The internet needs to stop churning out all those stay-home-slob-life or stay-home-potato-life memes. They are unhealthily relatable. Closed gyms, working from home and food deliveries = not quite a great mix for keeping fit. Honestly speaking, staying in has left me oscillating between wanting to stay active, my phenomenal procrastination skills and general confusion over how to even get started. This is one huge fitness rut…but maybe it doesn’t have to be. With more time staying in and a near-universe of online resources, perhaps all we need is somewhere to begin. Sounds relatable? Then let’s start working it out. Here are 7 of the best apps, channels and accounts to follow to stay ahead of the fitness game. Stay in, stay fitter!
1. Down Dog
Down Dog Barre (left) and Down Dog Yoga (right)
TLDR; For straightforward, beginner-friendly and fully-customisable workouts across just about any form you like, from yoga to HITT!
Price: 100% free! Download it here.
What’s good: From the original top-rated yoga app (Down Dog Yoga), the folks at Yoga Buddhi Co have since expanded their range of apps to include Down Dog Yoga (For Beginners), HITT, Barre, 7-Minute Workouts and Prenatal Yoga. Their workouts across all apps are fully-customisable, beginner-friendly and so varied you’ll never have to do the same workout twice. I love that you can build your workouts from scratch by configuring everything from workout time, intervals and focus muscle groups to intensity, impact-level, equipment use etc. This flexibility means you can easily create a 10-minute full-body (or targeted) workout to pop in your daily routine. Down Dog’s interface is also clear, simple and cuts straight to the chase with no ads to interrupt!
2. FitOn
TLDR; For fully-personalised workouts with a little more fanfare, since it includes classes from top celebrity trainers/fitness personalities like Casey Ho (Blogilates) and Christine Bullock.
Price: 100% free, with the option of a paid pro version. Download it here.
What’s good: An all-in-one app that prides itself on unlimited access, at zero cost. It functions very much like Down Dog with highly customisable workout sets (duration, intensity, muscle groups, equipment etc.), but comes with a little more frills, if that’s what you’re looking for! In addition to workouts by fitness influencers/personalities, FitOn lets you to push yourself a little more by introducing competitive elements. You can personalise your own workout challenges, keep motivated through the live leaderboard and share your progress with friends. I love how that builds a community and keeps everyone connected — which we could really use during this self-isolation period!
Another big plus to FitOn (perhaps over Down Dog) is that it offers a huge range of workout types from (HITT to barre, pilates and even dance) all in ONE app. On the other hand, since Down Dog offers these across separate apps, you would need to download multiple apps for different workout types.
3. Blogilates by Cassey Ho
TLDR; For a fusion between classical pilates and dance conditioning. Great for low-impact workouts that will tone, build flexibility and strength.
Price: 100% free. Check out the channel here.
What’s good: You might already have heard of this one. Run by Cassey Ho — an award-winning fitness instructor and personality based in LA — Blogilates has nearly 5 million subscribers on YouTube. If you’ve never jumped on the Blogilates bandwagon, there’s a good reason why this channel has become a fitness go-to. Blogilates workouts bring together pilates, conditioning and flexibility training into innovative sets that aim to sculpt and tone. Videos are categorised by results e.g. toned arms, toned booty and are interspersed with fitness challenges. I love that Cassey has also created various workout series (like this 100 Ab Challenge, so you can nail down a whole month of workouts. For something more varied, download the free Blogilates monthly fitness planners that will decide a whole month’s workouts for you — neat!
4. Chloe Ting
TLDR; For quick, high-intensity workouts that aim to sculpt and burn fat. Great for getting lean and getting into shape (think butt, arms, abs and waist)!
Price: 100% free! Check out the channel here.
What’s good: I used to follow Chloe Ting way back when she was still a Lookbooker (Anyone else remembers when Lookbook was all the rage?). Fast forward a few years and she’s built an impressive 4 million following on her fitness channel. Chloe Ting’s workouts draw on HITT — they are short, intense (but easy to follow) and categorised by target muscle groups or full body blasts. I like that she often provides low-impact alternatives within her sets (i.e. non-jumping exercises). Like Blogilates, she has extended challenges that put together a workout journey for you (like this 2 Weeks Shred Challenge). As compared to Blogilates, Chloe Ting’s workouts seem to offer a bit more cardio (since it includes elements of HITT) and are great if you’re looking for a good burn!
5. The Fitness Marshall
TLDR; For dance workouts to music chart-toppers that will give you a full-body burn and a ton of fun. Great if you love zumba, dancing and having someone motivate you (intensely) while you work out!
Price: More than enough free workouts on YouTube, but there’s also a paid membership for extra perks (e.g. early access, live streams, merchandise discounts etc). Check out the channel here.
What’s good: Founded by Caleb Marshall in 2014, The Fitness Marshall has since amassed a following of nearly 2.5 million subscribers. Don’t underestimate the intensity of dance workouts — Marshall’s sets are intense, a guaranteed sweat and will give you that cardio boost (I mean just check out this Taki Taki one). Unlike typical Zumba fitness, the dance workouts do involve proper choreography (some of them even have dance breaks). So apart from getting a heart-pumping workout, you’re probably going to improve your coordination, rhythm and musicality too. I love how the videos often feature someone doing a lower-intensity/beginner-level version, so you know it’s okay to take it at your own pace.
6. Minimalist Baker (@minimalistbaker)
TLDR; For simple healthy recipes that are easy to follow, don’t require a whole ton of ingredients and are quick to make.
Price: 100% free!
What’s good: Staying-in is a good chance to start cooking more and keep healthy while you’re at it. The Minimalist Baker introduces feel-good recipes that require 10 ingredients or less, a single bowl or just 30 minutes of cooking time. While most of the recipes are vegan or plant-based, all eaters are welcomed and the platform aims to promote simple, delicious food that doesn’t require fancy ingredients or equipment to cook. You can find all Minimalist Baker recipes in detail on their website with accompanying images, which is great for beginner cooks (like myself). There is a good mix of sweet as well as savoury offerings and their Instagram feed alone is delectable enough — an all-round wholesome space to follow if you ask me!
7. Vegan Bowls (@veganbowls)
TLDR; For a curation of the best vegan recipes.
Price: 100% free on Instagram, with the option of a paid app.
What’s good: Vegan Bowls curates delightful vegan recipes from all around Instagram, from desserts to mains across different cuisines. Whether you’ve adopted a vegan diet, or are looking for a meatless dish, Vegan Bowls is pretty much a one-stop. There are no-frills — every new post is a new recipe, so you’ll never run out of dishes to choose from. Step-by-step instructions are also included in the captions for your convenience, so you can get straight to cooking! Nonetheless, a small downside is that detailed cooking instructions/guiding images are not always available and not all Vegan Bowls recipes are beginner-friendly. That said, there’s more than enough options to go around!
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We’re in this together.
Let’s practise social responsibility by staying in and keeping ourselves, as well as the community safe in this period. And while we’re at it, I hope these 7 fitness apps, channels and accounts will give you a good and easy way to kickstart your stay-in fitness journey. Good luck!
Take care,
Melisa
