The digital fitness market has exploded with online workouts you can stream live or on demand; fitness apps that let you take those workouts to go; and high-tech interactive home gym equipment. Treadmill, barre, Peloton, rowing, HIIT, swimming, yoga, Pilates and more – all these workouts, led by the industry’s top fitness instructors, are now available for the sweating — any place and any time. Most offer free trials to help you find the workout that’s right for you.
The best thing about all of these workouts is the convenience and variety. If you’re pressed for time, most offer classes or routines as short as 7 minutes, which can also be a supplement to your regular workout. Try quick Nike Training Club ab blast after SoulCycle or an AloMoves yoga stretch after a run. Ideal for travelers too, bring your favorite workout with you to do in the hotel gym or your room.
For easy reference we’ve color coded the workouts for ONLINE, APP, or HOME GYM machine. If you’ve got Roku, Apple TV, or Google Chromecast, the workouts can be synced with your TV too.
January 1: CLASSPASS LIVE. After a New Year’s Day run this morning, I decided some strength training would be the perfect compliment to my cardio. I signed up for the Classpass Live trial offering unlimited classes free for 1 month. Classpass revolutionized the fitness industry with a subscription service that allows members to book and take thousands of different classes at the most popular fitness studios. Now those options are available at home streamed live or on demand from wide selection of Classpass’s own workouts, as well as classes from other studios. I opted for Full Body with Alex Redelico, a compact 35 minute workout with light weights that flew by and hit all the major muscle groups. Alex was the right mix of pep and push, and I’d take this class again – definitely if pressed for time! Classpass Live is $19/month with free 1 month trial.
January 2: PELOTON DIGITAL. Peloton brought the concept of studio cycling into the home with its sleek bike and integrated tablet on which live and on demand classes can be streamed. For those who don’t have the room or the dollars for the Peloton bike, Peloton Digital offers those same classes online and on an app which can be used on any indoor cycle. Running, strength, bootcamp, yoga, and other workouts are also available. I kept it basic with a cycling class this morning, setting up my phone on a spin bike at the gym. I took Cody Rigsby 45 min 90’s Pop Ride, a solid spin workout with a great playlist that kept me going for 45 minutes – something I would never do on a bike on my own at the gym. Personally, I wouldn’t trade the group cycling experience of a Soul Cycle – I’d love to take a live class with Cody! – but next time I’m traveling I’ll be looking forward to the indoor bike at the hotel gym with the Peloton Digital app. Peloton Digital is $19.49/month. Sign up now and get 2 months free.
January 3: GLO. What is better than a 30-minute yoga class? A 15-minute class! Although the shorter the better a yoga class for me, Glo lets you customize the style, level, duration, mind and body goal to suit your personal preferences – all in the comfort of your home! Presented on a clean and simple set, the moves and flows are easy to follow, with different amounts of instruction given depending on the level chosen. I opted for a compact 30-minute Vinyasa Flow with MC Yogi that moved quickly through a series of core-energizing sequences and got the yoga job done in no time! For you true yogis fret not, there are 90-minute classes too. Glo is $18/month with 15-day free trial.
January 4: P90X3. P90X and Tony Horton first came to fame in 2005 on infomercials that dominated the late night and Saturday morning airwaves. These bootcamp style workout dvds have gone on to multi-million dollar sales, delivering results his devotees swear by. Produced by Beachbody, the company that is also behind many of the other top-grossing home workouts like “Insanity” and “Piyo” among many others, P90X and the entire library of Beachbody workouts are now available on Beachbody on Demand. I checked out Tony’s CVX this morning from his P90X3 series of 30-minute workouts that promise “extreme results”. Left sweating in my living room after a non-stop series of fast-paced, full-body, multi-lateral moves, I get why these workouts are so popular and effective. If you don’t have a lot time to spare, the P90X3 series delivers a workout of concentrated intensity that will have you feeling like you did double the work in the half the time. Beachbody on Demand is $39/3 months with 14-day free trial.
January 5: OBE | OUR BODY ELECTRIC. Dance cardio fans, obé is the workout to stream for you. Offering 14 live classes daily and a library of 500 on-demand, obé workouts are 28 minutes long and structured on three pillars: Define, Sweat, and Flow. Classes include Sculpt, Strength, Power, Dance, Circuit, HIIT, Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, and Restorative Stretch, and are filmed in a kind of Tokyo-style neon cube of undulating colored light. My buddy Glynis and I doubled up this morning and streamed two different classes: Sweat/Dance with Megan and Flow/Yoga with Saya. I haven’t done “chasse” or “grapevine” in years and am happy to see what we called “aerobics” are still alive and well. The Flow class that followed was a nice combo of yoga stretches with weights – a perfect compliment to the dance workout – and the two classes together left ready to replenish with some Avocado Toast and Bloody Marys on a rainy Saturday morning. Obé classes are $27 with 7-day free trial.
January 6: MIRROR. Mirror is one of the hottest new entries into the booming high-end home fitness equipment market. What is actually a mirror when turned off, becomes an interactive home gym when turned on — essentially a life-size fitness tablet. Streaming live classes on the hour and offering thousands on-demand, Mirror features a full range of workouts such as Barre, Boxing, Cardio, Pilates, Strength, and Yoga that are available in 4 levels and in 15, 30, 45 or 60-minute lengths. Almost like holograms, classes are taught by well-known instructors from the most popular gyms and fitness studios around the country.
Gerren Liles is an Equinox instructor I’ve wanted to train with, and I was able to demo his 15-minute ab workout on the Mirror at their pop-up store in lower Manhattan. Via a heart rate monitor that comes included, or your own Apple iWatch, your workout stats are tracked and displayed in real time with a summary at the end of class. Mirror really is incredibly cool and beautifully designed. My only criticism is that Mirror is full-size but the instructor only fills about a quarter of the space. I’d love for the instructor to be life size too… especially as personal training is coming soon. Mirror is $1495 with a $39/month subscription fee. No interest financing available.
January 7: NIKE RUN CLUB. On a sunny 25 degree morning here in NYC, I decided to check out the Nike Run Club app which offers audio coaching with notable trainers, athletes, and other popular figures. While I was immediately drawn to “Run with Shalane” — Shalane Flanagan that it is, Olympic silver medalist and 2017 NYC Marathon Champion — it was the New Morning Run with Headspace that I found more intriguing, and the opportunity to combine a morning run with a morning meditation guided by Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe. Headspace is the widely popular app that has turned meditation into a $250 million dollar business.
In theory it’s a good idea, but I wish the meditation itself had been more inspiring and less of a lecture. Thankfully a Nike playlist or one of your own accompanies the voice guidance and there isn’t talking the entire run. The one takeaway I did get is that while we may run the same course over and over, no run is ever the same. Today’s double loop around the reservoir was not like any double loop I’ve done before or will do again… a way, I guess, to make the mundane profound. I think I might have found running with Shalane Flanagan more inspiring. (Day 18)
January 8: JUMP ROPE WORKOUT. Jumping rope is a calorie and fat burning furnace — while also strengthening your legs, butt, shoulders, and arms. 10 minutes is the equivalent of running for 20 minutes, and for those pressed for time, an efficient way to squeeze in a quick heart-pumping workout. There are lots of jump rope apps out there that are essentially timers and turn your jump rope session into an interval training workout. Poking around this morning for one to demo, I found the free Jump The Rope Challenge which I liked because it put together six different jump rope styles like high-knee, skipping, and side to side in 30-second intervals. The interval time of each can be customized along with the number of sets. I’m not very advanced and it was easy to follow and easy to read with clear illustrations and a big countdown clock. 3 sets and 9 minutes later I was done, done, and done!
January 9: PIYO. PIYO is another one of the workout series from the Beachbody collection, along with workouts like Insanity, P90X, and Core De Force that are all now available to stream on demand. Piyo and its instructor Chalene Johnson are some of the most popular Beachbody workouts and I gave the 25-minute Strength Intervals class a try this morning. No doubt it was a compact and effective total body workout that combined toning with cardio intervals, but it didn’t feel like anything I haven’t done before. When Beachbody started, VHS and DVD were the norm, and this workout has the feeling it was transferred to digital from another medium and another fitness era. Perhaps if you don’t live in LA, New York, or another fitness mecca, you’ll enjoy this workout and get sweaty regardless, but there is too much competition in the home fitness market, and better workouts with a more modern appeal to makwe this one a go-to. Beachbody on Demand is $39/3 months with 14-day free trial.
January 10: COREPOWER YOGA. CorePower Yoga has over 200 studios across the country, but with their classes on demand you don’t even need to walk out your front door to practice. With CorePower Yoga on Demand, choose the class length, instructor, and focus from a wide selection of pre-filmed classes — and press play. I chose the 30-minute 360 Core with Nicole P. which appealed in the description, “If you’re feeling tight from sitting, sports or just need to work on your flexibility, this class will give you a gentle boost for your front, side and back body.” I would say it accomplished that, and was a nice afternoon break. Practicing alongside members of the CorePower community, I might have wished the shirtless guy and his pale flabby stomach were not front and center, but we don’t judge in yoga – or try not to anyway. Namaste. CorePower on Demand is $19.99/month with 1-week free trial.
January 11: TA ONLINE STUDIO. Tracy Anderson Method is one of the most popular workouts, with a cult like following that has made its namesake as much of a celebrity as her famous NYC and Hollywood devotees. With multiple studios in NYC, LA and the Hamptons, trainers don’t become stars unless they get results and the Tracy Anderson Method is recognized for the long, lean, and sculpted physique it creates. TA Online Studio delivers those same classes at home, in an ever-evolving workout subscription program. Every week Tracy offers brand new classes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels.
A novice to the program, I checked out a beginner class this morning which was a jam-packed half hour of upper and lower body sculpting moves and a little ab work at the end. I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow from the sheer non-stop repetitiveness, but I can’t say it felt that revolutionary. We all know those fire hydrants and weighted leg lifts work if you have the motivation to stick with them. Tracy offered none of that — in fact she didn’t say a word, not one, or even crack a smile the entire 29:42 duration of the class. Not that I need cheerleading, but counting a few reps and cuing some moves would have been helpful so at least I knew when to switch sides – especially in a beginner class. Though it was a good workout, I think my right side felt most of the burn. Plus the subscription is 3 times the price of any of these other online workouts.
TA Online Studio is $90/month with a 14-day free trial.
January 12: THE PELOTON TREAD. Bringing the concept of studio cycling to running, Peloton has done for the treadmill what they did for the home exercise bike. The Peloton Tread is a beautifully designed treadmill featuring a massive 32” touch screen monitor that streams live and on-demand Peloton running classes. Combined with a shock-absorbing rubber slat belt and ball bearing system, the treadmill itself offers a high-intensity/low-impact running experience at home. I demoed a 30-minute Fun Run with Rebecca Kennedy class this morning at the Madison Avenue showroom. Featuring a mix of speed intervals, I would never have pushed that hard on a treadmill on my own, and this quick 20-minute run flew by with the intensity of much longer workout. Bootcamp classes that integrate weight training intervals, like a Barry’s Bootcamp, are also offered.
The Peloton Tread is $4295 which may seem pricey, but is actually quite reasonable compared to other treadmills – and those don’t offer the deluxe monitor and studio class experience. The good news is for those who don’t have the space or dollars for a treadmill the class experience can still be yours on Peloton Digital which I demoed on Day 2. All the running classes for the Peloton Tread are available on Peloton Digital. As I did with a Peloton cycling class, I could have streamed this morning’s Fun Run on my phone on a treadmill at the gym, but it was pretty cool to check it out on the actual Peloton treadmill – quite a nice luxury I might say! The Peloton Tread is $4295 ($300 delivery included) with $39/class subscription fee. No interest financing available.
January 13: SWEAT WITH KAYLA. Australian trainer Kayla Itsines is a social media phenom with over 10.8 million Instagram followers – she and her devotees posting before and after transformation pictures proving the success her workout and meal-planning app, Sweat with Kayla. With all the buzz she’s generated, I was excited to try one of the many workouts offered on the app and went with Kayla’s signature Full-Body Blast 1.0 – a fast moving circuit of 24 exercises that hit every body part, with cardio intervals in between. Each move featured audio cues and visual aids that were super easy to follow. A short stretching program followed that like most of us, I would have never done on my own. Huffing and puffing 24 minutes later, I get why Kayla and her workouts are so popular. The app is beautfully designed and fun to use. Along with workouts, it also features meal planning, activity logs, and a massive community of other followers for support and inspiration. Kayla kicks off her famous 12-Week Challenge tomorrow that were I not in the midst of my own 31 Day challenge I’d definitely give a try! Sweat is $19.99/mo. with a 7-day free trial.
January 14: MySwimPro. If you’re a swimmer looking to improve endurance, speed, or even train for a triathlon, MySwimPro is the perfect app for you. MySwimPro is the #1 training app for swimmers, and like having a swim coach on your phone to prescribe daily workouts and personalized training plans targeted to your goals – along with instructional videos, and a log to keep track of your times and distances. MySwimPro is compatible with most training watches like the Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit putting those workouts right there on your wrist. I opted for a freestyle workout this morning called Descending Distance from the MySwimPro library. I swim 1000 yds. regularly a couple times a week. It’s not very far but I find swimming too boring to go further. This workout broke that same distance up into different intervals and drills, that made it fun and actually helped improve my stroke too. Think I’ll opt for the 1200 yd. workout next time! MySwimPro is $9.99/mo. with a 7-Day Free Trial.
January 15: BARRE3. After a frigid 25-degree run this morning, I really wasn’t in the mood to do the Barre3 class I had scheduled for Day 15. My body was still cold and my hamstrings tight, and I was looking for a class that might alleviate that. Searching the classes offered on ClassPass Live,I found a 12-minute Release + Rejuventate which sounded exactly like what I needed. A combination of yoga and traditional stretches, this mini-class did exactly as advertised – so much so I was ready to try another Barre3 class!
Barre3 is a full-body barre workout with studios across the country and classes available online on demand. Using only low-impact movements, their signature approach consists of sustained holds to ensure proper alignment; micro-movements to work muscles to fatigue inch by inch; and large dynamic movements for cardio bursts and functional strength. All three classes I ended up trying, Feel Good Faves Combo Work and Mind + Muscles: Leg Work followed that formula and though short in duration (about 12 minutes each) delivered a surprisingly big workout. I liked the option as well of customizing a longer workout made up of shorter ones. barre3 online is $29/mo. with no free trial, and one of the many online classes on Classpass Live for $19/month with free 1 month trial.
January 16: PILATES ANYTIME. Searching around this morning for an online Pilates workout, what instantly appealed about Pilates Anytime was the clean set with ocean views. With the option to search videos by apparatus, teacher, duration and level — along with the latest, trending, and most popular — I selected the 45-minute level 2 Stabilizing Mat with Marimba Gold-Watts. It covered all those Pilates basics designed to strengthen and lengthen, and was super challenging — focusing on the corework that is so critical for any physical activity. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to the equipment needed and had to cut the class short without the Pilates ball that was the later focus of class, but even half of it was a workout! I took another short class instead, Mat Workout with Courtney Miller, which was equally killer. Promising better balance, strength, and stability for everyday life – she had me at whether that’s “surfing in Southern California or hitting the slopes in Aspen”. After her 10-minute class I could see why! Pilates Anytime is $18/mo. with a 2-week free trial
January 17. THE 7-MINUTE WORKOUT. In May of 2013, The New York Times ran a piece called the The Scientific 7-Minute workout claiming that just 7 minutes of high-intensity circuit training was all the exercise we needed a day. It prescribed 12 exercises deploying body weight only, performed in 30-second intervals of maximum effort, which scientific evidence proved were the equivalent of a long run and weight lifting session. For those who hate to exercise, the 7-minute workout was the answer to their prayers and became a fitness craze.
That same workout is now available on the 7-Minute Workout app, with animated illustrations of each exercise. Complete with a countdown clock for each move, the app makes it really easy to follow and fun to do. Exercises and time intervals can be customized to your preference, as well as a male or female model selected in the illustrations. I demoed the original 7-Minute Full Body workout this morning and thought it was great. Each of the 12 exercises were multi-functional, total body moves that hit every muscle group. As an athlete, it felt like more of a warm-up to me, but if I really only had 7 minutes to exercise I’d call it a workout – although I’d likely find 14 minutes and double the intervals myself.
January 18: TRANSFORM:20. Hey Step fans! Your favorite workout is back, hosted by Shaun T. of Hip Hop Abs and Insanity fame, but in that amped-up bootcamp style for which this super-motivating trainer is known. His new workout, Transform:20, debuts on Beachbody on Demand April 1st, but subscribers can preview a sample workout now, which I demoed today. This non-stop workout is just 20 minutes long, but high-intensity from start to finish with fast-paced advanced moves that I would not advise for someone new to fitness. Maybe warm-up with another Beachbody fave like Piyo (Day 9). The program is designed as a six-week challenge of just 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week, 36 different workouts total — which Shaun T. guarantees to transform your body. After just one of these 20 minutes, I can see why. Beachbody on Demand is $39/3 months with 14-day free trial.
January 19: NIKE RUN CLUB. I decided to revisit the Nike Run Club app this morning as I was going for a run anyway. I blasted the app on Day 7 more for the particular audio guidance I had chosen, “New Morning Run with Headspace”, and I really did want to Run with Shalane – Shalane Flanagan that is! Not only did this Olympic medalist and NYC Marathon Champion provide great coaching tips and running advice throughout the 45-minute run, but ironically far more meditation guidance. Her message is about “staying present” and running “in the moment”, which is the essence of meditation. Along with that Shalane shared her own personal running experience as a professional athlete — the victories and defeats, ups and downs, to which any runner can relate. The best part, however, was her mile by mile narrative about winning the 2017 NYC Marathon – and what was going through her mind at that “F*ck Yes!” moment we all remember so well. The best running partners distract you with a good story, so thanks Shalane — great running with you today!
January 20: ALOMOVES. AloMoves is the yoga streaming site brought to you by Alo, one of the hot yoga apparel and athleisure brands — and what a brilliant way for them to show off their product in action. I took Power Vinyasa Level 2 with Briohny Smith this morning and wanted her outfit! Her class was great too, a 30-minute combination of flow with excellent instruction on getting into different poses like Crow and even Chair, in ways I hadn’t thought about before. I’ve checked out a couple of online yoga studios so far like Glo and Core Power Yoga, and what’s been nice about them all is that the teacher actually does the class with you, so you can see the correct form demonstrated. Like any yoga class, it’s really about your personal preference of style, level, instructor and location. AloMoves offers a wide variety of all and the studio setting itself is beautiful. The combination of all today fit my criteria for a yoga class I’d want to take again. AloMoves gets written up consistently in “Best Online Yoga Classes”, so I guess I’m not the only one. AloMoves is $20/mo. with a 14-day free trial.
January 21: FREELETICS. An ad for the fitness app Freeletics has been popping on my Instagram feed, so I thought why not give it a try on Day 21. After logging in, it asks various questions about your fitness level and goals in order to select an 8-12 week “Training Journey” for you and a coach to go with it. A number of options were suggested for me like Barbell Tone and Balanced Fat Burn, costing roughly $2.50 per week for both training and nutrition (about $1 less for just training). I sampled one of the Signature Freeletics Workouts called Prometheus just to get a feel for the program. No subscription is required for these workouts and there are quite a number to choose from, with and without equipment. Prometheus consists of 5 sets of 5 different exercises – Mountain Climbers, Pushups, Situps, Squats, Jumping Jacks, and a rest interval – reps increasing, decreasing, and then increasing again. Very clear videos demonstrating the correct form accompany each exercise. These are basic tried and true moves that hit every muscle group while keeping the heart rate elevated. I’m a cardio junkie, but getting me to do strength work… is work! The app made it fun and easy to follow, and with the countdown clock recording 20:56, I have a time to beat next time! If you are someone looking for guided fitness program, based on today’s workout I’d give it a try.
January 22: TONAL. Tonal is another one of the sleek new entries into the home fitness market that merges the high-tech, interactive experience of a tablet with traditional gym equipment. Tonal is in fact a home gym (think Bowflex), that packs an entire weight room into a TV-sized, wall-mounted unit — and is as much design object as fitness equipment. I had the opportunity to demo Tonal today at the Soho House gym – equally design focused I must say. With multi-directional arms that fold out, any exercise is possible — shoulder presses, dead lifts, lat pull downs, etc. Tonal uses electromagnetic digital weights and advanced intelligence to monitor every rep and automatically adjust the resistance as you progress for a totally interactive training experience. Along with expert-led videos, goal-targeted programs, and personalized coaching — all workouts are available on demand, and classes are coming soon. While I’m one who prefers the group experience of a live class, I feel no compulsion to lift weights at the gym (well Soho House maybe). I would actually do some strength training at home with this very cool unit hanging on my wall. Tonal costs $2,995 with $49 monthly subscription. Smart Accessories $495 (Smart Handles, Smart Bar, Rope, Bench, Mat, Roller).
January 23: NIKE TRAINING CLUB (NTC). With names like Beach Legs, Run Ready Yoga, and Ferocious 15, the NTC app offers countless workouts you can browse by category, body part, and time, depending on your fitness level and goals. They also offer exclusive workouts with super-fit celebrities like Kevin Hart, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding — if you want to train like a star — and sponsored athletes like Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Simone Biles — if you want to train like a pro. There are classes you can stream as well. The best part is the app is free! In reality, the workouts are just different configurations of the same group of the time-tested exercises I’ve found on every app, but they’re put together in an easy-to-follow format with an automatic countdown timer and video demo of each exercise. I sampled two workouts this morning – one I found particularly useful called Motion To Burn for core, hip, and spine stability and flexibility. Very few of us actually take the time to stretch and this program guided me through a much needed 10-minute routine. I followed that up with Quick Core Crush, an ab-blast of a workout. I need more room for the running drills, but next time it’s The Hart Serena with Serena Williams AND Kevin Hart together!
January 23: PHYSIQUE 57 ON DEMAND. Physique 57 is one of the most popular barre workouts with studios in NYC, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, along with Dubai and Bangkok, which says a little something about the demographic of the clientele. They have now opened an online studio Physique 57 On Demand with a library of their signature workouts anyone can stream anytime. These barre classes feature ballet-inspired movement, cardio, and strength training designed to sculpt a long and lean physique — and proven to get results. It never fails to amaze me how these small movements that look so easy are so friggin’ hard. I took 30 minute Total Body with Lisa this morning, which was brutal from head to toe. Every one of those 30 minutes was packed with some muscle-burning move, but thankfully our cheerful instructor kept class moving from exercise to exercise. The only problem with doing Physique 57 at home it’s easy to cheat a little without the watchful eye of the instructor, but even skipping a few reps it was still a killer workout and one the tougher I’ve done at home this month. Prices start at $19.95/mo for Physique 57 On Demand with a 2-week free trial. Drop in rate of $5/day.
January 25: CITYROW GO. CityRow and other studio rowing fans, now you can take your row to go! CityRow Go offers Cityrow’s signature JustRow and Signature interval workout classes to stream on demand via an app, online, or a CityRow WaterRower with tablet attachment. I set my phone up on a Concept2 rower at the gym this morning for Signature 30, a mix of rowing and strength training intervals. It’s a tough workout and great to be able to duplicate at the gym, although a little challenging to navigate jumping from rower to floor mat on a busy morning. I cut that workout short and switched to a 20-minute Just Row Express class with rowing intervals only. CityRow classes really emphasize proper form, however the instruction seems to take up a disproportional amount of time in a short class during which I would have preferred to be rowing hard instead. Among the filters to select a class I wish there was a 3-minute tutorial and the workouts were just workouts. Also, the app asked me what rower and monitor I was using, but I didn’t see any customization to explain why. Regardless, rowing is a calorie burner of a workout — double that of running or cycling — and the fast-paced variety of CityRow classes make it fun too. CityRow GO Machine by WaterRower is $1395. Digital Class class subscription $19/mo. with two week free trial.
January 26: MODELFIT STREAMING. modelFIT aims to deliver on what its name describes – the long and lean physique of such supermodels as its most famous devotee Karlie Kloss. NYC Classes are held in a beautiful sun-flooded studio (there is one in LA too), where online classes are filmed as well. Utilizing equipment like hand and ankle weights, resistance bands, and Pilates rings, the objective of modelFIT is build strength without bulk. Instead of big plyometric moves like burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers popular in bootcamp style workouts, modelFIT focuses on the small portion of the move where muscles work their hardest for the slow burn popular in barre style workouts. The result is less cardio but more sculpt. I took Standing Sculpt with the Foam Roller this morning and burn it did. At this point in the 31 Days of Fitness features, classes start to feel repetitve, but this one had moves I hadn’t done before. Simple exercises like extending into a reverse lunge and lifting my leg out and over a standing foam roller were deceptively brutal — and I wasn’t even wearing ankle weights like the instructor. The workout was just 20 minutes but it worked me from start to finish. No wonder Karlie looks so damn good! ModelFit Streaming is $19.99 with a 7-day free trial. A select group of classes is also available on demand on JetSweat
January 27: SKY TING YOGA. Sky Ting is a hipster yoga studio, fashionable enough to be written up in Vogue when they recently opened their new Brooklyn flagship. I’ve been wanting to check it out, hence my excitement when I discovered Sky Ting On Demand on JetSweat. JetSweat has curated a select group of NYC’s most popular boutique fitness studios and offers classes streamed all in one place. Coincidentally yesterday’s workout, ModelFit, is included.
Filmed on location at the airy sunlit Chinatown studio, I took Sky Ting Yoga Total Body this afternoon taught by one of the founders Chloe Kernaghan, alongside two other yogis brilliantly positioned at different angles so you could really see the correct form. One was doing a modified variation of each pose as well. The class was a 34-minute practice of greatest hits yoga poses with excellent instruction, beautiful art direction, and perfect yoga styling – along with the most beautiful cast in a streaming workout I’ve seen thus far. As fabulous as it was to have all that in the comfort of home, now I really want to take a live class at the studio. JetSweat is $9.99 with a 7 Day free trial
January 28: ASICS STUDIO. Like Nike Training Club (day 23), Freeletics (day 21), and Sweat with Kayla (day 13), the Asics Studio app offers a wide assortment of different workouts from cardio to strength training to yoga, with both audio and visual guidance to countdown intervals and demonstrate moves. I demoed Fast & Furious this morning, a 20-minute HIIT style circuit workout made up of three sets of 4-5 different exercises, with a 1-minute rest in between rounds. Kettlebell swings, burpees, renegade rows, plank-ups, and the like — the workout was easy to follow, fast-paced, and motivating. These tried and true multi-functional moves are both cardio and strength building, and put together for a highly effective and efficient total body workout. 20 for 20 looked fun too — 20 exercises done for 1 minute each. Asics Studio offers treadmill, indoor cycling, and elliptical workouts as well. Between the variety, workouts, and visual style this may be my favorite app so far, which is saying a lot at this stage of the game. Asics Studio subscriptions start at $49.99/year with a 14-day free trial.
January 29: DAILY BURN. Barre, Cardio, Dance, Kettlebell, Kickboxing, Pilates, Strength, Yoga – Daily Burn offers hundreds of classes on demand taught by many of the fitness industry’s most well-known instructors. Filter by workout, duration, difficulty, and pace – and press play! They also offer 365, which features a different 30-minute class every day at 9am that you can stream live or download later. I opted for something a little different this morning, a class called Mobility and More with Gregg Cook in which I was my stiff Day 29 body was in much need! Gregg is a well-known Master Trainer for Equinox and Schwinn, and the class is designed to both stretch and strengthen — while still getting sweaty. With an emphasis on range of motion and quality of movement, each exercise took a traditional move like a lunge or squat, and added a twist – literally – with flexibility add-ons made each exercise more strenuous but feel great at the same time. Revived and re-energized, I realized how much I need to add this Daily Burn into my weekly burn. Daily Burn is $19.95 with a 1-month free trial.
January 30: MY FITNESS BY JILLIAN MICHAELS. Ever want to feel like a big loser? Well now you can with the former star trainer of The Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels. My Fitness by Jillian Michaels is a comprehensive fitness and nutrition app offering both individual workouts and goal-oriented programs like Bounce Back Baby, Booty Boot Camp, and even a 5k or 10k run — all guided by this results-driven fitness guru. With over 500 exercises integrated into different strength and cardio routines, and meal plans based on your dietary preferences, all can be customized to create your own fitness program.
Demoing the free trial today, I was most intrigued by the nutritional plans filtered by Omnivore, Vegan, Paleo and other categories. Each offers a 5-day jump start program, with preplanned meals with recipes the app makes very easy to mix and match. A quick 7-Minute Cardio workout was prescribed, which like most of the apps I’ve demoed so far featured audio guidance, video demonstrations, and a countdown clock of intervals – definitely made more fun and motivating with Jillian doing the coaching. Wanting to try something a little longer I chose a 6 Keys Total Body Workout – a heart-pumping 30-minute combination of 30-second high-intensity cardio and strength intervals, with a 3-minute stretch at the end. If I had an event for which I needed to train or wanted to be a big loser, I could definitely see using the app in the future… Bangin’ Bikini Body here I come! My Fitness By Jillian Michaels is now $69/year or $14.99/mo. with 7-day free trial.
January 31: EXHALE ON DEMAND. And on Day 31 I Exhaled. The end was in sight but I still had one more workout to go, and though it sounded nice I knew it would be brutal. Appropriately, I started my day with my PT exercises which are now available via an app as well called BlueJay, offered by my physical therapy team at Motion PT.
Exhale has studio locations across the country offering fitness classes and spa services. Exhale On Demand offers those same Barre, Yoga, Cardio, Fusion, and Meditation classes streamed online. I took Band Barre with Bergen Wheeler this morning, having taken an ass-whooping of a live class with her before in NYC. Using a resistance band instead of weights, Bergen gave a total body torture of a workout as usual – smiling and joking as I writhed in pain. I’m saying all of this in a good way. As we know, those small barre moves that keep the muscles in contraction from start to finish are super hard because you can’t use momentum — the added resistance of the band makes them even tougher. These workouts are not a lot of fun, but if you have the discipline they deliver those long and strong dancer muscles that Bergen has and we all want to have. Now I really can exhale! Exhale On Demand is $19/mo. with a 7-day free trial.
