Top 5 Home Exercise Apps

Ok, here’s a little something you need to know about me:

I really don’t like going to the gym.

I worked at the Rec Center when I was at Purdue University and I enjoyed working there and taking the group fitness classes, but I could never get real excited about working out at the gym. 

Now that I’m out of college, I have even more reasons to not want to go: 

• The cost 

• The time to commute back and forth to the gym + changing/getting ready if you go right before/after work + time you take to actually workout 

• You have to create your own workout (which I can do since I double majored in Nutrition/Fitness/Health in college but that doesn’t mean I want to do that all the time) 

• Fingers crossed the machine or weights you need are available 

• Avoiding the busy times is always a priority for me. I’m generally a people person but not when I’m exercising. 

So where does that leave me for exercise? 

1. Outdoor exercise – my absolute favorite! I love enjoying nature on a walk around the neighborhood with Dustin and Wyatt (husband and puppy) or going on a hike. However, I live in Indiana so that’s not exactly a year round option. 

1. Indoor exercise using online programs and apps! This has been my go-to method of exercise since college and I stopped going to group fitness classes. There’s so many options available now at really affordable prices. The vast majority of these apps and programs allow you to pay month to month and cancel anytime so it’s a great option if you have no idea what kind of exercise you would enjoy. 

Beachbody on Demand 

Cost: $99/year 

This is what I’ve currently been using off and on for about 5 years. I love PiYo and Transform :20 currently. This program can be accessed on any device: computer, laptop, phone, Roku, Apple TV, you name it! You can choose from a huge variety of different programs whether you’re new to exercise or looking for something pretty extreme. I also like that not all programs require weights or a lot of other equipment. 

Daily Burn 

Cost: $14.95/month 

Daily Burn is very similar to Beachbody on Demand in that they have whole programs to choose from with a variety of different intensities. If you get bored easily and want a completely new workout every single day, you’ll want to try Daily Burn 365. Every single day of the year they stream a brand new, moderate intensity, total body workout. They’ve also built an online community that you can connect with others using the app if you want virtual accountability. I really enjoyed their pre-recorded programs but if I started to get bored or couldn’t decide what to do, it was nice to know there was always a brand new workout waiting for me! 

Sweat Deck 

Cost: Free + in-app purchases 

I love this option if you’re looking for something that’s completely free, but you want to go at your own pace. Basically, the app gives you a virtual deck of cards and you get to decide what exercise you want to assign to each suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades) and face cards. Then the app shuffles the deck for you and you complete the number of exercises assigned to each card.

For example, if you chose burpees for hearts when the 9 of hearts comes up you have to do 9 burpees. You can change up the exercises every time you workout and you can even do a partial deck if the full 52 cards is too much. 

30 Day Challenge 

Cost: Free + in-app purchases 

If you’re getting tired of doing the same 4-7 exercises in Sweat Deck, you might want to try 30 Day Challenge. This app is perfect for beginners because the first few days of the challenge you only exercise for 5 minutes or less! If you’re more experienced you can do multiple days of the challenge at once. When I was using this app, I didn’t use it as a 30 day challenge, just an app to get a workout on several days a week. 

As the challenge progresses, the workouts get harder and longer. Challenges include total body, abs, lower body, arms, glutes and you can start at easy, medium, or hard. At one point I had several challenges going at once so I could choose between lower body, arms, or total body for a total of about 20-30 minutes of exercise. 

YFM: Yoga Fitness Mindfulness 

Cost: $7.99/month 

This online program used to be called Yoga For Men but they’ve recently rebranded to expand their reach. I think it was a good decision because I’m a woman and loved their workouts! YFM is for the person that’s looking for more traditional yoga and meditation but needs some instruction on the basics. They have videos of full classes but they also have short 5-10 minutes videos focusing on a single pose and how to do so correctly. One of my favorites from this program included a shoulder mobility sequence. 

Let me know in the comments some of your favorite online workout programs!