What to Stream if You Can’t Make it to the Gym

woman doing yoga at homeEven though you might be one of the most committed people you know working on a regular fitness routine, it happens to all of us – sometimes life gets in the way of getting to the gym.

You might have a backup as simple as getting out for a run or dumbbells the basement, but maybe you’d like to find an alternative workout to try, whether you’re on the road for travel, stuck at home without a car, or on an off day for another reason.

Between training websites, exercise blogs and YouTube, there’s a vast selection of exercise videos online. Keep in mind, they aren’t all good, and many aren’t free. And of course, nothing beats the levels of energy, expertise and safety you can access at the gym. Still, with a little research, it’s possible to tap into some decent workouts you can stream for free in a pinch.

We reviewed several of the more popular sources of online classes and instruction, looking for good quality and variety of offerings. Here are some to consider:

Looking for variety? Daniel and Kelli are the husband and wife team behind Fitness Blender, a website that offers hundreds of free workout videos. Workouts range from 10 – 85 minutes long, from beginner level to elite athlete, from HIIT to Pilates, and bodyweight-only workouts, stretching sequences and more. They’re present themselves well, offer clear instructions, good demonstrations and the production value is good too.

Bodyweight workouts can make a lot of sense at home when you can’t access the strength training and cardio equipment you’re used to at XSport. Turbulence Training provides a collection of no-equipment workouts that will support your quest to get fit even when you’re away from the gym. These videos are mostly short (under 10 minutes), which you can combine or add on to another home workout. A couple of examples include the 4 –Minute Lower Body Burpee Gauntlet Challenge and the 3-Minute Fatty Abs Annihilator.

Try a little yoga with DoYogaWithMe. a resource of online yoga videos created by a group of experienced instructors. The programs are filmed in soothing studio environments and even outdoors. Other than classes, videos include poses, targeted body part work, and breathing techniques, too. Hundreds of videos are available at no cost, and with no requirement to sign up to join. If you’re looking for a little peace in your day away from the gym, this could be the resource for you.

Check out some big names on BeFiT, a YouTube channel that gives you a chance to tap into workout videos trainers like Denise Austin, Jane Fonda, Billy Blanks Jr., Garrett Amerine, Rainbeau Mars, Bryan Tanaka, Tara Stiles, and others. Missing your BodyShred classes at XSport while you’re on the road? This site lets you try a video version with Jillian Michaels. You’ll also find ab blasters, kickboxing, toning, yoga, Pilates and more. And if you’re very short on time, you can check out their mobile series.

Workouts to tone, shape and define are offered by Natalie Jill, a popular fitness trainer who you might see as a guest star with other online trainers on websites and channels. But she offers her own programs on her personal fitness blog which shares workouts for weight loss, exercise ball routines, jump rope workouts, booty belt workouts, body weight exercises and more.

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