Welcome to the world of online fitness. Whether you’re new to working out — and the thought of squatting and lunging in a room filled with three dozen svelte athleisure-wearing pseudo-athletes is daunting — or you’re just too busy to make time to attend classes IRL, there are now a number of ways to sweat it out with some of the biggest names in the fitness industry, without even having to leave your apartment. Better yet, you won’t be alone. Many of the fitness brands that have extended their reach via technology have built communities around their streaming workouts. Look up#TARealTime, for example, and you’ll find countless Tracy Anderson enthusiasts with dedicated Instagram pages to track their progress and encourage each other to keep up with their workouts. With summer around the corner, there’s no better time to check out one of these accessible options, which will save you time, money and make it harder to find excuses to skip out on exercise.
Tracy Anderson, $90 a month or $475 for six months BBS TV, $14.99 a month or $120 a year BeFit YouTube Channel, free AKT On Demand,$34.99 a month Crunch Live, $9.99 per month or $90 a year #NWCHURCH, $80 a month Physique57,$30 a month Peloton, $1,995 for the bike and $39 a month for streaming DanceBody, $12.99 a week, 34.99 a month, or $419.88 a year
Anderson was one of the first to enter this space, and she was the first to do it in a raw, unfiltered way (there’s literally just a camera set up in her studio filming her Master Class). A new Anderson-led workout is uploaded every Wednesday — replacing the prior week’s — and includes her signature arm and floor movements as well as a separate dance cardio workout. There’s a weekly “trainer breakdown,” to make sure you’re doing the moves correctly as well as a separate beginner’s cardio workout. The cost is a bit steep, but remember that Anderson’s studio membership is $900/month with a $1,500 initiation fee.
Unlike with Anderson, Body by Simone TV — launched by Simone de la Rue — is constantly adding to their library of workout videos, rather than swapping one for another. Each video is 20 minutes long, and they’re designed to supplement one another. Included in the library are de la Rue’s signature cardio, ab, leg, trampoline, and jump rope sequences.
If you’re looking for a mix of workouts from a variety of celebrity fitness personalities — think Jillian Michaels andBilly Blanks Jr. — and you’re on a budget, check out this near daily updated free fitness channel. Want to work out on the go? A selection of videos are optimized for mobile devices; choose between barre, HITT, yoga, cardio core, and Krav Maga, all ranging from five to 35 minutes.
New subscribers get a 15-minute trainer consult before beginning an online workout with Kelly Ripa’s go-to trainer, Anna Kaiser. Your subscription gives you access to the entire AKT library of workouts – over 150 workouts and 1,500-plus minutes of content. AKT also offers live private training, nutrition sessions, program consultations, and a 10-day workout calendar.
For an afforable mix of styles and instructors, Crunch Live is a great option. The streaming service has over 85 online videos inspired by Crunch Gym’s most popular classes ranging from total body bootcamp and dance cardio, to Pilates, yoga, and barre.
It’s hard not to love Madonna’s bubbly former trainer, Nicole Winhoffer. She’s upbeat, loves to whip her hair, and clearly loves to move her body. Winhoffer follows in the footsteps of Anderson (who, ironically, also trained Madonna), posting non-edited videos filmed directly in-studio as she teaches her sweaty classes. As for the class itself, it’s part toning and part dance-cardio. A new hour-long workout is posted every Sunday and after two weeks disappears — meaning, at any given time you have access to two sessions.
If you’re looking for a barre or Pilates-inspired workout, check out Physique57’s streaming options. They have over 40 videos from 10 minutes to an hour each and cover strength training, cardio, and restorative workouts (all workouts are non-impact). If you have a specific goal in mind, you’ll also be able to pick from two to 12-week workout plans. Unlike Physique57’s in-studio classes, these can be done without equipment.
Peloton is more of a commitment than the other streaming options because it requires purchasing a bike (though the one-time investment pales in comparison to regular SoulCycle or Flywheel classes). Use the at-home bike to ride along with live in-studio classes or a spinning workout from their on-demand library. Riders benefit from the bike’s real time performance tracking — and from instructors giving them real-time shout-outs since this streaming is interactive.
Filmed in real time, new workouts are added each month. The growing library includes dance-inspired sweat sessions ranging from 10 to 90 minutes. While they’re not mandatory, DanceBody’s specifically designed equipment — like the Hex Mat and Dance Bands— do come in handy for the floor work and dance cardio portions.
Tracy Anderson Method, Body by Simone and more of the best online workouts
Peloton
