With the recent announcement of stricter measures from 8 May to 30 May to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the community, our favourite gyms and fitness studios are now closed. For those of you who need to keep up with your usual workout routines, the ladies at SMG Women’s Health Editorial Team has tried and tested out some of these popular exercise videos available online and here’s our verdict!
TLDR:
Jordon Yeoh – FREE, great for HIIT and Strength, different intensities for different fitness levels, various workout durations & variety available, video has good cues and includes variations. No equipment required, alternatives for weights are introduced (most can be found in your homes).
Yoga with Adriene – FREE, great for Yogis, different intensities, work out duration and variety available. Customised workouts for those with specific needs (weight loss, back pain & more). No equipment required, but a block and a strap would be helpful.
Centr – 7-day free trial, starts from $26.98/mth, great for all-rounders, different intensities for different fitness levels, various work out durations and wide variety (HIIT, Strength, Yoga, Boxing and more), includes meal plans and meditation guides. Some classes recommend the use of weights/equipment.
Blogilates – FREE, great for those looking to do pilates or isolation work such as your abs or arms. Has different videos on specific challenges to keep you motivated. Does not require much space and no equipment needed. Don’t be fooled by how easy it looks, the burn is real.
SWEAT by Kayla Itsines – 7-day free trial, starts from $19.99USD/mth, great for ladies, including a post pregnancy workout guide. Has different intensity, duration and variety of workout plans. Also includes meal plans and shopping lists. Some weights and equipment are needed. Video demonstrations of each move are available, but users have the flexibility to complete as many repetitions of each circuit in the allocated time frame.
1. @jordanyeohfitness
https://www.youtube.com/user/jordanyeohfitness
Jordon Yeoh is a Malaysian Youtuber who’s also a fitspo celebrity. His Youtube channel @jordonyeohfitness has plenty of workout videos that you can view and follow for free! Each video is labelled with different “levels”, which gives a good indication of the intensity of the workout demonstrated in that video. So whether you are a beginner or a pro looking to up your fitness game or maintain your fitness levels during the closure of the gyms, there is probably a video that can meet your needs.
His workout duration vary from as short as 4 minutes to 30 mins, so you can squeeze in a workout depending on your WFH schedule or your child’s HBL timetable. For those who need a longer workout, why not consider doing a few videos consecutively to make up a longer total workout time?
What we love:
His workout videos are timed, this means you can watch it as you work out. For ladies who need a workout buddy, it certainly helps to have him doing the exercises alongside you as you pummel through the moves.
His videos also include a trailer of the next move, making it easy to follow what’s coming up next. He also improvises his workout so that it’s suitable to do it at home, making use of common household items like pails or luggage for weight-training.
2. @adrienelouise
www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
Source: @yogawithadriene
@Yogawithadriene is great for those who prefer Yoga as their choice of exercise. Adriene has a large range of videos and is suitable for new yogis or those advancing to become a pro yogi. If you are a parent and only have a limited amount of time to spare, Adriene has yoga practices under 10 minutes. For a more intense workout, she has longer practices up to 30-45 minutes.
For those who are new to Yoga, it is recommended to watch the video once before you start so that you can familiarise yourself with the moves and verbal cues. After all, you’ll be in all sorts of positions — inverted, facing down, lying down etc– which makes it difficult to look at the screen while you’re attempting the move.
What we love:
If you are taking this opportunity to try yoga, Adriene has a wide range of videos for beginners. She also has playlists specially designed for those with specific conditions such as back pain, neck tension, or for those simply looking to lose weight. If you need that extra push to work out, take up her 30-day challenges to keep yourself accountable.
3. Centr App
Available on the App Store and Google Play
If you fancy a celebrity to be your trainer, you can definitely consider Centr, a fitness app started by Chris Hemsworth aka Thor and his team. This app has a 7-day free trial for you to try before purchasing the app from $26.98SGD/mth. Centr has one of the widest range of workout types to choose from – HIIT, yoga, boxing, mixed martial arts and more, making it great for those who love a large variety of exercise types. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, this app also has different intensities for you to choose from. Within the app are also meal plans and recipes that users can enjoy from world-class chefs as well as an automated shopping list. For those of you who appreciate meditation, there is also a meditation component in the app for both adults and children (imagine having Thor putting your child to sleep with his bedtime programme).
What we love:
Apart from the hot-bod Chris Hemsworth, we definitely love the amount of workout variety with different intensity levels available. It also caters for days when you prefer to train on your own or prefer to train with the video ongoing. The app’s meal plans are inclusive and cater for different dietary requirements such as pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan. Plus, all their plans are gluten-free! Centr also pairs with your Apple watch, making it easier to record down your workouts.
4. @Blogilates
www.youtube.com/user/blogilates
Source: @Blogilates
If this circuit breaker has realigned your focus to sculpting or toning a specific part of your body, the @Blogilates channel on YouTube is the place to be. Started by Casey Ho, her videos focus on pilates, which has a wide range of exercises for each area of the body. You can expect more isolation work on specific parts of the body or take part in her challenges for a more whole body workout. Her videos are also timed, making it easy to watch as you work out.
What we love:
If you are looking to tone a specific part of your body, Blogilates is a great channel to get that burn. There are also videos for those who want a short and effective total body workout. This is great especially if you don’t have the luxury of space at home because all the space you need is your mat, with burn guaranteed.
5. @kayla_itsines
The SWEAT App is available on the App Store and Google Play
Source: SWEAT App
Behind the popular Bikini Body Guides (also known as BBG) is Kayla Itsines. She has developed an app called SWEAT which allows you to train with her and the popular BBG workout routine. The app also includes other trainers focusing on different programs such as weight training, yoga and many more. Users can also find meal plans, recipes and shopping lists that make the grocery run much easier.
Though her app is not free, it comes with a 7-day free trial for you to explore the app before committing, after which, priced from $19.99USD/mth. Apart from the SWEAT app, Kayla Itsines has a strong community of BBG ladies who are highly active on social media to keep each other motivated. Looking for workout buddies to push you? You might just find the right company in this community!
What we love:
It caters for all ladies with different fitness levels and is great for both at home and at the gym! This means you can continue on your BBG journey at your gym after it reopens on 31 May! For our new mummies, you’ll be glad to know that Kayla Itsines also included a post-pregnancy workout guide in her SWEAT app for ladies who just gave birth and are looking to get back into shape. The workout ranges from 15-25 minutes and works to rebuild core and pelvic floor strength. It starts off with 4 weeks of foundational work within a total of 16-weeks, allowing you to slowly gain strength overtime.
While there are certainly many other exercise at home options available online, we only managed to give these few a try and share our experiences through this summarised review. If you are a fitness lover, why not give all a go and see if you feel the same as us after trying them all?
What’s most important is for everyone to stay healthy and keep moving even as you stay at home. Good luck and stay safe!