SWEAT SESSIONS JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT
COOLER WITH THESE WORKOUT PROGRAMMES
The best streaming workouts combine AI technology, computerised sensors and a whole host of other scientific elements to bring the personal trainer directly to you, from the comfort of your house.
Wave goodbye to the gym, because these fitness programmes will have you sweating, squatting and strengthening anytime, anywhere, tailored specifically towards your goals, fitness levels and preferences.
Some of these fitness apps cover a whole spectrum of exercises from yoga workouts to 5K prep and dance cardio. Others are designed purely with one type of movement in mind. And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a whole collection of home gym equipment at your disposal or you’d rather keep it simple with bodyweight exercises as these workout programmes cover plenty of ground.
It’s time to get your heart pounding, blood thumping and endorphins rushing through your body: we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and these are the most popular workout plans, the top fitness apps and, in our opinion, some of the best exercise programmes to sweat to.
FitOn: Overall best workout programme
Cost: Free for basic, $11.30 a month for premium
Type: A variety of workouts including cardio, HIIT, strength, yoga, and stretching
After a few workouts with FitOn, you’ll not only find yourself looking forward to hanging out with your favourite celebrity trainers but possibly also referencing them in conversation, too. Combining motivating words and the occasional joke with an entire encyclopaedia of workouts, FitOn is the answer to almost everyone’s workout problems. Used by more than five million people, this fitness app will help you to tone, shape, build and stretch with workouts designed to suit everyone from beginners through to athletes.
It’s the closest thing you’ll find to having an on-hand personal trainer, ready to whip you into the best shape of your life as soon as you’ve opened the app. FitOn can also take the place of the friend who convinces you to spontaneously join her/his group class in the morning, thanks to its (optional) daily reminders and gentle persuasion. Energetic background music is the cherry on top that’ll keep you energised past that last rep.
P.volve: Best fitness programme for toning
Cost: $14.99 a month
Type: Resistance based and high intensity
Not only does P.volve build your confidence through the toned, lithe body you achieve from its workouts, but it also takes it one step further at the beginning. The whole premise of P.volve is to make sure you’re working out properly, which means the first step is to master each of the functional moves. Once that’s done, it’s time to take a deep dive into the endless variety of workouts on the app, which can all be filtered according to your workout goals.
A quick burst of energy can be maximised with a one-off sweat session or larger, long-term goals can be measured and tracked through different fitness programmes. Each time you complete a workout, you’ll watch the little progress bar jump a little closer towards your final goal. P.volve uses resistance-based, high-intensity, low-impact movements that are more accessible in the workout world and combines these to strengthen, sculpt and energise the entire body in one quick blast.
Obé: Best short fitness classes
Cost: $27 a month
Type: A variety of workouts including HIIT, dance cardio, power, and barre
Only got 45 minutes to squeeze in a quick workout? Don’t fuss about heading out for a quick run around the block or frantically starting your high knees and sit ups: Obé has just the solution. This fitness programme is designed for those with a busy schedule with classes under 30 minutes long that make you feel like you’ve just finished a two-hour session at the gym.
The 22 live classes that run every day are brilliant for convincing your body that you’re there in the studio with a trainer in front of you. After 28 minutes, you’ll find yourself sweating and exhausted and excited to do it all over again tomorrow.
The Axle Workout: Best full-body fitness programme
Cost: $35 a month
Type: Mostly HIIT and bodyweight
The best kind of full-body workout will have you waking up in the morning and wondering why none of your limbs want to move. Reminding you of muscles you didn’t even know existed, Axle at Home is a science-based workout programme that combines core and mobility workouts.
The Axle barbell can be used to contort your body into all sorts of weird and wonderful workout positions during a huge variety of live and on-demand sessions. Each home workout is led by a certified instructor in a way that seems both private and interactive. A soon-to-be essential to your health routine, the Axle makes physical workouts something to look forward to.
Alo Yoga: Best yoga workouts
Cost: $20 a month
Type: Mostly yoga, also strength, barre, pilates
Can’t get to your usual yoga studio? No problem. Alo Yoga’s Alo Moves is the perfect setting for allowing your body to breathe, relax and pretend you’re back on the mat from the comfort of your home. Alo Moves combines unlimited yoga, meditation and more to help you hit your PBs and stay zen at the same time.
The encouraging instructors will make you determined to make movement a daily part of your routine again — whether that’s in the form of Vinyasa stretches, HIIT sessions that leave you breathless or mindfulness to keep you present. Alo Moves also makes time for those other challenges that you might have put off in the past. Fancy learning how to hold a handstand or stretch into splits? The guided classes will put your spare hours to good use, toning your body while providing new fitness goals for extra motivation.
Tempo Fit: Best online fitness programme
Cost: $55 a month
Type: Full body workouts
Tempo Fit is basically the closest thing you’ll find to an on-demand personal trainer. This AI-powered home gym is the workout of the future: utilising 3D sensors to count your reps and keep you in good form on a real time basis. One of the most impressive fitness routines available, it’ll correct your form when lifting weights, encourage you to squat deeper and count your reps — so there’s no cheating.
You’ll quickly notice physical changes, from subconsciously standing with your feet a little further apart to instinctively knowing the best positions for other strength sessions. Tempo makes recommendations based on your goals, whether that’s losing weight, toning up or increasing your rep count. It’ll also show you how you’ve progressed, making even the toughest workouts seem more than worthwhile by the time you’ve finished.
Aaptiv: Best audio classes
Cost: $15 a month
Type: Running, strength, full body, cardio burn
It doesn’t matter whether you’re turning your walk into a one mile run or you’re looking for an intensive workout plan filled with cardio burn and strength training — Aaptiv combines it all. Especially suitable for newbies or those looking to step up their game, this fitness programme has an almost endless number of classes to join.
Aaptiv makes workout boredom a thing of the past, thanks to its ridiculously motivating trainers who say encouraging words via the app whenever you feel yourself losing energy. A large number of trainers and the ever-changing music means you’ll start to discover new songs and instantly save them to your mental checklist for your next Aaptiv workout. Choose between pop, electronic dance, hip hop, rock, R&B or chilled beats to ensure your workout ends only when the music stops and not a moment before.