Home workouts are better than working from home
We survey a selection of sessions you can do while isolating. And they’re free.
Fitness centers across the country have shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean all exercise is canceled.
In fact, online wellness communities have existed long before quarantines were encouraged. There are hundreds of fitness influencers, workout apps and virtual classes that can be accessed from a computer, phone or tablet at home, and with minimal to zero gym equipment required.
And today, at-home workouts are also inexpensive: Much of the leading online exercise brands are offering their services for free, at least for bit.
Here’s a look at different types of workout programs that might interest the former gym faithful:
You like intensity and dumbbells: Sweat app
Australian fitness trainer Kayla Itsines’ women’s fitness app is hugely popular for good reason: Sweat, which is filled with her signature BBG (Bikini Body Guide) program, will give you results. (At least that’s what fans’ before/ after photos on Itsines’ Instagram demonstrate.) These workouts will be the cause of plenty of perspiration, so do keep up the social distancing. Her 26minute exercises call for dumbbells and jump-rope.
Bonus: The app (available in the App Store and Google Play) is free for seven days. After that, it’s $19.99 a month.
Want a low-key yoga practice? Try Yoga with Adriene
Adriene Mishler’s yoga YouTube videos have more than 500 million views. Why? Well, she has a video for everything, from long morning routines to quick, post-run stretches and movements for neck pain. The instructor is down-to-earth and easy to follow, and her adorable dog Benji, who is seen sleeping in many of her videos, just adds to the mellow vibe.
Bonus: Adriene just uploaded a “Yoga for Uncertain Times” YouTube workout
playlist which is free.
If you have a treadmill or stationary bike: Peloton app
Whether you have a Peloton bike (which turned out to not be such a thoughtless Christmas gift after all) or treadmill, you can access the Peloton app for its running and spinning workouts. Peloton’s motivating instructors lead livestreamed classes where users can virtually high-five other participants. The Peloton app also offers boot camps, guided runs, yoga and strength training routines.
Bonus: Peloton is offering its app (available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore) for free for 90 days. After that, it’s $12.99 a month.
If you need a quick HIIT: Tone it Up app
Perky trainers Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn host live classes and have a library of hundreds of workouts that range from 10 to 40 minutes. Their goal: To help you boost metabolism and, yes, tone it up. You can do plenty of their efficient workouts with just a yoga mat. You’ll be able to do even more with a dumbbell and resistance band.
Bonus: Tone It Up (available in the App Store) is now free until April 13. After that, it’s $14.99 a month.
For a low-impact option: MWH Method
Good news for people in cramped apartments with thin walls: Melissa Wood Tepperberg’s classes involve small and precise movements that can be done anywhere. Need something even lower impact than the low-impact workouts? She offers guided meditations, too.
Bonus: The first week of workouts (available online and in the App Store) are free. After that, the program is $9.99 a month.
Something for the kids, too: Sworkit
Sworkit emphasizes proper form over instructor spiels, with detailed descriptions of each fitness move. There are exercise playlists for adults, and also specific categories of workouts for children. And it’s a fun word, no? Sworkit technically stands for “simply work it,” but we prefer to think of the word as a hybrid of circuit and workout.
Bonus: The app (available at the App Store and Google Play) offers free kids content and is $9.99 a month after a 7day trial.
You love boutique fitness classes: Orangetheory at home
After Orangetheory Fitness classes were closed internationally, the fitness franchise announced it would have the same team that designs its in-studio workout create at-home ones. Starting Tuesday, they began posting daily Instagram videos that feature several workout circuits and demonstrations.
Bonus: You don’t need to be an Orangetheory member to watch the free IGTV videos, and you also don’t need any equipment.