25 ways to take your favorite workout classes at home

With COVID-19 still creating a mess across the nation, gyms aren't as busy as they once were. And yet, people are still on the lookout for their next workout. Sure, going for a brisk walk or even a run outside is a possibility, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea. That leaves plenty of folks stocking up on home workout equipment such as kettlebells, resistance bands and yoga mats, or making fitness happen using items found around the home.

One thing we can all agree on, though: Sometimes it’s just nice to have a workout buddy, even if they’re just on a screen. To that end, we rounded up 25 popular fitness classes, apps, and subscription services (including some of my personal favorites) to motivate you to stay fit even in the comfort of your home.

Free fitness classes on YouTube

1. Yoga with Adriene

Type of classes: Free yoga

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Yoga with Adriene is going to save us all during these strange times. Can you already twist your body into a pretzel? Great, Adriene is here for you. Can’t even touch your toes? Even better, Adriene is ready to help. She has so many videos and options that it’s almost overwhelming. Keyword: almost. Her soothing voice and relaxed approach to yoga will keep you—and her other 6 million-plus subscribers—coming back for more.

I’ve been using her videos for almost two years now, following her collection of videos like “Yoga for Runners” and, more recently, “Yoga for Uncertain Times.” You don’t have to be a pro yogi for her videos to leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed. Honestly, it’s kind of better if you aren’t. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for a frequent guest star in her classes—her dog, Benji, who is blissfully unaware whenever a yoga class is in session.

Try a Yoga with Adriene workout Download the Find What Feels Good app

2. Sweat with SELF

Type of classes: Free HIIT, cardio, strength training, and more

If you’re looking for some serious (free) “fitspiration,” the “Sweat with SELF” channel is where you should go. From the backdrop of their classes (the NYC skyline is often featured), to the upbeat and spandex-clad instructors, these classes give the most realistic vibe of an in-person group fitness class. You know, but without the group.

These classes range from 10 to 30 minutes. However, there is a timer in the corner counting down each move, so the time flies by, as each section is broken up into segments. Most workouts don’t require anything other than your body weight, though some utilize dumbbells and kettlebells. Word to the wise: If you have neighbors living beneath you, these aren’t the videos to bust out at 6 a.m.—be kind and wait at least until 9 a.m.

Try a SELF workout

3. Popsugar Fitness

Type of classes: Free HIIT, cardio, and dance

One of my favorite parts about Popsugar’s fitness classes (other than they’re fun to take) is that they have at least three or more people in them. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the more people I see in a fitness video, the more I take it as a personal challenge to beat them. “Oh, that person in the blue tank top on the left looks a bit out of breath? I’m going to do way more squats than them.”

While I’m sweating in my living room thinking like that, the tone of the videos is quite opposite, offering cheerleader-like support while you work your way through cardio, sculpt, and dance classes. If you’re looking for classes that will make you feel like you’re working out with friends, Popsugar fitness is exactly what you need. If you need an extra burst of joy in your life, I cannot recommend the 30-minute “Old School Hip Hop Grooves” workout enough. I’ll say it in advance—you’re welcome.

Try a POPSUGAR Fitness workout

4. Blogilates

Type of classes: Free Pilates

Our resident yoga teacher (who is also one of our editors) swears by Blogilates for arms and abs workouts. Most of these workouts are about 10 minutes or less, and based around Pilates workouts to help strengthen and tone muscle. The instructor, Cassey, guides you through the routines in the comfort of her home, sometimes with friends, but oftentimes alone.

With these short, attainable workouts, and one-on-one instruction, it can feel like you have your own personal trainer right in your living room—minus the hefty price tag that usually comes along with it.

Try a Blogilates workout

5. Heart and Soul Fitness

Type of classes: Free full body, HIIT, and strength training

This is one of the first HIIT workouts I ever did on YouTube and there is a reason I keep replaying these videos. They are quick workouts that get the job done. At first, I was suspicious that a 15-minute full body workout could leave me feeling drained, but once you "meet" Coach Kozak and Claudia, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

There isn’t anything wild or flashy in the production of these videos—it’s just two people working hard, encouraging you to give your best effort, and demonstrating moves you can do that don’t require a lot of floor space. Coach Kozak does the full workout while Claudia models the modifications, so regardless of your fitness level, you will always have someone to follow. Get ready to sweat!

Try a Heart and Soul Fitness workout

6. Move With Colour

Types of classes: Free dance

My greatest discovery during quarantine? The Move With Colour dance classes. These are less of a “I need to get a serious workout in” type class and more of a “I need to burst with joy and smile for 10 minutes straight” sort of thing. While there are a few 45-minute sessions, the majority are just 10 minutes, and leave you mastering a small dance combination. With tons of different music choices you can feel like you’re in a boy band, at a disco, or even in a '90s club for a few minutes out of your day. It’s a great way to get your blood pumping and heart racing, but more importantly, these videos are just plain fun.

Try a Move with Colour workout

Fitness Subscription Services

7. Peloton

Cost: $12.99 per month Free trial: 30 days Types of classes: Strength, yoga, meditation, bootcamp, toning, running, cycling, and more

You’ve most likely heard of Peloton by now—a.k.a., "the bike from that commercial." But Peloton is so much more than just a bike. When you purchase the Peloton bike or treadmill, you become a Peloton member and get access to thousands of classes, not limited to only cycling, running, and walking. But all of these classes are also available to those who sign up for the Peloton app, which costs $13 a month after the free trial.

Whether you have your own equipment at home or you only have a carpet to use as a makeshift yoga mat, the Peloton app is a great solution to staying fit in the comfort of your own home.

Try a Peloton workout Download the Peloton app

8. Pure Barre On Demand

Cost: $29.99 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Barre

Samantha is also a Pure Barre enthusiast (she has been going to her Pure Barre studio for six years now), and raves about the workout to anyone and everyone. "The workouts changed my life for the better, and I would be lost right now if I could not stream classes in my living room while stuck at home," she says.

Pure Barre On Demand offers members the chance to take the classic workout in 5- to 60-minute class lengths from anywhere. The classes consist of multiple small movements targeting different muscle groups including your arms, abs, thighs, and "seat." Many local Pure Barre studios are also offering live streams of classes taught by familiar instructors via private Facebook group—but these are only for current paying members.

Try a Pure Barre workout Download the Pure Barre app

9. ClassPass

Cost: $15-$199 per month, depending on your plan Free trial: 30 days Types of classes: Barre, yoga, running, HIIT, and more

ClassPass is all about letting you explore different fitness studios in your city, but at a time like this, that’s not a possibility. However, you can still stream workouts from its app, included with your membership. ClassPass offers subscribers video workouts that target specific muscle groups, as well as pre-taped barre, dance, and yoga classes from its partner studios. It also offers audio classes for people who already have equipment like treadmills or stationary bikes at home and still want to feel like they’re in a fitness class with an instructor coaching them through.

Depending on where you’re located, you can also use your ClassPass credits to take classes from local studios that are streaming live. I’ve been a ClassPass addict for well over a year now and can honestly say, no matter the state of the world outside my window, this app has helped me keep sane while sticking to a workout routine.

Try a ClassPass workout Download the ClassPass app

10. Fitbit Premium

Cost: $9.99 per month Free trial: 90 days Types of classes: Running, HIIT, barre, strength training, and more

Usually offering a seven-day free trial, Fitbit Premium recently increased this period to 90 days, so now is a great time to explore everything the app has to offer along with your Fitbit fitness tracker. The goal of Fitbit Premium is to take those stats you see on your wrist and turn them into personalized guidance. You can learn how to get started with running or how to pick up the pace throughout your runs, focus on hitting your sleep goal each night, and even receive guidance on how to manage weight in a healthy way. Fitbit Premium is all about customization, so if you’re someone who wants a fitness program tailored to your abilities and goals you’re looking to achieve, give Fitbit Premium a go.

Try Fitbit Premium Download the Fitbit app

11. Moms Into Fitness

Cost: $14.99 per month/$99 per year Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Running, strength training, and more, tailored to pregnant and postnatal women

Let’s be real: Parents everywhere right now are in need of a serious break. This is where Moms Into Fitness may come in. This program encourages mothers to prioritize their own health and wellness, and is made up of hundreds of scientifically backed workouts, which were also designed by—you guessed it!—moms. Whether you’re pregnant, postnatal, or have been an empty-nester for years, there is a workout for your needs. The app also offer nutrition plans for those who are pregnant, just trying to eat healthier, and busy moms trying to feed a household of kids. So moms everywhere: Consider this the green light to step back, carve out 20 minutes from your day, and squeeze in a workout.

Try a Moms into Fitness workout Download the Moms into Fitness app

12. Daily Burn 365

Cost: $19.95 per month Free trial: 30 days Types of classes: Cardio, strength, muscle-building, HIIT, and more

Daily Burn 365 offers a 30-minute workout live-streamed every day at 9 a.m. Can’t make it to the morning class? Don’t worry, the workout of the day becomes available on-demand for the remainder of the day. Premium members have access to archived classes so they can go back and take their favorite cardio, strength, muscle-building, or HIIT class whenever they want to.

Daily Burn is designed and made for people who are starting out or starting over with their fitness routine. One of the greatest parts about their classes is that they’re filmed in a room filled with folks of all body types and abilities, so you aren’t staring at a screen of 20 people doing perfect squats and lunges every time. These are real people, working hard to get their workout in—what better motivation could you ask for?

Try a Daily Burn 365 workout Download the Daily Burn app

13. Zombies, Run!

Cost: $5.99 per month/$34.99 per year Free trial: None Types of classes: Running

You know those people who say, “The only time I run is if something is chasing me”? Well, with this app, they have no excuse. Lace up your sneakers, folks, because it’s time to run away from some zombies. The premise of this brilliant game that tricks you into working out: You’re a runner en route to one of humanity’s last remaining outposts, and your help is needed to gather supplies and rescue survivors. As you run, you collect supplies to take back to the base, but if you start getting chased by zombies, you better speed up! With over 200 missions, you’ll always have a unique storyline during your run. With an average of 4.8 stars in the app store with over 13,000 ratings, plenty of people can attest that running from zombies has never been more fun.

Try a Zombies, Run! workout Download the Zombies, Run! app

14. JetSweat

Cost: $19.99 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Yoga, cardio, sculpt, and more

Whether you’re a lover of the boutique fitness studio or you’ve felt too intimidated to try it, now is your time and JetSweat is the place. This service brings New York City studios straight to you no matter your location, so you can take the hottest new classes the city has to offer, including Pilates, Muay Thai, interval training, and more. The app is set up so you the newest workout os front and center when you log in. You can also filter through the extensive library, and sort classes by difficulty level, time, or workout type.

Try a JetSweat workout Download the JetSweat app

15. Aaptiv

Cost: $14.99 per month/$99.99 per year Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Strength training, running, yoga, and more

Aaptiv’s goal? Make boredom a thing of the past. Now, more than ever, this is music to our ears. With over 50,000 reviews and an average 4.7-star rating, this is the top audio-based fitness app in the iTunes App Store. All you have to do is input your fitness goals to find a workout that applies to you. Next, depending on how much time you have, music you prefer, or even a trainer you like, you choose the workout that fits your mood. Then all you have to do is turn on your headphones and follow the trainer's voice prompts.

Whether you want to run, do yoga, or do an at-home strength training workout (with equipment or not), all you have to worry about is listening. No more squinting at the computer screen or staring at the TV, trying to figure out what the heck is going on!

Try an Aaptiv workout Download the Aaptiv app

16. Sculpt Society

Cost: $19.99 per month/$119.99 per year Free trial: 14 days Types of classes: Dance and cardio sculpt

If you long for the days of dance class, or feel like you never got your chance to be a ballerina (but still want those ballerina legs) Sculpt Society is for you. Its motto? "Dance. Sculpt. Sweat. Repeat." These classes are all about creating a "long, lean, and toned" body, with simplified dance moves so that anyone, no matter their dance experience, can feel confident. A combo of your own body weight, along with resistance bands, sliders, and small hand weights are all you need to bring out your inner dancer... and your muscles.

Try a Sculpt Society workout Download the Sculpt Society app

17. Obe Fitness

Cost: $19.99 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Dance, sculpt, pilates, barre, yoga, boxing, and more

Do you have 28 minutes or less? Then you have time for an Obe class. Classes are grouped into three categories: Sweat (classes like dance, HIIT, boxing), Define (like sculpt, pilates, barre), and Flow (like yoga and restorative stretch). With live classes starting at 7 a.m. and going until 2:30 p.m., it’s easy to carve out time to hop into a class. If not, there are also on-demand classes that can fit into your schedule whenever you’re free.

Best of all, Obe also offers programs so you can track your progress and have a goal to strive for at the end of seven-, 10-, or 30-day periods. Options like Obe for runners, a seven-day "just getting started" program, and a seven-day abs routine help you jump-start your fitness routine, especially if you’re feeling out of sorts with your local gym or fitness studio closed.

Try an Obe Fitness workout Download the Obe Fitness app

18. Seven

Cost: $9.99 per month/$59.99 per year Free trial: 7 days (or 30 days, if referred by a current member) Types of classes: HIIT

Do you have seven minutes? Then you have time to get fit. Seven’s workouts are—you guessed it—seven minutes long. Based on scientific studies of routines that provide maximum benefit in the shortest amount of time, these workouts are designed to target your “goal” areas that you input into the app. There's no equipment necessary, so you can do your workout anywhere. Plus, with daily challenges, achievement badges, and the ability to compete with friends, Seven keeps you coming back for more. What have you got to lose? It’s only seven minutes a day.

Try a Seven workout Download the Seven app

19. Centr

Cost: 1 month for $29.99 per month/3 months for $20 per month/1 year for $10 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: HIIT, boxing, yoga, strength, and more

We might be lying to ourselves if we didn’t say we want to look like Chris Hemsworth. But with Centr, a wellness app "curated" by the famous actor, that might be a possibility. Centr isn’t just about fitness. It has healthy meal plans that generate shopping lists and recommend recipes, offers guided meditations, and even includes sleep visualization exercises to help you wind down. On the fitness side, if you have 20 to 40 minutes a day, you can squeeze in a sweat session with a world-class trainer, with new workouts released weekly. If you haven’t gotten your 15 minutes of fame yet, this might be the next best thing.

Try a Centr workout Download the Centr app

20. Booya Fitness

Cost: 1 month for $9.99/3 months for $26.99 per month/1 year for $99.99 Free trial: 30 days Types of classes: Barre, yoga, sculpt, cardio, and more

For that boutique-workout feel without the entire mob of people around you, tune into Booya Fitness. Booya partners with popular studios and workouts, like BollyX, Broga, and Core Pilates NYC, to turn your home into the studio. It also offers plenty of workout plans that last anywhere from seven days to eight weeks, focusing on topics like busting out of your fitness comfort zone, toning muscle, and tightening your core. A good option for those who love to follow a plan or change things up as they go, Booya has something for every type of fitness enthusiast.

Try Booya Fitness Download the Booya Fitness app

21. Fit Fusion

Cost: $9.99 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Kickboxing, pilates, barre, cardio, and more

It’s one thing to log onto a fitness app and be taught by insanely fit, perky instructors. It’s another thing to log on and recognize the trainer, like Jillian Michaels, the force behind Fit Fusion. Take a class from Michaels herself in this high-intensity app. Fit Fusion offers classes based around areas of the body you want to target (thinks abs, thighs, buns, and so on), as well as classes you’d find at the gym, like pilates, barre, and kickboxing. It even has pre- and postnatal workouts—truly something for everyone.

Try a Fit Fusion workout Download the Fit Fusion app

22. Glo

Cost: $24 per month Free trial: 7 days Types of classes: Yoga, Pilates, and meditation

It seems like everyone and their mother is practicing yoga and posting it to their Instagram stories right now. You don’t have to be a yoga pro to start practicing with the Glo app: There are plenty of beginner courses offered. But if you’re ready to take your downward dog to the next level and you need some guidance, Glo is here for you. It puts step-by-step instruction for mastering arm stands, inversions, and even acroyoga available at your fingertips. With thousands of classes in yoga, Pilates, and even guided meditation, Glo can help you clear your mind and get your body moving during these difficult times.

Try a Glo workout Download the Glo app

23. Neou Fitness

Cost: $3.99 per month/$89.99 per year for a limited time (usually $79.99) Free trial: 60 days Types of classes: Kickboxing, barre, yoga, and more

Is the idea of starting a workout routine daunting? Fear not, Neou can help. With thousands of classes to sort through, Neou is all about finding workouts and programs that fit your needs. From running to barre to yoga to kickboxing—even prenatal classes—there is something for every body and every schedule at Neou. You don’t have to worry about showing up at a certain time, or logging in and competing against others—just stream Neou workous from wherever you are, and start sweating.

Try a Neou Fitness workout Download the Neou Fitness app

24. Crunch Live

Cost: $9.99 per month/$90 per year Free trial: 90 days Types of classes: Dance, yoga, HIIT, cardio, and more

Do you have 45 minutes to work out? Great. Oh, you have just 15? That’s great, too. Crunch Live is here to kick your booty, sculpt your arms, and tone every inch of you with its on-demand fitness classes. If you’re already a member of a Crunch gym, a membership to Crunch Live is included. If not, an app membership of $9.99 a month will make you feel like you’re at some of Crunch’s most popular classes, such as bootcamp, sculpt, and kickboxing. These video workouts are led by Crunch instructors and feature actual gym members in the background. After a few classes, who knows? Maybe you could star in the next video!

Try a Crunch Live workout Download the Crunch Fitness app

25. BeachBody On Demand

Cost: $8.25/month or $99/year Free trial: 14 days Types of classes: Yoga, cardio, dance, HIIT, and more

If you’ve ever thought about trying BeachBody, but never got up the nerve to call the number in the infomercial, now's the time to give its two-week trial a whirl. Or if your excuse for not working out is, “but I can’t find any workouts I like," you can't use that here. The BeachBody app has everything from barre and yoga to full-body cardio and weight lifting. With over 1,200 workouts to choose from, plus its signature programs including PiYo and P90X, you can say goodbye to ever being bored by your fitness routine.

Try a BeachBody workout Download the BeachBody app