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The best at-home workouts as recommended by the Bazaar team
How to stay fit and healthy without heading to the gym
Gyms may have been forced to shutter once more, but the loss of your favourite weekly classes needn't be an excuse to settle into the sofa for the foreseeable. Now, the country's best instructors and classes have headed online to help keep you active for the next month (and beyond).
At-home workouts have advanced a long way since fitness DVDs first became available: now, personal trainers and yoga teachers are increasingly taking to social media – Youtube especially – to post their fitness content, giving us access to the very best exercises and regimes. Add in the growing array of on-demand fitness programmes, weekly live-streamed classes and even virtual one-to-one sessions, and you've got plenty to keep you occupied and active for the duration of lockdown.
Below, the Bazaar team reveal the at-workouts they're turning to right now.
Best for a live timetable: FLY LDN
With FLY LDN's Aldgate-based studio currently closed, the team have moved seamlessly online, offering one of the most comprehensive virtual offerings via one extremely slick website. Sign up for a monthly membership to take full advantage of the daily live schedules and on-demand classes, which span yoga, pilates, barre and HIIT. With a focus on low-impact movement, FLY LDN's trainers deliver the perfect balance of challenging classes and chill-out sessions, meaning there's something to suit your every mood.
Best for: Quick workouts
If you are a lover of Pilates and Barre, but also struggle to fit working out into your busy schedule, then let us turn your attention to Fluidform, the Aussie-based studio whose at-home programme specialises in quick, focused exercise classes, which are designed to strengthen both body and mind. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, after rehabilitation or something more intense, Fluidform At Home has over 150 Pilates-based workouts available to try, while you can also join in on specific monthly challenges and sign up for meal plans, buddy programmes and more.
Best for body toning: Louisa Drake
Since launching her first boutique space in 2017, Louisa Drake’s workouts have attracted a loyal following. Former clients including Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham have all benefited from her unique fusion of resistance, conditioning, cardio and stretch – also known as the Louisa Drake Method – and her at-home workout videos are just as effective. If you’re fans of yoga, barre or pilates, you’ll really enjoy these sessions, which use small movements to reach muscles that are rarely used in standard classes. Just because the movements look small, don’t underestimate how challenging they are – and their capacity to shape and tone your body. Louisa herself is an encouraging and super friendly instructor, which comes across in her videos as well as in-person.
Best for toned arms: Echelon Smart Rower
Last year’s Peloton is this year’s Echelon, the rower with inbuilt workouts. On the fitness front, rowing is your most complete workout working more muscles than any other device. While on the mental fitness front it’s good to know that it also plugs users into the ever-growing Echelon community by way of the virtual workouts led by experienced instructors streamed daily to the screen above your rowing seat – which are often quite scenic if anyone is suffering from cabin fever.
“We don’t want anyone to ever have to train alone, and for us the Echelon Rower is another step towards achieving that - our fitness technologies truly are for everyone,” says Angelo Ramsbott, president for global development at Echelon Fitness.
And yes while rowing can be tough (you have been warned), take note that there are 32 resistance levels so beginners can get on their rowers too. Workouts will track your stroke rate, calories burned and heart rate, while competitive types might also like to keep track of their times against other users. For the more retiring, happiness comes through the post-class performance reports that gent sent to your app.
The Echelon Rower, from £1199.00. The app is available on Apple Store and Google Play with membership options from as little as £24.99 a month. www.echelonfit.uk (£1199.99), membership starts from £24.99 a month
Best for during pregnancy: BodyFit By Amy
Personal trainer Amy has a workout video for each and every concern on her YouTube channel BodyFit By Amy. Routines range from 10 to 45 minutes long, making them easy to incorporate into a busy day. There are low-impact toning workouts and stretch-based routines alongside advanced, weights- and cardio-based workouts too. She also offers expert guidance to pre- and postnatal mothers found within her BabyFit playlist. As a mother of two herself, Amy shares plenty of her pregnancy routines that are safe for those in all trimesters, as well as targeted ways to tone up after pregnancy, plus ‘mummy and me’ workouts which incorporate your baby.
Best for motivation: Women's Health
Our friends at Women's Health UK have a host of online content dedicated to keeping you fit without needing to step into a gym and they often utilise the array of famous fitness faces they feature in the magazine. As part of the PT Guest Pass series, for example, you can workout with some of the very best in the business, from Jessica Ennis-Hill to Kayla Itsines, with videos covering full-body circuits, specialised ab or cardio sessions and even yoga. They are suitable for all fitness levels too, with helpful instructions for those who are less experienced and options for those who want to challenge themselves.
Then, if you want to take your workout regime to the next level, the brand also has a 10 week training plan subscription available in association with the fitness app FiiT, helping you build muscle and burn fat using workouts up to 40 minutes.
London Serenity
Taking the at-home experience one step further, London Serenity is offering personalised, one-to-one classes with its expert personal trainers. Book a one-off solo yoga session, or go for maximum progress with a completely custom personal-training programme.
Best for yoga with personality: Shona Vertue
Yoga has a bit of a reputation for taking itself too seriously, which is why Shona Vertue is such a breath of fresh air. Dubbed the 'Vertue Method', the yoga teacher combines bodyweight resistance training with traditional yoga practice, focusing on results that improve both your body and your mind. With her signature chatty personality, you'll find yourself immediately smiling as she takes you through the movements and she has recently started to live stream her workouts, so you can exercise alongside her in real time. Most importantly, exercising with Vertue doesn't feel like a chore and even if you only have ten minutes to spare you'll find something for you on her channel. Oh, and even David Beckham is on board - we can't really argue with that.
Best for the time poor: Blogilates
Cassey Ho hosts the number one female fitness channel on YouTube, offering easy to follow and effective home workout videos, from Pilates to low impact cardio. The certified group fitness instructor shares her free videos and nutrition advice in manageable time chunks: everyone has time for a ten-minute video, especially now if you’re working from home and are probably already in leggings. The trick to her workouts are simple moves that look easy but really work the body (whenever she says the word “pulse” that’s when you know it’s going to hurt the next day). And, to cater to recent demand, she has even created a quarantine workout plan – including the hilariously-named ‘quarantine cardio’, ‘anti-covoid abs’, and ‘social distance stretches in bed’ – so there’s now no excuse for feeling sluggish at home.
Best for variety: Popsugar Fitness
Popsugar Fitness' Youtube channel is filled with fun and innovative workouts that are designed to raise both your heart rate and your spirits. Each video has a friendly exercise class atmosphere because they are predominantly led by more than one instructor and you'll be able to find a host of the most talked about routines on the site, including the Victoria's Secret model workout and the Bar Method. A highlight though are the boxercise classes as despite boxing becoming an increasingly popular fitness choice in recent years, the digital space lacks a little behind. Expect 40 minutes of non-stop movement, including punches and kickboxing, that will really get your blood pumping.
NRG Barrebody
Nathalie Errandonea-Mewes started developing an at-home app for her Kentish Town-based NRG Barrebody studio long before Covid-19 hit. Now available (and for just £4.50 per month) it offers affordable and challenging barre workouts for all abilities and levels. With over 100 workouts to choose from, including two live-streamed classes added weekly, you'll never run out of choices.
Best for high-intensity cardio: Joe Wicks
Known as The Body Coach, the secret to Joe Wicks' incredibly successful fitness empire is arguably how easy he makes it to fit exercise into your daily routine. On his Youtube channel, the personal trainer posts high intensity-based workouts every week, focusing on exercises that will help you burn fat and get fitter and stronger whatever your age or fitness level. Plus, all of the sessions tend to last no more than 15 to 20 minutes (although the aim is to push yourself hard during that time) and the majority require absolutely no equipment, so there's no excuse not to give them a try.
Best for a daily stretch: Yoga with Adrienne
If you're new to at-home workouts then it can be hard to know where to start; how often should you exercise? What should you concentrate on each day? It's tempting to dive straight into some hardcore HIIT sessions with no sense of continuity. Adrienne's 30-day yoga courses provide you with a month-long plan, bringing a sense of focus to your fitness. Her series of hatha yoga flows and stretches are perfect for beginners, but can also be built up depending on your strength and ability - and, as she constantly stresses, you don't have to be super-flexible to reap the benefits of yoga.
There's a reason Yoga with Adrienne has 6.4 million YouTube subscribers; her blend of restorative yoga - that also makes you sweat - and her soothing, likeable presence, makes her a hit with millions worldwide.
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