Online Workouts I Love
I haven't always been an online workout advocate. One of my first experiences with working out at home was a few months after the birth of my first son. It was the dead of winter, I was operating solo during the day, postpartum, frustrated by my "new" body, and completely sleep deprived. I really thought that my motivation would carry me through, but I'm going to let you figure out how this one ended. Since that time, I convinced myself that I don't do DVD workouts, but 3 kids later and minuscule amounts of time to devote to myself; it was time to give it another shot.
With a great deal of skepticism, I tried an online workout called The 21 Day Fix, and much to my surprise, I was hooked. See -- what had happened in all that time I was busy having more boys was that the world of workouts via DVDs and online was evolving - rapidly. Since that time a few years ago, I've expanded the breadth of my online workouts. These days, I'm newly able to actually leave the house for studio workouts, but still choose to sprinkle workouts via streaming along with what I do out of the house. I am still a super busy mama after all! Below are some of my favorites.
Beachbody On Demand: Beachbody has come a long way since the release of their first workout program (P90X) in the late 90s. In the past few years, the company has evolved and now offers their complete library of workout programs via online subscription. It's basically any type of workout you can think of - yoga, HIIT, dance, pilates, boot camp...you name it. For $99 a year, to me this is a subscription that can serve as the backbone to anyone's fitness routine. If that still seems too much of a commitment, try if for one month free! I do not necessarily do these workouts every single day, but they serve as the current that flows through my life, no matter what other workouts I choose to do out of the house. Even better, the company manages to still release new programs every few months -- and it's all included in the subscription along with corresponding nutrition programs. In terms of value...this is it.
Barre3: I discovered this recently in a hunt for online workouts that would help me get toned, but without high intensity. Barre 3 has a strong physical studio presence, but I have to say, I was really quite impressed with this online subscription service. The workouts offered can fit any timeframe - 10, 30, 45 or 60 minutes and vary in intensity. I also really appreciate that the instructors appear to be real life humans rather than fitness model-bots. You know what I Mean right?! The cueing is intentionally intuitive and balanced. If you are looking for a great workout, that will leave you with long lean muscles and not doubled over panting -- this just might be it.
Tone It Up: These girls are perky, but sometimes that's what we need amiright? I'll admit that sometimes all the beach frolicking and "babe" references are a little much, but I think these gals are the real deal. Also -- they have built a legit empire out of their hard work and charisma. I dare you not to be inspired. Try out their new app, or just do the daily workouts. I've done these often and find them to be a great solution when I really need to add some spice to my workout routine. Both Karena and Katrina are recently certified in yoga as well, and I love the way they aren't afraid to go decidedly untraditional with the addition of weights and HIIT to their flows.
YogaGlo: Now I'm getting specialized, and if you are at all interested in yoga this one is a great choice. You can try this for 15 days free just to test it out. One of the main features of this app is that there is yoga for virtually any mood or need that you may have. The classes are titled in an intuitive way, and are designed for the user. Also, one of my favorite teachers - Kathryn Budig - teaches via this app. Her classes are creative, high intensity and fun. Another great feature here is the "Discover" tab that lets you choose yoga based on "Flows We Love", "New to Yoga", "Meditation" or "Sweat". Whether you are new to yoga, or a seasoned expert, I highly recommend this one!
Boho Beautiful: If I told you that this one might be a good choice for the scenery alone you'd be...right. Seriously though, who wouldn't love a fitness series from a couple that chucked it all to go travel the world and teach pilates, meditation and yoga in the most beautiful locations? One of the great things about YouTube is the vast amount of free exercise material that is offered. Despite the airy seeming title of this one, I've found the workouts stand up. I usually go to these when I'm short on time and have found the yoga in particular to be intense and great for when my energy levels are high. The core and booty workouts are also the real deal, and I think we all need that at least some times, no?
AloYoga: Another great free resource, is AloYoga via YouTube. There are so many good ones here, but my favorites are the flows from Caley Alyssa. Caley is a 1,000 hour (let that sink in a moment) trained yoga instructor, and always seems to have the perfect blend of cardio, core, stretching and meditation in her workouts. Really, this channel is a treasure trove. Check out the Nauli Breathing video - you may never think of your stomach the same way again and no, I can't do that.
There you go - my favorite online workouts just for you. Try them out and let me know which ones you love! Also, if you have any favorites I haven't listed here let me know. I'd love to hear!
As always,
Onward!
