There is certainly a lot going on in the world right now. As a result of COVID-19, institutions have made the calls to cancel or postpone university instruction, sporting events, and other mass gatherings. This has also had an impact on gyms and fitness centers. Whether or not you’ve made the call to avoid gyms, as they are high risk locations for the spread of germs, the reality is it may get to a point where you may not have access to gyms at all. I just learned today that the gym on campus has closed. But this doesn’t mean we should abandon our commitment to staying active. In fact, this is the perfect time to finds ways stay active because exercise helps us maintain a strong immune system. Because of this, I’m sharing my favorite apps, accounts, and site for home workouts.
Nike Training Club
This one is a classic because of my affinity towards Nike. I enjoy using this app because it provides a plethora of workout options and offers a variety of experiences based on the duration of workout your looking for and the equipment you have available. Chances are if you don’t usually work out from home, you don’t have much equipment. If this is true you can head to the no equipment portion of the app and go crazy with the options.
Shred
I recently received a recommendation to use this app and I tried it out because I was looking to push myself harder and take my workouts to the next level. I would say this app is for those who are serious about their workouts and like to really push the limit when it comes to intensity. It offers bodyweight workouts for upper body, lower body, and core.
PopSugar
PopSugar was one of the first sites I used for home workouts during colder winter months when it was difficult to get to the gym. This site offers video, images and text to guide you through various workouts. If you happen to have an indoor cycling bike at home, there are guides to work out through that. If yoga is more of your style, PopSugar has you covered for that as well.
SELF.com
I turn to SELF.com workouts most especially when I want to use dumbbells, though they also provide workouts if you have no equipment, resistance bands, a kettle ball or a full gym setup. The workouts are easy to follow and the images and gifs help make sure you complete the workout properly. The instructions are properly and clearly laid out. I would say this is high on my home workout list. These self.com workouts are my favorite to do when I have access to dumbbells
Fitness Blender
It’s been a while since I’ve last used fitness blender, but once upon a time, when I was devoted to doing home workouts exclusively, fitness blender was my sole source of workouts. The options on their youtube channel are endless. You can come up with a routine for the week and create a bookmark folder and sort it by days of the week you want to complete a particular workout.
AfroGirlFitness
View this post on Instagram
Finally, if you’re scrolling on Instagram and want workout motivation there, @afrogirlfitness is my one-stop-shop for that. It reposts a number of great accounts and by doing that, leads me to fitness influencers who consistently post great (and doable) workouts.
Equipment
As for equipment, yes, the truth is you can do home workouts with your bodyweight alone. However, I like to give myself the opportunity to spice things up a bit with a variety of equipment. I suggest resistance bands because they are not only effective but portable. Additionally, this might be the time you want to invest a set of dumbbells that are light enough for you to actually use them, but heavy enough to challenge you, and for you to use them for multiple muscle groups. (For me that weight might be 15 or 20 pounds.) For cardio, you may want a jump rope, or sliders like these to use for mountain climbers, for example.
I hope this helps encourage you to stay active despite this public health crisis. My biggest prayer for those who are reading this is that you stay healthy, safe, calm, and steady during this time.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” 1 Corinthians 6: 19
