By Chelsea Fairbourn
Home workouts: the sanity saver we’re clinging to in the midst of a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” directive both locally and around the country. If you’re not used to working out from home, it can be a clunky adjustment. You may feel like you don’t have the right equipment, the space, or the motivation to do it. While that may be the case for the workouts you’re used to, there are plenty of alternatives that will help you work up a sweat from your living room. We set out to find fresh and, most importantly, free programs you can start today.
Fitness Apps
Nike Training Club
This is one of the easiest apps out there to use with hundreds of workouts available at your fingertips. At the most basic level, you can search by muscle group, workout type, and equipment available. One really cool feature is that you can exercise with your favorite Nike athletes. Did you watch the U.S Women’s Soccer Team take home the World Cup last year? You can do star forward Carli Lloyd’s HIIT workout alongside her. If you need motivation for the long haul, try one of their programs on for size. Pick the duration and they will send you workout reminders, nutrition tips, and wellness advice to keep you consistent.
Download here.
Peloton
Normally Peloton’s app-based boutique classes cost a pretty penny to utilize, but for 90 days you can use it for free. If you like the feel of working out in a group setting, this program will be a good fit. You can stream classes for spin, running, upper body, lower body, core, yoga, and even meditation. Their trainers bring the energy every single time and provide a mood boost along with a workout. Don’t want to commit to a 60-minute class? Classes start at 5 minutes long and build up from there.
Download here.
BBG Sweat
Another favorite in the fitness world is the Kayla Itsines “SWEAT” app. Her famous 12-week BBG workout guide is the inspiration for the app that now has timed HIIT workouts and demonstrated moves. She’s offering free access to the app for the next month, so take advantage of it while you can! The beauty of this program is that most of the exercises are body weight driven to begin with, so you won’t feel like you have to modify the moves if you’re short on equipment. On top of that, it’s designed to build in complexity. The guide gives you the chance to master the basics, perfect your form, and advance to the next level of complexity.
Download here.
Live Stream Fitness
High Fitness
If you’re experiencing High Fitness withdrawals, you’re not alone! For those new to the High Fitness craze, it’s a high energy group class that marries old school aerobics and HIIT training. In a typical class they pair popular music with choreographed body weight exercises (think lots of squats and lunges). Gym closures around the country haven’t slowed them down – they’ve taken their workouts to YouTube! You can follow along with their on-demand class playlist or catch one of their live stream workouts on their website.
Athletic Rebublic
If functional sports training is more your cup of tea, Athletic Republic is the answer. Their AR-FIT program is all about movement-based circuit workouts that build strength, balance, stability, and endurance. It’s an hour-long session designed for the athlete in mind – so definitely loop in your teenagers that are missing their spring sports. They are offering free live and recorded Zoom workouts Monday-Friday at 8am. Each workout has a different theme and training focus, so you can pick and choose what to do based on your fitness goals. The best part? Athletic Republic is performance driven, so when it is time to leave it all out on the field, the athletes in your house will be ready.
To join a live workout M-F at 8am, click here. Click here for pre-recorded workouts:
Yogaworks
We’re taking a step away from high energy and a step toward mindfulness with our next pick. Yogaworks is offering free live classes through their website to help you slow down and embrace the stillness at home (even if that stillness comes while hiding in your closet). They have a class to fit any mood – basic moves, prenatal, hot yoga, flow and meditation, gentle, and kundalini with a sound bath. Most classes range from 45-70 minutes, making them a bit more of a time commitment. That said, pop in a movie for your littles, throw on headphones, and unroll a yoga mat or towel alongside them.
Orangetheory
This hugely popular boutique fitness studio is offering portions of their workouts for free through their corporate Instagram page. Dial up the Orangetheory account and you will find a collection of at home workouts to try that keep you in your target heart rate and burn fat fast. Each one includes a warm up, timing cues for movements, modifications for any exercise restrictions, and a flexibility/cool down block. If you’ve wanted to try the program, without committing to a membership, this is a golden opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like. Classes run about 20 minutes on average.
Classes: @orangetheory
Trainer Lindsey
Friend of the show, Lindsey Mathews, has turned her Instagram page into fitness heaven. A simple scroll through it shows IGTV workouts for different muscle groups and advice for achieving proper form. Most of Lindsey’s fitness tips live on Instagram normally, so you have access to hundreds of exercises along with nutrition and wellness advice too.
Bonus tip, you can search “fitness” on the Studio 5 website to find past segments from Lindsey and Health & Fitness Contributor Melanie Douglas demonstrating at home workouts.
Lindsey’s Instagram: @trainerlindsey
Tyler Cameron + Phil Fit
This is a shameless plug for a surprisingly quality workout from reality TV favorites Tyler Cameron and Hannah Brown. The duo from last year’s season of The Bachelorette on ABC host live workouts every day at 12pm MDT with trainer Phil Fit on Instagram Live. The workouts are 30 minutes of primarily body weight exercises, the occasional water jug/canned good bicep curl, and cardio moves that can easily be done in your living room or backyard. As an added bonus, they answer questions from fans of the show after they wrap up the fitness side of things. If you’re looking to break a sweat + a reality TV fix, this one’s for you.
Find some at-home physical activity ideas for kids here.
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