The Off Switch is a simple card and app that helps you stay in your workout instead of in your phone, without losing the parts of your phone you actually need for music, safety, or tracking.
On this page, you will see how it works, example routines you can copy, and what people who train with The Off Switch usually notice after a few weeks.
The Off Switch
× Gym-goers & Class-takers
1. Get proper workouts in, not half-workout, half-scroll.
2. Hit the intensity you need for progress, not just tick the “I went to the gym” box.
3. Feel present in classes instead of checking your phone between every set.
4. Use your phone for music, timers, and logs without letting it hijack your attention.
5. Leave the gym feeling like you trained, not like you mostly caught up on notifications in sportswear.
Where it starts to go wrong
Over time, high phone use and longer sitting are linked with lower physical fitness and more sedentary behaviour, which is the exact opposite of what you are at the gym to fix.
1. You unlock your phone to change a song and end up checking messages, socials, or email.
2. Rest gaps between sets stretch from one minute into five while you scroll.
3. In classes, you glance at your phone between tracks and drop out of the atmosphere in the room.
4. Notifications break your focus, even if you do not reply. Studies have found that notifications alone can impair performance on attention-heavy tasks.
5. You leave feeling underdone, frustrated, or annoyed with yourself, even though you showed up.
How The Off Switch helps
Think better
The Off Switch protects your training intensity by cutting down mid-set digital distractions that drag effort and focus down. It gives you clearer work and rest cycles, so you get more reps, more sets, and more time in the zone per session. Using exercise as a real break from constant screen time is linked with better physical and mental health and lower smartphone dependence overall.
Live easier
You choose which apps go Off and which stay On for training (socials, messaging, and work email Off; music, timer, and workout tracker On, for example). One tap on the Off Switch card quiets your chosen apps until you tap again, with no menu diving while you’re already warmed up. You can create different modes like Strength Session, Cardio Block, and Class Mode and reuse them across the week. The card lives where you train: on your locker shelf, in your gym bag, by your home dumbbells, or next to your yoga mat. Tap before you start, and it becomes part of your warm-up. The core features are free, so making your workouts more focused doesn’t mean adding yet another subscription.
Feel calmer
You start to trust that when you’re in a workout, you’re really in it. Less self-annoyance about “wasting the session” and more satisfaction with what you actually did. Classes feel more immersive and social because you’re not half pulled back into your phone between tracks. The gym becomes one of the few places your brain gets a break from constant digital noise.
Routines that work well for parents and carers
Strength session focus
When: Any planned strength workout.
Apps off: Social media, messages, email, work apps, games, news.
What stays on: Music, timer or rest timer, workout log, camera if you record form, emergency contacts.
How it helps: Keeps your attention on sets and reps. Less time lost between sets means more work done and better chance of hitting the intensity that actually drives progress.
Cardio block clarity
When: Treadmill, bike, rower, or outdoor cardio.
Apps off: Social media, messaging, email, video apps, games.
What stays on: Music or podcasts, tracking apps, safety contacts, maps if you’re outdoors.
How it helps: Reduces mid-run or mid-ride texting and scrolling, which research links with lower intensity and poorer balance and postural control on machines.
Class mode
When: Group exercise such as spin, HIIT, circuits, yoga, pilates, dance.
Apps off: Everything non-essential.
What stays on: Calls for emergencies, maybe one messaging app for childcare or family, if truly needed.
How it helps: Class becomes a full hour for you, not you plus everybody on your phone. You feel more part of the room and less like you are dipping in and out.
Cooldown and recovery
When: Last 10 to 15 minutes of your workout and the first bit after you leave.
Apps off: Work apps, news, and anything that spikes stress or pulls you back into to-do lists.
What stays on: Stretching or mobility apps, meditation or breathing apps, calm playlists, sleep tracking if you use it.
How it helps: Lets your nervous system actually wind down after training instead of going straight back into notifications, which is gentler on stress levels and recovery.
Common questions
I use my phone for music and tracking. Will this get in the way?
No. You choose what stays On. Most people keep music, timers, tracking apps, and emergency contacts available, while turning Off scrolling apps and work tools. The aim isn’t to cut you off from useful tech, just the bits that keep stealing your session.
What if I’m waiting on an important call?
You can keep calls or one specific contact route On while everything else is Off. If you’re expecting something time-sensitive, you can still be reachable without leaving the door wide open to every other notification.
Will this actually make my workouts better?
Studies have found that phone use during exercise can reduce exercise intensity and workload, and that frequent digital distraction during play can drag down both performance and enjoyment. By cutting down phone interference, you give yourself a better shot at the effort and focus that lead to real progress.
I train to escape my phone. Why do I need another app?
The Off Switch app is mostly there to set up your modes. Once you’ve done that, the main habit is tapping your phone on a physical card before and after sessions. You’re not adding more screen time. You’re using a small bit of setup to buy yourself cleaner, quieter training time.
I already feel glued to my phone. Is this still for me?
If anything, it’s especially for you. Heavy smartphone use is often associated with greater time spent sitting, lower fitness, and greater smartphone dependence. At the same time, regular exercise is linked with better mood and lower phone addiction scores. The Off Switch helps protect the one part of your week that is already good for you, so your phone doesn’t water it down.