Ever felt inspired to jumpstart an exercise regimen while checking out YouTube videos or a bodybuilder’s Instagram posts? Each turn of the new year, millions of us resolve to devote more time to physical activity. Months of sedentary living give way to visions of Rocky-like training, curated workout playlists, and lofty fitness goals. It’s time to step it up.
Getting in shape does not have to be a drag, and technology makes it easier to form doable exercise habits. Want to rock out on a treadmill? Pump it up with dumbbells? How about training for a marathon?
Now you can tap into the power of streaming TV to help you achieve those wellness goals. Rather than pay for a gym or yoga studio membership, you can attend classes right at home, for free, and work out in your living room.
Here are a few of the best places to start.
Couple exercises in living room.
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YouTube is the most obvious stop for fitness content where you’ll find a variety of styles, trainers and niche fare. Whether you’re looking for weight-lifting instruction, dance, yoga, full body workouts or cycling, there’s something for everyone on YouTube. To help you navigate the scene, we suggest checking out a few channels.
Visit The Yoga Room or Yoga with Adriene for beginner yoga techniques. MadFit’s video workouts can be done anywhere, Fitness Blender has multiple intensity levels and More Life Health Seniors features stretches and other exercises for strength and balance.
Head over to 305 Fitness for high-energy dance workouts with in-house DJs. Of course, Chloe Ting, Thenx, Simeon Panda, and Pamela Reif’s channels all provide at-home programs that focus on every part of the body.
Launched in 2019, FitOn offers hundreds of free on-demand and live workouts that include strength training, HIIT, cardio, yoga, walking, dance, prenatal and circuits. Home to an array of high- and low-impact sequences, the app has routines that are tailored for individuals or entire families. You have the option to choose your intensity level, session length or target body area.
Follow along with professional trainers or celebrity instructors like Halle Berry, Lindsey Vonn, or the Chainsmokers to experience martial arts, Zumba, and body sculpting drills. And each day, FitOn offers up to 10 live group classes that you can attend without anyone seeing you. Now available to stream on Roku and Apple TV.
Woman practices yoga at home.
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During the pandemic, CorePower Yoga began offering some of its online classes for free. While the majority of its content is accessible with a paid subscription, you can also stream its collection of free classes without being a paying member.
Ranging from 20 minutes to an hour, each of the seven sessions focuses on a different area. Keep in mind that in yoga, it’s OK for beginners to follow one or more of the same routines daily as the body and mind become accustomed to the new practice. Download the CorePower Yoga app on Roku, FireTV, Android TVs or Apple TV to stream the free classes. For those who prefer a subscription, the company is offering a 20% lifetime discount on All Access memberships if you sign up by Jan. 30.
Prime Video members have access to Amazon’s free library of exercise videos that cover Pilates, yoga, strength training, weight-lifting and more. The platform’s “Exercise & Fitness” section houses fitness content for all ages. Stream workouts from Maggie Binkley, a 10-day yoga challenge with Chelsey Jones or Qigong instruction from Don Fiore.
Man exercises in living room.
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Fawesome is known for being a streaming service that offers movies and TV shows, but the app also has dedicated fitness content. Users can stream videos under its Fawesome Yoga, Fawesome Pilates or Fawesome Fit You umbrellas where you’ll find barre, cardio, yogalates, kettlebell, full body sequences and more. And most of the workouts are short and sweet. Stream the Fawesome app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV or your smart TV.
Looking for more? Netflix makes it easy to practice mindfulness with its Headspace content. Samsung’s new smart TVs have a wellness hub, and Tubi users can tap into more than 100 free fitness videos (including Jane Fonda classics). You can also hit the ground running with these paid subscription services for your workouts.
Watch this:
Apple Fitness Plus adds new workout routines
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