My Favourite Online Workouts

There are always a million excuses not to work out: It’s too hot out, too cold, too dark, the gym is too crowded or I don’t have time to drive to the gym. (You get the point.) But there is a way to kick these excuses to the curb. Work out at home! I personally go to a trainer (Mich at Booty by Mich!) and then I try to stay on track by following online workouts at home.

I was also lucky that work provided a new FitBit and I use that daily to measure  my steps and track my diet. We have started to meal prep again in our home and plan our dinners better during the week.

Working out at home seems like it would be less effective: no equipment, less space, no instructor or trainers to guide you. But the ease of an at home workout will make up for these shortcomings. You can control the temperature, you don’t need to apply sunscreen (in those warmer months), you can shower immediately after (yay!), you don’t have to waste time driving back and forth and you won’t have to touch any sweat that didn’t come from you. Do we need to go on?

Thanks to the handy old Internet, there are plenty of online workouts and apps you can do from the comfort of your home that will kick your butt into shape just as good as any gym will. Here are a few of my favourites:

My Favourite 8 Online Workouts

Booya

Do you like to stay up on the latest trends? Booya’s unlimited supply of 30-minute classes from boutique fitness studios will bring you the latest and greatest in workout trends. It takes longer for big chain gyms to catch onto workout trends you see on Instagram, so this is a great way for you to try the newest workouts at a fraction of the cost.

Cost: $10 per month

Blogilates

Blogilates host Casey Ho’s ability to make working out fun is why her videos are so beloved. The Pilates instructor’s videos are bright, colorful, have fun music, and her happy attitude makes the challenging workouts easier to accomplish. Alongside terrific Pilates videos, she shares diet and nutrition tips that will compliment your active lifestyle. I love her printouts and calendar challenges.

Cost: Free

Move Me Fit

Like most activities, working out with a friend can be a lot more fun. But if you start working out from home, you can basically kiss yoga with your best friend goodbye—unless you try MoveMeFit. MoveMeFit uses your webcam to split screen and work out with a friend in a different location. Not only will you have someone to commiserate with when you’re exhausted, you can also use it to stay accountable. Find a friend to join you and suddenly you’ll have no choice but to log-on and get to work.

Cost: $9 per month

Tone It Up

Two trainers are better than one, at least in the case of the Tone It Up girls. The upbeat hosts (Karen and Katrina) aim to help you earn the perfect beach body. They always have a positive attitude and guide their videos with the motto: “share, love, inspire, sweat!” They offer a variety of videos aimed at toning, stretching, and yoga practices. For brides-to-be like me, their wedding series will be the perfect prep for your big day. They post new videos several times a week so there is always fresh content.

Cost: Free

BeFit

If you need a new workout routine to stay motivated then YouTube channel BeFiT’s will keep you very happy. The channel offers a new workout every single weekday, so you will never have a chance to get bored. This also means they have a crazy amount of videos backlogged and you can choose ones that best suit your needs.

Cost: Free

Body Rock

Even if you work out from home, it can be easy to make excuses related to your busy schedule. Body Rock is about to kill your excuses! They offer short videos that are high intensity so you can get a great workout in a short period of time.

A recent blog post taught readers a five minute workout you could do without even leaving your bedroom. Everyone has time for that! Sign up for a daily workout to be sent straight to your inbox.

Cost: Free

Yoga with Adrienne

She runs a YouTube channel with free yoga classes for you to practice at home. They range from beginner tutorials to 40-minute vinyasa sessions. Since yoga studio memberships can be quite costly, like in Vancouver, you can practice it at home for free!

She does classes suited to your moods, yoga for when you are sick, for the mornings, for when you’re feeling the winter blues, for hangovers, for runners.

Cost: Free

Kayla Itsines

You’ve probably seen those before and after’s on her BBG program swirling around the internet. Kayla Itsines, is a certified fitness trainer from Adelaide, Australia. Her Bikini Body Guides, which include a 12-week exercise plan made up of 28-minute workouts, have a cult-like following, and her Instagram account, which is full of before-and-after photos of women who’ve followed her program, has more than 3.1 million followers.

I’ve downloaded her Sweat app, which is full of recipes, workouts and inspiration. You don’t need equipment or any special gear to follow along with her workouts.

Cost: $29 a month or a free trial

*Also don’t forget to check out Mich’s site Booty by Mich for great, easy online workouts you can do at home! For free! And in case you are wondering, these are my workout essentials. I’ve also been addicted to Old Navy Athletic Wear, it’s so stylish and affordable!