lets users enjoy a 7-day free trial before committing to a paid membership.
What Do Other Users Think About Verv?
Before I even began using the app, the first thing I did was go through customer reviews. I wanted to know what others have to say about the app.
Most users were satisfied with the fantastic range of workouts. They also praised the simplicity of the platforms, which made them stick to the plans, thereby developing healthy habits. Here’s a positive review about the app I found in the App Store.
However, some users have had trouble canceling their subscriptions or getting customer support. Here’s a negative review from the App Store.
Verv vs. Other Weight Loss Apps
A wide range of fasting programs
Workouts have video tutorials
Water and calorie tracker
Easy-to-use interface
Supplement options are present to help with high appetite
Focuses on holistic health development
Features a wide range of workout and training programs
5-minute meditation sessions to fit into a busy schedule
Beginner-friendly and easy workout regime
Loads of recipes for varied preferences
Syncs with Apple Watch and Fitbit
A simple interface centered around the weight loss journey
Targets people looking to lose weight
Easily accessible
Well-designed plan to help with weight loss requirements
Requires a subscription
The premium version has ads
Customer support is slow and unresponsive
Lacks special features such as barcode scanners to log meals
Expensive premium membership
The free version contains few training and meditation sessions
The search functionality needs improvement
Requires intense commitment to stay on track
Expensive food alternatives and recipes can increase as the plan progresses
Time-consuming to use and get started
FAQs
With over a million downloads on Google Play alone, Verv is a reputable app. It focuses on four pillars of health – physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness – and serves as a one-stop solution for those looking to lead a healthy and fit life.
Verv is a safe choice for people of all ages and fitness levels, especially beginners. Each training session comes with guidance and coaching so you can complete the program safely. Furthermore, this exercise app doesn’t share user information or data with third-party applications and resources.
The Verv app is available for download from Google Play and the App Store.
How I Tested Verv
I look for several aspects when reviewing an app. There is usually a pattern I follow that spans the following factors:
Quality 8/10
The first aspect I checked was the quality of the training sessions involved in the platform. I carefully reviewed each feature to see if they were tailored to fit the quiz I initially completed.
From my experience, a few exercises, especially running sessions, were generic, but other workouts and meal plans were curated to fit my preferences.
Effectiveness 8/10
The next thing I checked was the effectiveness of the custom plans. I did see considerable changes in my lifestyle and overall approach to health. I focused more on making healthy choices and was motivated to stick to my goals.
Many customer reviews also mention how Verv helped them stay consistent.
Price 7/10
In my opinion, the pricing is neither expensive nor cheap. However, Verv offers several plans, so you can choose one that best fits your budget and needs. They also provide a 7-day free trial before you commit to a paid subscription.
Brand reputation 8/10
The initial quiz is one of the best I have ever come across. It is short and quick yet asks effective questions. This proves Verv’s commitment to understanding every user on a personal level in order to serve them the best.
In addition, customer reviews suggest that they are highly satisfied with the app’s features and performance.
A Word From Our MD
While most fitness apps focus on workouts and diets, maintaining a healthy lifestyle demands much more. It also involves other aspects, such as good-quality sleep and mindfulness. Verv understands this notion and strives to serve as a holistic health and wellness app.
It focuses on all four pillars of health and ensures every user enjoys highly personalized plans. Furthermore, each session comes with expert guidance and coaching to ensure effectiveness and safety.
However, even though Verv is a fantastic platform, you shouldn’t rely on it blindly. For instance, the app fails to provide an in-depth macronutrient breakdown, which is essential for meal planning.
So, any fitness application should be used keeping in mind that the suggestions it makes may not always be right. If you face health issues or struggle to stick to the fitness programs, consider consulting a personal trainer.
Conclusion: Should You Try Verv?
Verv is a fantastic app to manage all aspects of your fitness journey under a single roof. It has many good features but comes out to be lacking in a few aspects.
Nonetheless, there are many more fitness apps on the market, such as MyFitnessPal, Keto Cycle, and DoFasting. If you aren’t looking to manage four different aspects of your health but concentrate on one or two, make sure you look around for niche-specific alternatives, like nutrition apps, walking apps, and more.