Just because the gyms are sweaty pits of potential infection right now, doesn’t mean you have to sit at home and grow your mid-section. Now more than ever, it’s so easy to train at home, that you don’t necessarily even need home gym equipment.
Due to the sudden surge in humans being forced to self-isolate and quarantine, a few training apps have made their premium tier free for a limited time. These include the Nike Training Club, Down Dog and Peloton In addition to utilising the apps, YouTube has some stellar trailing content while professional athletes and personal trainers have even taken to social media with instructional videos to keep themselves busy during self-isolation.
Nike Training Club
Nike has made all of its Nike Training Club Premium workouts free for a limited time. The app includes a library of more than 185 studio-style streaming workouts, progressive training programs (including bodyweight-focused training) and tips from the professional Nike Master Trainers. Workouts vary from 15 to 60-minute sessions, and does not discriminate according to your fitness level. It even includes tips on improving mindset, movement, nutrition, recovery and sleep via its social channels.
Down Dog
Known for its yoga tutorials, Down Dog isn’t just one fitness app, but a group of apps that focus on a variety of practices — this includes apps for Yoga, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workouts. Yoga and HIIT are both traditionally group activities, and being confined to our own space has pushed for increased at-home practise rituals. Most of its workouts can be done without any equipment. Down Dog’s premium options are free to use until end April, but the free tier offers users introductory practice videos.
Peloton
Probably one of the most comprehensive fitness apps around, is Peloton. The app currently offers a free 90-day trial that allows users access to the whole library of at-home practices. To do the in-app workouts, users don’t even require their own any Peloton equipment, which is ideal for people that are just starting out. It offers a variety of training programmes, including running, cycling, yoga, HIIT, stretching, boot camp and cardio for example. Practices are video- and audio-led to keep users engaged throughout.
YouTube and social channels
Arguably the people who are suffering most from the great self-isolation, are professional athletes and personal trainers. Humans who are used to moving on a daily basis are taking to their social media channels and YouTube to document their at-home practices.
The Lions rugby players like Elton Jantjies and Courtnall Skosan, for example, have taken to social media to promote physical health and share some of their fitness tips. The Instagram Stories format gives pro players a platform to publish quick snippets of motivational content and at-home practice features.
This article first appeared in Financial Mail.
