In the quest for a healthier and more balanced lifestyle, many of us are turning to the convenience of home workouts. The fitness app market has exploded, offering a plethora of options to suit every taste and fitness level. From yoga to strength training, dance to personal training, there's an app for everyone. But with so many choices, how do you pick the right one? This comprehensive guide will take you through the best fitness apps for home workouts, considering factors like variety, price, and user experience. Get ready to transform your home into your personal fitness studio!
The Top Fitness Apps for Home Workouts
Best Overall: BODi
BODi is a comprehensive fitness app that offers a wide range of workouts, including strength, HIIT, cardio, dance, yoga, Pilates, barre, and low-impact programs. It also provides nutrition plans with over 1,000 recipes and mindfulness content. The app's structure is a standout feature, allowing users to choose a specific program and follow a structured calendar for three to 12 weeks. This approach is particularly appealing to those who struggle with open-ended class libraries.
Pros:
- 225+ complete programs with defined start and finish
- 9,500+ workouts to do on your time
- Minimal equipment needed for most programs
- Nutrition plans with 1,000+ recipes
- Mindset content
- Community support with rewards and perks
Cons:
- Library skews towards cardio & strength (may not be for everyone)
Best for Yoga: AloWellness Club
AloWellness Club is a yoga app that offers a wide range of yoga, fitness, and mindfulness practices. It features beginner-friendly options, a library of yoga pose tutorials, and the ability to search for classes based on style, difficulty level, and duration. The app also tracks progress and saves favorite playlists or flows.
Pros:
- Lots of variety (including yoga, fitness, and mindfulness practices)
- Beginner-friendly options
- Library of yoga pose tutorials and series
Cons:
- Some instructors are not as detailed with explaining poses
Best for Personal Training: Future
Future is a personal training app that offers one-on-one coaching from certified trainers. It provides real-time data from wearable devices for immediate feedback during workouts and tailored workout plans to individual goals, fitness levels, and preferences.
Pros:
- One-on-one coaching from certified trainers
- Real-time data from wearable devices for immediate feedback
- Tailored workout plans
Cons:
- Higher membership cost
Best for Sculpting: P.volve
P.volve is an energizing and engaging online workout program that focuses on toning, sculpting, lengthening, improving posture, and increasing mobility. The workouts are designed to target both major and minor muscle groups.
Pros:
- The P.volve method is built on science with targeted programs for 40+
- Super certified trainers and instructors
- User-friendly platform
Cons:
- Workouts involve a lot of equipment specific to the P.volve method
Best Variety: Obe
Obe is a women-focused fitness app that offers a wide range of exercise types, including barre, dance, Pilates, yoga, and kid-focused classes. It provides 22 live classes a week and thousands of on-demand classes.
Pros:
- Wide range of exercise types
- Offers 22 live classes a week
Cons:
- Many classes require equipment
Best for Dance: The Sculpt Society
The Sculpt Society is a dance cardio app that makes it approachable and welcoming. The instructors use inclusive language, and the app offers quick class options that are easy to fit into busy days.
Pros:
- Quick class options are easy to fit into busy days
- Workouts are energizing and fun
- Extremely beginner-friendly
Cons:
- Not a wide variety of workout types
Best for Pilates: B The Method
B The Method is a low-impact, full-body pilates method that focuses on mobility, strength, pelvic floor health, and flexibility. The workouts can be done with no equipment or with a pilates ball and light weights.
Pros:
- New workouts weekly
- Focuses on mobility, strength, pelvic floor health, and flexibility
- Includes tutorials and tips for improving form
Cons:
- Only one instructor
Best for Group Fitness: Peloton
Peloton is an interactive fitness experience that offers a huge variety of classes, both live and on-demand. It requires Peloton-branded equipment but offers a wide range of workouts that can be done with no equipment.
Pros:
- Trainers are all certified personal trainers
- Thousands of classes to choose from
- User-friendly platform
Cons:
- Many classes require Peloton-branded equipment
Best for Pre-and-Post-Natal: The Bloom Method
The Bloom Method is a workout program designed for women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or recently gave birth. It offers cardio, sculpt, strength, yoga, barre, and HIIT classes for every stage of pregnancy and thereafter.
Pros:
- Safe options for pre- and post-natal parents
- Focuses on community with options to join a Facebook group
- Built-in focus on pelvic floor support
Cons:
- Focused on a specific stage of life
Best for Strength Training: Les Mills+
Les Mills+ is an online workout program that offers a wide range of classes, including strength training, cycling, dance, aerobics, HIIT, yoga, and martial arts. It has a built-in community to connect with other members.
Pros:
- Diverse workout options
- Users can access Les Mills+ from various devices
- The app integrates music seamlessly into workouts
Cons:
- Certain Les Mills+ programs require specific fitness equipment
Best Free: Nike Training Club
Nike Training Club is a free fitness app that offers a wide range of workouts, including yoga, HIIT, strength training, running exercises, and more. It provides a library of nutrition tips and recipes and allows users to customize their workout plans.
Pros:
- Includes a library of nutrition tips and recipes
- Users can customize their workout plans
- Seamless integration with other Nike products
Cons:
- Some users have reported occasional glitches, bugs, or connectivity issues
How We Selected & Tested the Best Fitness Apps for At-Home
Our team has tested dozens of fitness apps over the past five years. We evaluated each program based on the following criteria:
- Variety
- Trial period
- Price
- Reviews
- Instructors
- Class duration
- Equipment
- Ease of use
Who Should Use a Fitness App?
Fitness apps are suitable for anyone who is physically capable of exercising. They offer multiple types of workouts, a variety of instructors, and a mix of live and on-demand classes.
The Takeaway
After years of trekking to in-person workout classes and spending thousands of dollars on boutique fitness studios, I now work out almost exclusively at home. Fitness apps have made working out more approachable, affordable, and accessible. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned athlete, you'll find an online workout program to benefit your body and your mind.
