11 Free Fitness Apps That Will Help You Work Out When Your Living Room Is Your Gym
As we all adjust our lives to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, our fitness routines need to adjust too—mostly to incorporate social distancing. With businesses closing and people hunkering down, it’s pretty much impossible to stick to your regular workout routine if it involved the gym, fitness studio, or a group workout.
I’m a regular exerciser who relies on it heavily for stress management, so I know how difficult it is to hit pause on your fitness routine. But thankfully, there are some tech solutions out there that mean you don’t have to—you just need to think about your exercise routine a little differently.
Just as FaceTime and Google Hangouts can keep you socially connected during this time, there are some free fitness apps that can help you break a sweat without leaving home. Some of the following are always free; others are being offered for free right now. Since there’s no cost, I’d suggest trying a couple of different ones so you can figure out which you like best and what’s ideal for the equipment setup you have (or don’t have) at home.
Yes, at-home workouts will feel way different if you’re used to exercising in a gym with a plethora of equipment or in a fitness class guided by an instructor. But trust me: Once you try them, you’ll be glad you did, because any way you keep moving will definitely make you feel better. Here are some free fitness apps to help you out.
Gold's Gym1Gold’s AMP
This app, by country-wide gym Gold’s Gym, contains more than 600 cardio and strength workouts with audio and video guidance. In addition to weighted strength workouts and cardio machine-specific routines (awesome for those with a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise bike at home!), there’s also a section for bodyweight-only workouts. You can even work on some stretching and meditation.
The app is usually free for gym members or $10 per month for non-members, but right now it’s free for anyone through May 31, 2020.
Nike2Nike Training Club
Filter workouts by categories like specific muscle group, time you have to spend, and workout types—choose from strength, cardio, yoga, and mobility—to find exactly what you’re looking for each day. You can also choose from the following equipment options: bodyweight-only, basic (free weights like dumbbells or kettlebells, or resistance bands), and full (things you’d probably only find at a gym, unless your home gym is extremely well-stocked, like a pull-up bar or barbell). The app also has workouts hosted by celebrities and athletes, like Simone Biles, Serena Williams, and Julie Ertz.
3Daily Burn
Daily Burn offers a huge variety of workouts—including dumbbell strength training, HIIT, barre, yoga, and kickboxing. After you answer some questions about your current fitness level and goals, the app gives you a personalized workout plan and can function as a tracker as you move toward your goals.
You can get 60 days for free right now; normally, the app costs $20 per month.
Tone It Up4Tone It Up
This app lets you choose from hundreds of workouts (many of which are bodyweight-only), or you can follow a specific program built around specific goals. They’ve even got some postnatal content that’s great for new parents.
Usually $15 per month, right now it’s free to new users for the next 30 days.
7 Minute Workout57 Minute Workout
FitOn6FitOn
FitOn gives you access to workout classes from celebrity trainers—like Cassey Ho of Blogilates, Jeanette Jenkins, and more. You can even work out with some special guests: Gabrielle Union and Jonathan Van Ness. Browse by category, body part it hits, length of workout, and intensity, or choose from the list of 10-minute workouts when you just want something quick.
Peloton7Peloton
Nope, Peloton’s app doesn’t require you to own one of their bikes or treadmills. The platform has both live-streamed and on-demand workouts taught by a roster of popular trainers. You can find a mix of running, strength, cycling, and yoga workouts. Plus, there are even some meditation practices to choose from.
It normally costs $13 per month, but right now you can take advantage of an extended 90-day free trial.
Adidas8Adidas Training by Runtastic
This app has a variety of workouts and training plans, but the best part for those of us working out at home? The 180-plus bodyweight workout videos. You can also choose workouts of different lengths, depending on what you need, and you’ll get helpful reminders—like to make sure you’re hydrating, for example.
Yoga for Beginners9Yoga for Beginners
Looking to start a yoga practice but not sure how to jump in? This app is a great place for beginner-friendly workouts, which are divided into three types of yoga: vinyasa, hatha, and restorative. Each video takes you through the poses and breath work to help you learn and develop your practice.
Down Dog10Down Dog
Basically a more robust version of Yoga for Beginners, Down Dog lets you explore even more types of yoga, including Ashtanga and yin, in addition to vinyasa, hatha, and restorative. There’s even an option for targeting lower back pain—something you may find helpful if you’re sitting more than normal and feeling a little achy.
Normally, the app costs $8 per month, but it’s free from now until April 1. If you’re a student or teacher, you can get free access until July 1 (visit the website for more details).
Map My Fitness by Under Armour11Map My Fitness by Under Armour
This app lets you choose from some preset workouts, but it’s really the most useful for people who want to create their own workouts. You can completely build your own routine from its library of more than 800 moves, track your weight/set/rep progress, and share it with others. It also syncs with most fitness wearables and connects to MyFitnessPal, so you can combine all your data for a more comprehensive look at your stats.
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