They say necessity is the mother of invention. That couldn't be more true of the humble home-workout, once frowned upon, yet which soared in popularity over the last year. With gyms closing at least three times in the past 12 months we were forced to retreat indoors to keep fit. And keep fit indoors we did; in our droves. To keep the spirit of the home workout alive here are our pick of the best home workouts to suit every ability. So grab your dumbbells, lay out your mat, put on your lycra and let's do this.
Great for beginners
Our very own wonderful NHS has a great workout for beginners to get us off our couches. The 12 week fitness plan has varied exercise tips and fitness guides. From gentle exercises for balance, strength and endurance this is a great way to kick off the new year.
The stress-buster
If you like your exercise slow and steady then follow GQ magazine’s stress-busting workouts. There are two routines to follow. The first is a yoga flow with controlled breathing. The second allows you to sweat it out. So pick your workout to suit your mood and get moving.
The dumbbell workout
We love this home workout by Coach magazine. With short reps and rests in between this workout can be done with light or heavy weights to suit your ability. It lays out a plan for the week, easy to follow and once you get the hang of it you can mix and match components of the plan to suit you.
The no equipment workout
Freeletics is the workout app that uses only body weight in its HIT and HIIT plans. It requires no equipment which means you can do this anywhere and not just at home. There is a real sense of community in the way Freeletics works and you can post your workouts for others to see, get advice on nutrition and your own coach. Of course it’s a paid subscription service so this one’s not free.
The no-bike cycling workout
No listicle of home workouts would be complete without a mention of Peloton. It’s the subscription home cycling workout that doesn’t require a bike. The app offers streamable workouts which include yoga, meditation, cardio and of course, cycling. There is a good mix of live classes as well as a backlog of on-demand exercises. Whatever you choose it gets you moving and shaking in your own home.
So put on your best lycra, grab your bag of post-work out M-EAT! Biltong and get fit!