Some days, it’s just really difficult to go outside. Especially in the winter months when it’s rainy/snowy or cold, and the sun may have already gone to sleep by the time you’re ready to leave work.
So what do you do if you want to get some exercise, but you don’t want to go to the gym? Thankfully, you can just as easily work out from the comfort of your home.
With technology being so ubiquitous these days, you can simply turn your smartphone into your personal home coach. All you need to do is install one of the home workout apps that are available in the Play Store.
Don’t know which one to try? We’re here to help, so we’ve rounded up some of the best apps for home fitness you can get right now.
7 Minute
What it is:
A simple and effective workout app which guides you through a series of workouts all which last only 7 minutes.
Why we like it:
- Contains a series of routines including Classic, Abs workout, leg workout, arm workout and more. All come with detailed instructions and graphic representations of how to do the exercises.
- Includes a Challenge tab, which aims to motivate you to workout daily for a total of 30 days. If successful, you will receive a cool badge.
- The app includes a Statistic option where you can see how often you’ve worked out in the past month and how your weight/BMI has fluctuated over time.
- 7 Minutes sends daily notification at a given time to ensure you never skip a workout.
- It’s a great solution for those who don’t have much free time, but want to stay in shape.
Download 7 Minutes
Daily Yoga
What it is:
A yoga app which aims to help you stay healthy, but also lose weight or tone your muscles.
Why we like it:
- Relaxing interface with neutral-tone colors that invite you to relax.
- Includes several workouts depending on your specific goals. Do you want to stay healthy? Do the Yoga for Detox and Digestion plan. Do you want to muscle tone? The app includes a 14 Days Abs Challenge.
- All weekly plans are neatly broken down into days, so you can see which exercise you’ll be performing each day. You can also see what props you need and how many calories you’ll be burning.
- Classes are guided with audio and there’s also a fine musical background to complement it all.
Note: There’s a Pro version to upgrade to which unlocks all Workshop programs, as well as 5 extra features. It costs $24.99/month.
Download Daily Yoga
Freeletics
What it is:
A personal fitness coach app that lets you train anywhere, no equipment needed, just your phone.
Why we like it:
- You can get the app to easily recommend your best workouts based on your unique stats (genre/age/weight/height).
- Choose from various 5-30 minute workouts, depending on your schedule.
- Contains video guides that demonstrate how to do the exercise correctly.
- The app has a social component. You can check out other users’ profiles, follow and interact with them. A feed similar to Instagram where you can get all the fitness updates is also available.
Download Freeletics
Home Workout
What it is:
A simple-to-use app featuring a variety of workout routines from beginners, intermediate and advanced users.
Why we like it:
- Simple to use an app. Just choose your level and start the workout (full body, abs, chest and more). All exercises are demonstrated using animated gifs.
- The app keeps tracks of your progress over time, showing you how many calories you’ve burned and how your weight/BMI has fluctuated over time.
- The app has a challenge option to motivate you to continue working out.
- There are several language options available including German, Portuguese and Italian.
- You can sync the app with Google Fit.
Download Home Workout
Sworkit
What it is:
A workout app with an appealing UI design that lets you choose from stretching and yoga to cardio and strength training.
Why we like it:
- The app comes with a huge database of body weight exercise. Pick the ones you can fit your schedule. Do a 5-minute stretch at the office or opt for something more complex when you get home.
- Users can create their own custom workouts. So you can include all your favorite exercises and skip the ones you don’t like that much.
- Sworkit also lets you tap into the expertise of personal trainers, sports trainers and physical therapists.
Note: The app is free to download, but you’ll need to pay a quarterly subscription of $29.99 to be able to use it. However, the first month is free to try out.
Download Sworkit
Calm
What it is:
The brain, like the body, also needs a good workout. And that’s what Calm is for. An app designed to help relax and quiet down your mind.
Why we like it:
- The app features a beautiful interface that is conductive of mindfulness.
- Helps you follow your top goals including Reduce Anxiety, Improve Focus or Reduce Stress.
- Includes beautiful music tracks to help you focus, relax or sleep (that keep playing even with your phone turned off).
- Feeling stressed after a long day? Calm includes breathing exercise and masterclasses in meditation (and more) taught by world-renowned experts.
Note: You can download and use Calm for free for 7 days, but to keep doing so you will have to shed $29.99 per year.
Download Calm
Nike Training Club
What it is:
A very nice training app from Nike that offers a stylish interface and access to a large variety of workouts.
Why we like it:
- The app offers all kinds of workouts from short 15-minute workouts to longer endurance sessions. And it also features options for Yoga lovers.
- The app includes a series of expert tips. For example, learn How to fight the urge to avoid going to workouts using the “No time” excuse.
- Nike’s Training Club allows users to follow a plan. For example, the Lean Fit helps you get lean and fit over 6 weeks with a plan that builds endurance.
- There’s also a community component built into the app, so you can find friends and interact with other users of the app.
- The app supports Chromecast mirroring, so you can check out the instructions on a larger screen.
- It features some famous athletes like Serena Williams who provide video guidance.
Download Nike Training Club
Daily Burn
What it is:
Daily Burn is like your private fitness channel that offers workout videos led by expert trainers.
Why we like it:
- Users can watch the Daily Burn 365 workout live at 9:00 am ET every single day. It’s a 30-minute, full-body workout especially targeting beginners.
- There’s a wide variety of workouts to choose from including beginner yoga, strength training, cardio and more.
- The app benefits from guest appearances by celebrities and renowned fitness experts
- Daily Burn also has an Audio Workouts section, so you can take your trainer + music everywhere you go.
Note: The app is free to download and use for 30 days, then you need to pay $14.95 per month for Basic, or upgrade to Premium for $19.95/month.
Download Daily Burn
So if you plan to stay fit this winter, you better start downloading one (or more) of these apps right away!