During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have found it difficult to engage in sufficient physical activity. But even the pandemic did not stop fitness rats from fulfilling their fitness goals by getting into live and on-demand exercise classes.
This post will discuss what live and on-demand workout classes are their advantages, how to pick the sessions that are ideal for you and my top 10 recommendations.
Online exercise classes were already booming before the global health crisis. These online sessions appealed to people who wanted discipline and variety but often couldn’t stick to a strict gym schedule.
Yoga, aerobics, and strength training programs with varying intensity and difficulty levels are all accessible from the comfort of your home. Users can ease into a 30-minute daily exercise regimen depending on their fitness level or push themselves to the 60-minute mark or beyond.
The best thing about these online and on-demand exercise classes is that you can stream all of them to laptops, smartphones, and TVs through the internet, giving you the freedom to exercise wherever you are.
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What are on-demand exercise classes?
On-demand exercise classes are the modern equivalent of videotaped classes. You can now access almost every sort of workout online. These online exercise classes are instructional workouts you can watch and follow at home via livestream or on-demand.
Professional coaches and skilled instructors may teach yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, cardio kickboxing, HIIT, strengthening, and other classes. Beginner-friendly classes are offered, while more advanced exercise enthusiasts may attend other classes.
How do you choose the best class for you?
When you consider the vast amount of options available, selecting the best online exercise subscription might sound complicated. Fortunately, if you balance a few essential elements, you can select a class that matches your requirements and preferences.
It should fit your budget.
Most memberships cost between $10 and $30 per month, with discounts offered for long-term contracts. The number of classes given, the caliber of the instructors, and the degree of education all affect prices. Select a class you can afford and take full advantage of the offered services to make the most of your investment.
It should be tailored to your goals.
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to follow a fitness teacher who is demonstrating or teaching routines at a pace you cannot keep up with. If you’re just starting, beginner classes with less intensity will be perfect.
Add intermediate-level classes as your fitness level rises. Find advanced classes in cardio, yoga, strength training, or other exercises if your fitness level is high.
It must be convenient for your schedule.
Your likelihood of continuing with a new program increases when you find a class time that works with your schedule. This is especially critical for busy people who find it hard to find ways to include physical activities in their schedules.
You must choose a class you can enjoy.
Exercising might become a drag if you don’t pick the right activity for you. Finding a fitness class that you enjoy is the difference between putting up with a workout and having fun while staying in shape. The more enjoyable the activity, the easier it will be to complete your workouts and achieve your fitness goals.
Take time to explore.
It’s possible that you’ve already chosen the classes you want to take but have been hesitant to enroll because you lack the necessary confidence. The most effective place to start is with online exercise classes. You might find something fresh that you never imagined liking.
Perks of Online Exercise Classes
Maintaining health and being active while staying at home can be difficult, but it is always possible. All you need is a training or yoga mat, and a good Wi-Fi connection to participate in live streaming and pre-recorded digital sessions. It’s like having your own personal trainer at home, but even better. Here are some perks of enrolling in an online, live, or on-demand exercise class:
Flexible schedule.
You can participate in a virtual sweat session at your convenience and on your own schedule. Simply roll out of bed or minimize that spreadsheet, set up your mat, and begin your workout. This was not the case with gyms and studios, particularly for staff who frequently worked irregular hours. Online classes allow you to avoid these roadblocks and schedule your workouts perfectly around your schedule.
Wide array of fitness options.
You will undoubtedly discover something that matches your mood or preferences. There is something for everyone, from high-energy classes like Zumba, cycling, and body pump to moderate core-enhancing workouts like pilates and meditation.
Viewers can engage in a real workout with a qualified coach at any time and in any format that suits them best. With so many options, you’re more likely to choose a class that intrigues you, and if you find one you completely like, you won’t want to miss a class.
Privacy and comfort.
Virtual courses are an ideal method to boost your confidence in a more private setting at a pace that works for you if you don’t like the thought of working out in a huge group environment. If you blend it with music, you may still get a good workout in your house.
You are in a private place with online exercise, so you are free to stretch your capabilities and see how far you can push things. There is no reason to be afraid or concerned about how others see you.
Makes you consistent.
No matter what life throws at you, maintaining regular exercise is simple with online fitness classes. Even in the heat, scheduling an at-home workout or an online exercise class will help you achieve your exercise goals.
Professional workout buddy.
Even if you are streaming alone from the comfort of your home, virtually working out with others will provide you with the benefits of real-time training sessions, such as discipline, higher endorphins, and continuous inspiration.
To maximize your workout while relaxing at home, these trainers offer comprehensive instructions and exercises so you won’t feel pressured and out of place.
Top 10 On-Demand Exercise Class
Where do you begin with so many possibilities to pan through? Here are the online exercise classes for you to try out. We’ve compiled a collection of the best online fitness classes accessible to help people of all fitness levels establish a workout program. Scroll down to find the online exercise classes that make it worthwhile to give up your gym membership.
Best Overall: Obé Fitness
An exercise app called Obé (pronounced “obey”) provides live and on-demand at-home fitness lessons. Obé Fitness is a one-stop shop for discovering both your go-to exercise courses and some new ones. Classes can be taken live, on your schedule, or both, and are suitable for people of all ages.
Pilates, yoga, strength training, cardio dance, cardio boxing, HIIT, and resistance training are just a few of the many classes offered by Obé. Although yoga sessions typically last 50 minutes and certain Pilates classes last up to 45 minutes, the majority of their workouts only last for 28 minutes. There are various options for seniors and youth.
It’s engaging, simple to use, and, most importantly, it gives you more motivation to exercise, which is precisely what a fitness app should do. It’s worth trying out the free trial, at the very least, if you’re interested in Pilates, dance, or barre classes.
Key Specs:
Fees: $27 per month, $65 quarterly, or $199 per year
Free Trial: 7 Days
Exercises Features: strength training, yoga, barre, sculpt, Pilates, and dance HIIT
Best In-Studio: ClassPass
You can begin moving from the comfort of your living room with ClassPass’s over 4,000 free on-demand online exercises in HIIT and strength training, cardio, yoga, barre, and more. For those who want access to a wide range of in-studio experiences, ClassPass is ideal.
Subscribers purchase online credits that can be redeemed for exercise courses. Based on the instructor’s popularity and available time, each class has a set value in credits, with more popular time slots costing more credits. Additional credits might be charged for longer classes.
Moreover, what distinguishes ClassPass is its partnership with countless fitness centers, workshops, massage clinics, and even hair salons, all of which you may access using the credits you buy from ClassPass.
Therefore, for less than you would pay without the credits, you can visit the gym and take a high-intensity HIIT session, then have a massage to ease your tired muscles, and finish the day with some self-care at a hair salon. While the on-demand films are simple to use and fantastic, the credit program is a little more challenging and anything but simple.
Key Specs:
Fees: 23 credits cost $49 per month, 43 credits cost $89 per month, and 68 credits cost $139 per month.
Free Trial: 30 Days
Exercises Features: HIIT
Best for Cycling: Peloton
Peloton is a good choice if you’re searching for a fun and energizing online cycling class. Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, stretching, and weight training are also included in the program. You may access various live and on-demand classes through the Peloton Digital app, which is regularly updated.
You may also establish challenges, keep track of your lessons, and follow other users with the Peloton Digital program. The lively, active sessions’ positive energy is perfect if you need a little additional motivation to get exercising.
You may access both live courses and on-demand lessons with the Peloton app. You’ll find that there are filters there to help you focus your search when you choose to utilize the Peloton app to take classes on demand.
Key Specs:
Fees: $12.99 monthly
Free Trial: 30 Days
Exercises Features: Strength training, dancing, walking, and barre exercises
Best for Accountability: Daily Burn
Try a premium online streaming service like Daily Burn if you want the flexibility of working out at home but don’t want your sessions to get monotonous. Using Daily Burn is simple, and there’s something for everyone, whether you want to try a longer-term program created by one of Daily Burn’s personal trainers or pick and choose a workout from day to day. You can do it on a PC, an Apple TV, a Roku, a smartphone, a tablet, or pretty much any other device that allows video streaming.
Every day at 9 a.m., Daily Burn also offers a live workout, which is quite cool. The live workouts can be found under the “365” tab. You may also watch live commentary during the live exercise, which is entertaining.
You will have a great beginner-focused program at your disposal. It is really well planned out, guiding even complete beginners through several fitness phases, beginning with mobility and stability and progressing to much more demanding activities.
Key Specs:
Fees: $19.95 monthly
Free Trial: 30 Days
Exercises Features: Full-Body Workout, Yoga, etc.
Best Free: Nike Training Club
How frequently do you work out? That is the first question asked by the Nike Training Club app. That’s everything, but this customization determines your exercises for your initial workout.
Experts and personal trainers have put together these great routines to build workouts. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts that last between 15 and 45 minutes available.
Nike will also choose your prospective exercises based on your activities. This is known as the “feedback loop,” It is used to personalize and adapt your plan to you and your fitness level.
Nike announced in March 2020 that it would make the app free for all users to give people an affordable method to stay healthy, active, and connected. The app had previously cost $14.99 per month. They have workout collections that offer you a series of recommended workouts and coaching from their Nike Master Trainers.
Key Specs:
Fees: FREE
Free Trial: Not available
Exercises Features: yoga, cardio, HIIT, and strength training
Best in Yoga: Glo
With the help of knowledgeable and experienced instructors, you can move, meditate, and study with the help of the fitness app Glo. It offers many more workouts besides yoga, and you can quickly locate and save your favorite classes.
Glo is a perfect starting point if you want to add more thoughtfulness to your exercises. They offer regular yoga practices, twelve meditation classes, and twelve instructional classes emphasizing issues such as keeping healthy limits. For help starting your practice, they also offer a daily mindfulness series.
Yoga disciplines such as Ashtanga, Hatha, and Kundalini are available at Glo. To focus your search and create a unique experience, you may specify filters for the duration, experience degree, difficulty, instructor, and specific body areas.
You may locate live and pre-recorded lessons and downloaded classes to access when you’re not connected to the internet. With sessions lasting anywhere from 2 to 60 minutes, there are also hundreds of guided meditations accessible. In Glo’s education section, you can find tutorials on how to improve your practice and information on a wide range of topics inspired by meditation.
Key Specs:
Fees: $24 per month or $245 annually
Free Trial: 7 days
Exercises Features: Pilates, yoga, meditation, and fitness education
Best for Pilates: Alo Moves
Alo Moves classes will help you accomplish your fitness goals. Classes that focus on certain areas, such as strengthening whole-body strength, improving posture, or focusing on specific muscle groups, are available online or on demand.
You can connect with supportive coaches and other dedicated members, and you can take over 3,000 different meditation, mindfulness, wellness, and fitness classes. You can even take lessons online with any of your contacts.
You may like the full-body and targeted upper- and lower-body classes for a quick and vigorous workout, or you may really prefer the stretching videos to wind down after your daily run. Nearly all devices, including Apple TV, Android, desktop, laptop, and tablet computers, can access the on-demand classes.
Key Specs:
Fees: $20 per month or $199 for 1 year
Free Trial: 14 days
Exercises Features: Pilates, HIIT, Core Barre
Best for Strength Training: Jefit
Anyone who appreciates engaging with a larger group will find Jefit to be an amazing strength-training program. You can interact with other users here to trade advice, get criticism, and provide ideas.
Additionally, you may keep track of your advancement by recording your performance data. Using the platform, you may also create a personalized exercise regimen based on your objectives and preferences.
Jefit features a large selection of workouts that target various goals and muscle regions. Despite the nearly limitless number of workouts available for planning a training session, they still permit the creation of individual, personalized routines. There are also predefined workouts that are ideal for beginners.
Key Specs:
Fees: $12.99 per month or $69.99 annually for the Elite plan
Free Trial: 7 days
Exercises Features: Circuit training, strength training, cardio
Best for Home Workout: Beachbody
Professional personal trainers from Beachbody lead the on-demand and live courses, instructing you on the routines as you go along. As you progress toward your fitness objectives, the service also offers access to Beachbody’s two million-strong community, personalized nutrition programs, suggested workout classes, and personalized workout monitoring.
You can choose a program that fits your fitness level and favorite training style from among the more than 40 possible choices. Due to the availability of various starting programs and the fact that even the more challenging workouts often contain a modifier so you can move at your own pace, Beachbody on Demand is ideal for beginners.
Choose from a variety of sessions to find the workouts you like most. During live classes, you can even get direct feedback from trainers. Beachbody classes are ideal for at-home workouts, and all on-demand classes are designed to be simple to follow.
Key Specs:
Fees: $8 per month, $13 every 6 months, $19 per quarter
Free Trial: 14 days
Exercises Features: Barre, Pilates, yoga, HIIT, and strength training
Best for Barre: Barre3
Ballet, Pilates, and yoga-inspired motions are used in the exercise known as “barre.” A ballet barre is frequently used in barre exercises that use traditional ballet techniques like the plié and relevé to work out your full body.
Quick bursts of intense, isometric movements and dynamic stretching target muscle areas in these high-intensity, low-impact exercises. These exercises will frequently include a mat and, sometimes, an exercise ball in addition to the barre. Resistance bands, hand weights, and other equipment may be used in some barre classes.
It’s hard to beat Barre3 when it comes to well-rounded, complete-body workouts. It does not strain tendons or ligaments, like yoga or Pilates. Classes range in length from 10 to 60 minutes and cover everything from traditional Barre3 to cardio, weight lifting, core focus, and pre-and postnatal flow.
One further benefit is that you can attend a class at one of the 170+ gyms located all over the nation or start one of the 500+ on-demand films at home or while you’re on the go. Barre3 is suitable for people of all fitness levels, from beginners to professional athletes. If you’re seeking more balance in your life, Barre3 is a must-try!
Key Specs:
Fees: $35 per month, $75 for a 3-month subscription, or $240 annually
Free Trial: 15 days
Exercises Features: Pilates, barre, meditation, and weight training
Key Takeaways
Fitting a workout into a busy schedule is easier with online, live, and on-demand exercise classes. People can learn about fitness through these classes without the possible intimidation of having to work out in front of others.
In light of this, the top online exercise courses include a variety of workout styles and levels of difficulty, as well as live and recorded classes, and they all provide a free trial. We hope you choose the most suitable online exercise for you and begin your healthy journey from the convenience of your own home.
You will soon achieve tremendous results if you keep your mind on your objective and remain focused. Starting is often the most difficult part, but once you do, you will soon find enjoyment in it. Your dedication will produce fruitful outcomes. Just have confidence in yourself. Work hard while staying physically and emotionally fit.