With the insurgence of online workouts the past few years, I’ve found myself at a traditional gym less and less. Instead, I favor working out in the home gym my husband and I have created while utilizing with some truly excellent fitness content that is available online. It’s hard to beat the connivence, cost, and ease of access; when excursive fits into my schedule rather than the other way around its always a win! In addition to the health benefits, the feel good glow – inside and out – that accompanies a great workout is a tough feeling to beat. I’ve been working out at home for the majority of the past three years and would like to share some of my favorite content with you if you are interested in getting your heart rate up at home!
Tone It Up
This is undeniably my go-to fitness and lifestyle brand. I’ve been sweating alongside Karena and Katrina for years and cannot recommend them enough. The workouts are challenging, yet attainable, and typically filmed on the beach which provides the ideal escape from the pain your body is in. Plus their beautiful figures are motivation to push through that last rep or pick up the heavier dumbbells! The pair publishes a weekly schedule each Sunday that takes the guesswork out of your workouts for the week and the majority of their workouts are free on YouTube. Also check out their Instagram for a beautiful selection of motivation that features their well-rounded philosophy on heath, exercise, and life. They are about to kick off a 31 day challenge that would be the perfect introduction.
Try: HIITy Bitty Bikini, Bikini Abs, Bikini Arms, Kettletoning, Tone It Up Mash-Up, Malibooty
Blogilates
The pilates based workouts you will find on this YouTube channel are deceivingly difficult. No I mean it, you will be BURNING. Now you can’t say I didn’t warn you. Cassey is incredibly energetic and on those days I need a break from the beach and want to focus on some hard-core toning this is where you’ll find me. The updated pilates moves don’t require anything more than your own body and when paired with modern, catchy music makes for a workout that flies by. Cassey also publishes a monthly calendar to follow and I’ve found that, while I love the workouts, there wasn’t enough cardio included for my personal liking.
Try: Quick Burn Calves, Cardio Beat, Six Minute Arms, Extreme Abs 2
Yoga with Adrienne
There’s an incredible amount of research on the benefits of yoga – both physical and mental – but I’m sold simply on my own personal, anecdotal evidence that I feel better when I don’t skip the yoga days. However, going to a yoga class can be incredibly intimating to anyone and if you’ve not partaken in the practice before it can be doubly scary. This channel provides a 30 day program with 20 to 30 minutes sessions each day that provides a very reasonable pathway into the practice. Adrienne is sweet and makes no assumptions on previous knowledge. I highly recommend the 30 day program as somewhere to begin yoga or help to establish a nightly routine; however, even experienced yogi’s will find challenging videos on her channel.
Try: 30 Days of Yoga
Skyfit
For me, the runners high is a very real thing. I typically watch TV on the iPad while I run on the treadmill but whenever I get the itch to hit the pavement this is unequivocally the app I turn too. There are a myriad of curated playlists that are constantly changing and each playlist is designed for a specific kind of run or specific distance (i.e. HIIT, steady state, 5K). The playlist is matched to a trainer audio that tells you to speed up, slow down, stop for a set of 10 lunges, or keep at it because you are doing great! Much like a spin class at the gym, it’s nice to detach and know that you don’t have to worry about structuring your workout – you just jam to the music and follow the instructions. The app also has elliptical, spin, and yoga routines that it will talk you though but I’ve not tried them.
barre3
When we lived in Portland, I used to love taking experimental fitness classes like trampoline fitness and each time I go a business trip I spend each evening satisfying my Soulcycle obsession. After we moved back to Olympia, I found myself missing the boutique classes and the unique opportunities to try something other than weights and running. barre3 was a favorite when were in Portland so I was thrilled when they introduced their online program at the beginning of the summer. Like most barre-based fitness classes, barre3 uses a combination of postures inspired by ballet, pilates, dance, yoga and functional training. Since I began mine in one barre3 workout a week the tightness and pain I get from hacking at a keyboard all day has noticeably improved.
Finally, I’ll leave you with a helpful reminder:
[Source: This is My Workout Shirt ]
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