I have never enjoyed working out. I grew up dancing, so my favorite work outs involve a class of people and a teacher motivating me. When I walk into the gym the various machines intimidate me. The weight room scares me. When I have successfully worked out for long periods of time as an adult, I have had friends to push me to go. Or I really loved the work out, which was the case for the last year or so in Washington – I LOVED my barre and Pilates classes at a local studio. I was really sad to leave it when we moved, and even more upset when I realized that there were no barre or Pilates classes in the area around Fort Huachuca. The closest studio was an hour away. So it was time to research what I could do at home or the local gym on my own.
Here are my favorites so far:
Pilates Anytime. This website and app features tons of videos of Pilates exercises and some barre classes. It was recommended to me by the owner/teacher at the studio I went to in Washington. It is not free, but at $18/month it’s cheaper than paying for the 8-10 classes per month at a gym. It is partially for Pilates instructors or people with all of the equipment, so unless you’ve got a reformer laying around your house, search for mat classes or those requiring no equipment.
Barre3. I use their mobile app, which is free, and features short workouts. They are grouped by type of workout (cardio, strength, stretch, etc.) and don’t involve anything more than a mat or weights (which are optional). I like this for days when I don’t feel like doing too much or don’t have time. I also combine some of the workouts for a longer set, so for instance I did a 10 minute cardio/strength session followed by 10 minutes of stretching.
Nike Training Club. This is another free app that I use from time to time. The workouts on here are pretty intense, in a good way. They range from 15 to 45 minutes and some are brought to you by professional female athletes. The workouts tend to be cardio and strength focused; they will definitely kick your butt. I’ve used this app at a gym before and enjoyed it, although since it is a lot of circuit work, I had to find a spot that was out of the way.
Pinterest. I started pinning workout ideas, playlist ideas, and clothes when I started working out more. I have found some workouts that I’ve really enjoyed – everything from a few minutes of arm strength exercises to other barre workouts.
I’m also starting to follow a few people on Instagram, but haven’t tried them out yet. Now the challenge is getting into a routine. What are your favorite apps? How often do you work out?