Home workout apps are our new knights in shinning armour. Before COVID-19 you may have been checking in each week with a personal trainer of following a plan in the gym.
It is easy to let your normal fitness schedule slip during these times so to help you stay active during lockdown check out our round up of the best workout apps to help you exercise at home.
OYNB won't hear of any excuses!
This selection of at home workout apps makes sure you are hitting everything from your glutes to your pecs. From low impact power yoga to sweat dripping HIIT workouts we have you covered.
This is the perfect time to try a new type of exercise and using a workout app to guide you will make the process even easier. All you need to do is download, tap then give it your all.
You might be surprised how challenging these at home workout apps can actually be!
How to get the most out of home workout apps
We understand that getting motivated for a home workout might be harder than getting pumped up and excited to go to the gym or your fav spin class.
If you focus and put in the effort then you can have a really effective workout from your living/bedroom room floor!
To help make sure you get the most out of each workout, here are some tips to make working out at home effective:
- Be consistent where you can. Try to workout at the same time each day. You may be working from home so schedule your workout time around your new found remote working.
- Before you begin take 5 minutes to pay attention to stretching, your mind and breathing. You could even start with a guided meditation or try out a new breathing technique.
- And make sure you have a clutter free area to workout in get that coffee table out the way and go!
The best workout apps for exercise at home you can download today
Couch to 5K
For a lot of us this actually might be the first time we have done any exercise at home for months or in some cases years!
Rather than jump into something head first then give up within a week, Couch to 5K from our beloved NHS takes you from sitting on the couch to a competent 5k runner in only 3 runs a week.
Workouts include voice overs from some of the most decorated sports men and women, like Michael Johnson.
Use your once a day exercise productively during lockdown, you could even do this workout plan with your other half.
Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer app
Your own free at home personal trainer
With no access to a gym right now staying on track is not easy. The Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer app can become your own (free) at home personal trainer.
Start by choosing the area of your body you would like to work that day. So you could even run a “bro split” and workout from the comfort of your home 5 days a week hitting your chest one day then legs, followed by back, then shoulders and finishing off with arms.
This workout app is so easy to use just download, choose an area of the body and get to work! Effective workouts in front of your couch in 30 minutes.
My Virtual Mission
Create your own fitness challenge.
As we are all currently confined to staying at home and rightly so. Those of us that love to explore will be chomping at the bit to be free to explore once again.
So how about working out and creating your own fitness challenge.
With My Virtual Mission you plot start and end points on the map and each time you go running or cycling you'll advance along your path.
If you are working remotely with a team of people there is a wellbeing option to help keep everyone motivated! Encourage your colleagues to stay active at home by taking them on a fitness challenge anywhere in the world.
My Virtual Mission is great for individuals and close knit teams looking to improve wellbeing and health during lockdown.
Nike Training Club
Turn staying in into your at-home advantage with Nike.
Nike Training Club takes the freemium app approach. This app is great If you have some light fitness equipment at home or if you need to rely on your own bodyweight for your home workout.
Nike have created a routine that fits you and your schedule so that you can reach your fitness goals while on lockdown. Offering a vast workout library with exercises aimed at body parts or fitness objectives.
Workouts can last from 15 to 45 minutes so you can get your session done on your stay at home lunch break.
Freeletics
Train wherever you are with an AI powered digital coach.
This digital coaching app can boast over 40 million users worldwide and has also been featured on both the App Store and Google Play.
Freeletics provides you with hundreds of workout routines covering a variety of muscle groups and fitness levels, all designed to use only your body weight as your exercise equipment.
The app uses audio and video guides that show you hot to perform your workouts step-by-step.
As you use this app and the more you workout at home your digital coach begins to adapt your workouts based on your previous performances.
StrongLifts 5×5
Just open the app and lift!
For those of us lucky enough to have access to more heavy duty equipment during lockdown then StrongLifts 5×5 is the perfect way to increase your muscle strength.
This app is based on the hugely popular strength training program of the same name. 5×5 stands for five sets of five reps of five free-weight exercises — squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, and barbell row.
These compound movements are done in three 45-minute workouts per week.
The app tells you which exercises to do in each workout, complete with video tutorials, and how long to rest in between sets. As you log your workout reps, the app shows your progress in a weekly or monthly easy to read graph.
Sworkit
Fitness made simple
One for all you procrastinators out there, Sworkit!
Simply Work It. Each workout in this app is unique to ensure that exercise never becomes a chore. Before doing your first workout you are asked which type of excercise you would like to focus on build strength, yoga, cardio, stretch, pilates or even build a custom routine.
The exercises are selected at random but Sworkit makes sure each workout pushes you closer to your health and fitness goals.
The are so many amazing reviews on both iOS and Android versions of this exercise at home workout app and stories of people transforming their wellbeing.
Keelo
Functional fitness for all.
If you like your workouts to be fast paced and intense then Keelo is the app for you. Available on iOS and Android, Keelo focuses on high intensity interval training (HIIT) for short, incredibly intense workouts that burn off those calories not your time.
Here is an example of a Keelo workout you can do right now at home!
3 Rounds of:
- 20 Air Squats
- 20 Hand Release Push-ups
- 20 Lunges (alternating)
- 20 Sit-ups
Workouts are scalable for beginners and experts. Workouts only take 7 to 20 minutes and there are helpful video instructions keep things clear and simple for everyone.
FitOn
The best home workouts and always free.
What started as a premium subscription service s now a completely free home workout app. FitOn makes it easy to workout either alone or with your friends.
The unlimited free access provides a vast array of video exercise classes, with varying training techniques and objectives. Workouts featuring pilates, HIIT, or dance, and classes designed for different workout targets and timeframes.
Each workout comes with full voice and video instructions, with exercise classes facilitated by celebrity trainers like Cassey Ho of Blogilates and Katie Dunlop of Love Sweat Fitness.
FitOn could just be the best free workout app you can download for both iOS and Android.
Zombies, Run!
Run in the real world. Become a hero in another.
All of us are going through a rather serious epidemic right now and by staying at home we are helping save the lives of others.
Award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman co-created this fitness-meets-gaming app where you are tasked with surviving a zombie epidemic.
Your daily outdoor exercise can be made more fun by taking part in your very own zombie adventure story. Users can choose to walk or run and as you log steps you will hear zombie themed audio to inspire you to pick up the pace!
There are over 200 missions to choose from, and you will be joining the biggest smartphone fitness game in the world with over 1 million players.
Kettlebell Workouts by Fitify
Be leaner, stronger, healthier.
One of the most popular and versatile pieces of home gym equipment is the Kettlebell.
Kettlebells are perfect for beginners and as your progress the movements become more technically difficult.
To safely reap all of the benefits , you need to know how to wield your bell correctly. This free home workout app offers 45+ kettlebell exercises and five workout programs with a voice coach and high-def video demos to guide you along the way.
The 11 Best free workout apps to try during lockdown
We hope these 11 apps will help you add more activity and wellness to your life during this tough period. If you are looking to improve your wellbeing even more then you could always start by changing your relationship with alcohol and embark on one our challenges!
Looking for more ideas and activities to do during lockdown? check out these 10 productive activities to do during lockdown or you could or you could spend some time learning how to meditate at home.
