What’s the best value-for-money fitness program to use for home workouts
If your morning run is not cutting it anymore, then there’s many free and affordable fitness apps and programs to try without leaving home, including these that’ll work up a sweat.
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THE 7 MINUTE WORKOUT
7 Minute Workout: Fitness App
PRO: No frills, short, high-intensity daily workout
CON: Not interactive
RATING: ****
COST: Free
This no-frills free app has a variety of seven-minute routines and is perfect for people struggling to find motivation or anyone looking for a little extra strength training to compliment their weekly cardio regimen.
Backed by science, the idea is to use your own body weight as resistance and complete a daily short but highly intense routine, guided by a cartoon instructor.
The exercises are basic and repetitious, but they get the job done and, like any workout, you get out what you put in.
The app has a range of routines targeting the complete body or specific muscle groups.
There is also the option to choose higher levels where the workout is repeated for a longer session.
In practice, I found working out for seven minutes unrealistic unless using the app to compliment some sort of cardio exercise.
Often I found myself doing back-to-back workouts. However, with little variety in movements this did become tiresome.
In a nutshell, if you are looking for a full motivational experience this is definitely not the app for you.
On the plus side I did exercise more — it turns out convincing yourself to do seven minutes a day is incredibly easy and once your heart is pumping you want to do more.
The built-in calendar also helps track progress including the number of workouts completed each day, calories burned, as well as your weight.
HOLISTIC SISTER ONLINE TRAINING
PRO: Easy to follow but challenging enough to feel the benefits.
CON: Nobody to feel your pain with.
RATING: *****
COST: $30 a week for three video workouts each weekday covering strength, cardio, yoga, mobility and meditation.
Footscray gym Holistic Sister, like gyms all over the country, had to pivot quickly thanks to COVID-19. It specialised in small group training sessions focusing on strength, cardio or mobility, plus nutrition planning, for women.
Co-founder (with her sister Grace) Georgie Gorman took three days to have a five-day-a-week online fitness program up and running.
Each weekday brings three, 30-minute videos covering either strength, cardio, mobility or yoga using basic, or in many cases, no traditional gym equipment.
Sessions that were once full of box jumps, kettle bell swings and dead lifts now occur with tins of tomatoes, tea towels, cast-iron casserole pots and the odd resistance band.
Each session is inclusive for existing members and newbies, with Georgie giving careful form instruction for each exercise, and instructing advanced members to add weight or reps to get the most out of the workout.
— Clare Sutherland
KX PILATES AT HOME
PRO: A great anytime-access substitute for reformer pilates.
CON: Sometimes hard to see on small screen, slightly short time frame.
RATING: ****
COST: Free or premium $20 per week.
KX pilates is taking its nationwide reformer pilates classes to your living room floor, with two options. You can choose a free program featuring one new workout a week and three saved classes, or premium access with a new class daily and library of workouts for you to complete anytime.
It’s worth mentioning the money supports your local studio.
For each workout you follow a trainer via a video in the KX app where they talk you through the exercises and offer encouragement, making it easy to follow their movements.
The workouts range from low to high-intensity 20-minute classes, which felt a little short given KX’s studio classes go for 50 minutes.
However, the shorter time frame still provides the satisfying yet torturous burn of reformer pilates, and makes it easier to fit the workout into your day.
The only downside is that the premium workouts are only accessible via the app, and not a laptop, so when lying down for some exercises it’s difficult to see on a small screen.
Ultimately, whether you are a beginner or a reformer pilates lover, these at-home workouts are a great substitute to keep your fitness up during isolation.
— Christina Karras
HEALTHY AT HOME
On MyFitnessPal app
PRO: Easy-to-follow convenient workouts
CON: Gym equipment required for some exercises
RATING: ***
COST: Free
Built into the MyFitnessPal weight and kilojoule tracking app, this collection of free workouts has various 10-25 minute sessions perfect for people struggling to find motivation to work out at home.
This app has a variety of body weight sessions and minimal equipment workouts that target all areas of the body and range in difficulty and duration.
The workouts are also demonstrated slowly via video by an instructor. There are a range of arm, leg and core exercises that only require your own body weight resistance, which makes them convenient and manageable, while other workouts require some equipment.
In reality, the workouts were effective in the beginning because I had not been to the gym for a couple of weeks so I particularly found the body weight core workouts slightly more challenging. But after a couple of sessions I found myself wanting more of a challenge.
Overall, this workout better serves beginners than those used to intensive workouts only possible at the gym.
— Olivia Jenkins
F45
PRO: Easy-to-follow workouts with clear demonstrations, daily meal plans.
CON: Lots of jumping to keep heart rate up.
RATING: ****
COST: $20 weekly.
How many ways can you jump? While it seems a lot of the F45 online training circuit is filled with variations of tuck jumps, the workouts consistently have you hitting maximum heart rate each day, burning around 400 calories in, you may have guessed, 45 minutes.
For those who haven’t been into a studio, each day usually sees you conquer a different class, each focusing on either cardio or resistance movement.
While the app lacks the variety of classes that a studio does (to be expected), the isolation session Gravity doesn’t require equipment and is based on functional body weight movements. The routine is simple enough to do at home, updated daily and accessed via the F45 Challenge app.
It follows a circuit format that really gets the blood pumping — rotating through nine different exercises over the course of three laps. Each set is timed at 45 seconds work with a 15-second break.
The routine and exercises are explained and demonstrated by the on-screen instructor before warm up, and again throughout the workout.
At $20 a week (membership is normally around $50 a week) to access unlimited training via the app and Facebook streams, it also comes with a daily meal plan and a massive recipe catalogue, including vegetarian and vegan plans.
28 BY SAM WOOD
PRO: Easy to use home training and nutrition program.
CON: Could be costly for some, but you get what you pay for.
RATING *****
COST: $59 a month.
Personal trainer Sam Wood parlayed his profile from The Bachelor into a successful online business with his found-on-TV wife Snez. The 28 app is your pocket portal to get the most from the program. The user-friendly app lays out your daily routine — from meals to exercise — and has tips on everything from healthy snacks to meditation.
The trolley icon even has an itemised shopping list of everything you’ll need for all the week’s meals. Wood’s daily workouts (which last for, yep, 28 minutes) are simple to follow and set to your skill level.
The exercises are not only designed to be done at home, Wood and often wife Snez do them in their own lounge. It’s perfect for our current situation. Don’t have weights? Grab a tin of beans.
The exercises are different every day. The workouts mix cardio, yoga moves, steps and the dreaded burpies. Wood guides you through each action, while weekends are a choose-your-own adventure active recovery.
The food is surprisingly good and you don’t need to be Nigella Lawson to replicate recipes. You can swap out meals that don’t appeal, and it’s realistic — there’s bread, plenty of carbs and you don’t feel hungry an hour after eating.
There are plenty of free apps and YouTube workouts out there.
Wood’s point of difference is creating a community when you join. The members-only Facebook page seems to be a supportive, safe space. As a bonus to the daily workouts on the app, Wood has regular bonus content (such as turning your laundry into a gym) and he and Snez do live iso workouts on Facebook weekdays at 9am, using suitcases as weights.
— Cameron Adams.
CENTR
PRO: Fun, with lots of variety.
CON: Finding room to use a skipping rope for some sessions.
STAR RATING: *****
COST: Seven-day free trial, then $29.99 for one month, $59.99 for three months or $119.99 for a year.
If there’s an aspect of wellness that is not covered on the Centr app, it’s not worth knowing about. Centr is the brainchild of Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth. He has brought together his own team of experts in this one-stop shop. They range from Hemsworth’s own personal trainer Luke Zocchi to The Biggest Loser’s Tiffiny Hall and pilates expert Sylvia Roberts. It means every day is different and the app can be tailored to individual needs. Some days it’s a high-energy workout, others core-strengthening or a focus on yoga. Most of the workouts hover around 20 minutes, making them eminently do-able but you also feel like you’ve had a workout in the end. There are also daily meal plans with swap options; tips, tricks and advice from a range of experts; and even meditation for kids with Hemsworth. Centr has had a 400 per cent increase in membership in recent weeks.
— Shelley Hadfield
ZUMBA WITH LUCY
Contact Lucy Carr via Facebook.
PRO: Fun, entertaining, high-intensity workout.
CON: Harder to do on carpet — best on tiles or floorboards.
RATING: ****
COST: $10 per class for Zumba with Lucy. $40/month for unlimited classes with United by Keren.
Maybe it’s the bright healthy smiles, the colourful Lycra and the music that evokes warm Brazilian evenings at Copocabana beach which has never seemed more exotic.
It’s also the intense workout that Zumba offers that is appealing.
Instructor Lucy Carr cautions to have a towel handy: “You’ll definitely need it.”
She’s right. Half way through the 50-minute workout, the heart rate is definitely escalated but something else happens — you feel fantastic. It’s a feel-good exercise that is never punishing even though it’s high cardio. This is a class to look forward to — block out all other commitments around it and enjoy every minute.
Zumba With Lucy used to be held in Prahran Town Hall but the classes have shifted to Zoom every Monday and Wednesday at 6pm. There is a slight time lag in the transmission but Lucy’s energy still manages to burst through and she manages to carry a class so well that you lose sense of time and place. I’m in the kitchen but I could almost be at Copocabana, maybe. A large area isn’t needed because it’s either done on the spot or by taking three steps in any direction.
When two classes a week aren’t enough (at the moment I need more) I go to the large Zumba bank offered at United by Keren, who also does live classes you can attend and also repeat at any time via a Facebook members group. It’s great but there’s something about Zumba that is best done in the moment so I prefer live classes.
— Catherine Lambert
VICTORIA BECKHAM’S ARMS WORKOUT
PRO: Achievable iso workout at under 10 minutes.
CON: Terrible music.
RATING: ****
COST: Free
Tracy Anderson is famous for her celebrity clientele, which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Richie and fashion doyenne Victoria Beckham.
Last week, the former Posh Spice shared the ‘arms’ workout Anderson has devised for her with her legion of Instagram followers.
Anderson takes you through the workout, which only requires a hand towel and some dumbbells (but you could improvise with wine bottles, perhaps?)
It took me a couple of run-throughs to get the hang of the snappy workout — Anderson switches between exercises very quickly and without warning, and provides no commentary.
She does, however, spend the first two minutes praising ‘VB’ as a ‘beautiful hardworking woman’ and someone ‘who shows up with her whole self’. I recommend skipping through!
Five days in and I can honestly say I’m feeling the burn and have found shoulder muscles I didn’t know I had.
Beckham has promised to share her abs and legs workouts, so I’ll be looking out for those.
VIRGIN ACTIVE
PRO: Simple workouts, option of online PT.
CON: No cons.
RATING: ****
COST: $10 (until further notice).
Once isolating restrictions were in place, Virgin Active was quick to react with a full suite of workout videos uploaded to its My Locker App.
Unlike other online offerings, the variety from Virgin Active gyms has translated well online. Rather than being shoehorned into one blanket class a day, users can choose from workouts and routines with or without equipment, including boxing, pilates, strength-based exercises and guided meditations. The format is simple video filmed in a training studio, with an instructor demonstrating each technique and alternative movements with a participant. The various classes range in difficulty but are easy enough to pick up.
A standout feature is the ability to book a personal trainer directly through the app for video workouts. A membership is usually $75 fortnightly, but during the pandemic fees have been frozen, making this a good free workout option.
WORKOUT FOR WOMEN
PRO: For all fitness levels.
CON: High cheese factor.
RATING: ****
COST: Free, with in-app purchases.
This app is capable of delivering a good quick hit that gets the heart pumping and leaves the thighs aching long after. It has a clear layout with an electronic voiceover telling you what exercise to do as well as an instructional animated video to keep you on track.
The home screen features inspirational quotes from people like Ayn Rand and Malala Yousafzai, and when you’re doing reps upbeat pop swells dramatically to keep your motivation levels high.
For those who don’t enjoy having a chirpy voice in your ear cheering you on, this app may not be for you. However, others might find it offers a boost to your motivation levels.
As well as offering shorter 5 or 10-minute workouts, it also has longer programs spreading over weeks or months, as well as tailored COVID-19 Immuno-Booster routines.
Though some of the workouts start out more relaxed, and can leave you feeling sceptical that they’re doing much at all, they generally build in intensity until they do the job. Overall, I would recommend this app as a very accessible tool to help you get active while staying indoors.
— Rhiannon Down
KEEP IT CLEANER
PRO: Equipment-free workouts and an all-encompassing lifestyle plan.
CON: Short workouts, and an intense lifestyle overhaul.
RATING: ****
COST: Free workouts twice a week on Facebook, $19.50 a month, $115 a year.
Keep It Cleaner is a full-on lifestyle revolution, but there are definite benefits even for those who don’t want to live their lives by an app.
If you’re looking for a full overhaul that makes a healthy lifestyle easy and accessible then this is the app for you.
If you’re looking for an intense daily workout, this may not be exactly what you’re after.
The workouts are no longer than 20 minutes, and while they vary in intensity, they rarely leave you feeling like you’ve pushed yourself to the limit. But for some, a 20-minute exercise might be just right to work into your daily routine.
KIC has a whole library of equipment-free workouts, along with yoga, pilates and meditation sessions. In addition to exercise, the app has recipes and meal plans that make clean eating accessible.
The app is a slick production, with the main interface showing you your daily workout, meals and a podcast or meditation suggestion, as well as a calendar view so you can look at the whole week’s plan.
The workouts are videos of the program’s creators — Melbourne models Laura Henshaw and Steph Claire Smith — doing the workout under the watchful eye of a personal trainer, so it can be hard to follow without a proper breakdown or plan.
SWEAT BY KAYLA ITSINES
PRO: Workout variety.
CON: Pricey.
RATING: ***
COST: $19.99 a month.
Developed by Aussie personal trainer Kayla Itsines, Sweat offers users flexibility and variety that mimics the experience of a real gym.
The app gives you the option of five trainers, including Kayla, who specialise in different areas of fitness to cater for your exercise goals. If a fitness or weight loss workout is what you’re after, the app recommends Kayla’s BBG program. This includes low-impact circuit training through to increased jump exercises.
For those wanting a slower-paced workout routine that tends to your body and mind, yoga aficionado Sjana Elise runs you through steps to improve strength and flexibility.
Workouts range from 15 to 40 minutes, and you can select them based on how much energy you have to burn that day.
At $19.99 a month, the app is more expensive than most on the market. But, with a suite of hidden extras like meal plans, progress tools and a community connection portal, some could justify the price.
I used the app for fitness and felt an improvement in my core and upper body strength. But I feel other apps could deliver a similar result without the hefty price tag.
BODY FIT TRAINING
PRO: Daily live interactive workouts with your local studio.
CON: No weekly overview of classes ahead
RATING: ****
COST: $20.90 per fortnight.
Body Fit has taken its popular group fitness program online with the launch of their BFT2U app.
Responding in rapid time to the closure of their studios across Melbourne, the online workouts offer the same mix of high-intensity cardio and strength training delivered to you at home each day.
The app itself is basic and easy to use with each exercise demonstrated on screen by a trainer and an accompanying timer.
Two programs are offered each day — a no equipment body weight version and the option to introduce power bands to up the intensity.
The mix of high-intensity cardio and resistance-based circuits vary from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the day, and aim to provide an all-round fitness base.
Just like the in-studio set up, every workout is different and there’s plenty of variety throughout the week.
The idea is you roll up and do the workout that’s on offer that day — much like you would attending classes in the gym.
The team has done well to maintain the community-vibe, with Facebook Live and Zoom workouts three times a day with head trainers from each local studio.
This is great for those missing the group fitness setting and looking for extra motivation.
— Genevieve Alison.
DOWN DOG YOGA
PRO: Tailor-made yoga for everyone.
CON: Not overwhelmingly engaging.
RATING: *****
COST: Free until May 1, $12.49 per month, $76.99 per year.
This slickly-produced yoga app is a game changer for anyone who wants to work a little yoga into their routine, but always claimed they couldn’t find the time. Every element of this app is customisable, from duration and intensity to music and the instructor’s voice.
From a quick five minutes of gentle movement to start your day, a tidy 30 minutes of hatha after work, 10 minutes of gentle breathing before bed, or a luxurious 90 minutes on a Sunday morning, this app lets you input your exact specifications.
A customised and unique practice is generated for you, and an on-screen instructor guides you through the poses.
You can choose your level of experience, specific stretches, duration, type of practice, aerobic elements, savasana duration, pace, degree of instruction and music, and every session is somehow different, even if you input the same specifications.
Down Dog makes yoga accessible and customisable, providing an excellent way to gently work a bit of relaxation and reflection into daily life.
— Sophie Welsh
HUMMING PUPPY
PRO: Yoga and meditation options for all abilities.
CON: Sound quality is slightly patchy in a couple of classes.
RATING: ****
COST $15 a month for unlimited access.
Humming Puppy, which has studios in Melbourne, Sydney and New York, is famous for the hypnotic and soothing low level hum that resonates through their classes.
A unique combination of frequencies play throughout, enhancing and deepening the experience. While the hum doesn’t translate as effectively online, it still provides a calming focal point for the practice.
There are a selection of classes available — mellow, unified, dynamic and straight meditation — providing students with a range of poses, breath work and meditation, according to the intention of the class. Classes run from 18 minutes to an hour and can be done whenever suits, offering enough variety for novice and experienced yogis.
— Kim Wilson
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