Indeed, thanks to fitness apps, we can access countless thousands of at-home workouts right from our smart devices
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Spring is coming — and some of you may finally want to make good on those promises to start a fitness routine, even if this season has plenty of April showers. Thanks to fitness apps, we can access countless thousands of at-home workouts right from our smart devices. Here are seven apps to check out that can help you get motivated, energized and fit!Free Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout® App This popular — and free — app was designed by the Director of Exercise Physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute. The exercises and workouts can be mixed and matched to create over 1,000 variations. You can opt in or out of a warmup, cool down, and choose how much time you want to work out. During your workout, you can listen to the trainer alone or layer in your own music (which is great, because — IMO —some workout music is intolerable.) As you use the app, you can fine-tune your preferences by giving workouts a thumbs-up or thumbs- down. And it can also be synced with the Apple Health app. The workouts have a pretty clinical aesthetic, so if you like more atmosphere in your workouts, this app may not be for you. Also see: Mansion Global Picks: Ditch the gym for high-end personal exercise equipmentFee-based STRÅLA HOME If you want start gently, try this app created by Stråla Yoga founders Tara Stiles and Mike Taylor. It offers thousands of videos of varying lengths, and regular opportunities for live virtual instruction. The workouts combine elements of tai chi, yoga, qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine to help to increase your fitness level and flexibility, and reduce stress. Price: $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. Free 7-day trial. THE FITNESS APP This app by fitness guru Jillian Michaels has won “best of” awards from both Google and Apple. Customizable fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness features can help you meet your goals with a workout routine that suits you, no matter your fitness level or time constraints. Workouts range from yoga, HIIT, kickboxing, and weights, to prenatal/postnatal, booty bands, and 5K training. Plus, you’ll have access to content from Michaels’ DVD collection. The app syncs with Apple Health, Apple Watch, MyFitnessPal, and many other devices and platforms. There is no live instruction. Price: $14.99 per month, $34.99 for 3 months, $119.99 per year. Free 7-day trial for new customers. CROSSFLOW – Heidi Kristoffer In this app, super-bendy yogi Heidi Kristoffer fuses yoga with other disciplines in yoga-based routines for every fitness level, mood, duration, and stage of life. Among the 170+ videos: CrossFlowX™, a fast-moving mix of strength, core, and high-intensity cardio intervals; CrossFlowZ, which has gentle flows to help you relax and wind down; and CrossFlowP, which has prenatal and postnatal flows. There is no live instruction, but new videos are added each week. Price: $14.99 per month, $149 per year. Free 14-day trial. If you’re tied to your smartwatch, here are two apps that link to your fitness watch to access more detailed analytics, including calories burned and steps taken. Fitbit Premium The regular Fitbit app is free. But if you’re looking for something more robust, the Premium subscription gives you access to 150+ guided video and audio workouts and programs from Fitbit instructors and from popular fitness brands like Daily Burn, barre3, and Yoga Studio by Gaiam. You can easily search workouts by difficulty, time, style, and more. Beyond the workouts, Fitbit Premium gives a deeper analysis of your data and access to guided programs for improving sleep and diet/nutrition, mindfulness activities for stress and sleep, and exclusive games and challenges. Price: $9.99 per month, $80 a year. Free 90-day trial in many cases. Apple Fitness+ This app designed for the Apple Watch contains over 1000 videos in 11 disciplines, including Pilates, Strength, HIIT, Yoga, and Walking–in a wide range of lengths, taught by top, certified fitness instructors. The Apple Watch tracks your workouts and provides metrics that sync across your Apple devices. There are new workouts every week. Price: $9.99 per month, $79.99 per year. If you own an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, you qualify for a 3-month trial of Apple Fitness+.
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