It’s hard to keep up with ― and keep calm about ― the ever-changing restrictions and policies surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. Along with school closures, there are restrictions on public gathering places like bars, restaurants and gyms, to name a few.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut issued joint guidelines on Monday closing gyms in the tri-state area until further notice. The same day, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that area gyms would be required to close through March 31.
Physical fitness is an important coping mechanism for those of us trying to keep anxiety at bay and maintain a sense of normalcy and well-being. At the same time, it’s important to prioritize safety and social distancing. As many of us settle in to work from home for the foreseeable future, we called on our very own editors to share how they’re making time for mental and physical health.
Between streaming services, online resources and fitness apps, HuffPost editors have narrowed down their favorite stay-at-home services, many of which offer free trials normally and are offering even more lenient and affordable subscriptions for the time being.
Below, some of our hand-picked fitness favorites:
Obé Fitness: Free 7-day trial, $27/month or $199/annually after that
“I’m obsessed with Obé Fitness, a workout app that allows you to stream live and archived workouts from anywhere, at any time. All of the workouts can be done with a mat and your own body weight, with the option to level up with hand or ankle weights, resistance bands or sliders. They offer classes like HIIT, dance, Pilates, strength training and yoga all under 30 minutes, which is great when you don’t have the time to schlep to the gym.
I love it because I can do the workouts first thing in the morning, without worrying about having a cute gym outfit or getting to class exactly on time, then I can jump right in the shower and start my day. I usually bounce it onto my TV at home, but sometimes in the summer I’ll stream it from my phone so I can exercise outside.” ― Danielle Gonzalez, Associate Commerce Editor
“Dana Landgren does the best low-impact at-home workouts I’ve ever done, and they don’t require any equipment. Don’t be scared by her title, ‘Pelvic Floor Princess’ (which, admittedly, scared me off at first). While strengthening the pelvic floor is her specialty, her free at-home workout videos (which she posts regularly to her Instagram feed) will get every part of your body sore. And I mean sore ... Though the workouts may not feel difficult in the moment, you’ll be feeling it the next day. She’s also just insanely cheerful and a great source of positive energy.” ― Kristen Aiken, Senior Editor of Food and Style
Core Rhythm Fitness via Neou App: $14.99/month or $49.99 annually
“Core Rhythm Fitness is my be-all, end-all when it comes to working out. I found the studio through ClassPass initially, and loved it so much I ended up canceling my membership to go there full time. Now that I’m not commuting into Manhattan for the time being, I’ve been missing founder Rodrick Covington’s killer Pilates warmup and the impactful HIIT exercises that usually kick my butt every morning. The Neou app hosts a wide range of live and on-demand classes, but trust me, if you want to sweat and get strong in your living room, CRF is the way to go.” ― Jamie Feldman, Life and Personal Reporter
Peloton: Free 90-day trial, $12.99/month after that
“We all had a good laugh there a few months ago when we wondered whether the ‘Peloton lady’ in the digital studio’s holiday ad was ‘OK.’ Well, now that we’re all actually confined to our homes for the foreseeable future, the old bike is looking pretty good, isn’t she! As much as I love making time for a tough bike ride, though, I’m loving their app’s other offerings: yoga, strength training, boot camps, outdoor running classes, and so on. There’s a 90-day free trial right now for the entire app’s library and live classes, so hopefully that will cover the amount of time it will take before you’ll want to go back to the gym. Or you might just get as hooked as I have on this! My 5-year-old and I have been doing the yoga ones and really love the time together.” ― Kate Palmer, Editorial Director, HuffPost Life
“Cassey Ho recently shared a 14-day workout routine on her Instagram that is super easy to follow and a great way to get in a quick bit of movement. Each day has a different focus, and she is demonstrating each of the moves on her Instagram page, too. It’s a great checklist to print out and reference not just now but whenever you need a quick boost!” ― Feldman
Helen Phelan: $5-25/monthly subscription
“Helen is an amazing instructor who’s very body-positive and energy-oriented. I’ve taken her classes in person, but in the wake of COVID-19 I signed up for her online classes and they’ve really kept me afloat while working from home! She’s created multiple types of classes at different session lengths so that she can fit in with your schedule. She offers Pilates and cardio classes that are super affordable ($5-$25). She also offers distance reiki, health coaching and prenatal and postpartum workouts.” ― Alanna Vagianos, Women’s Reporter
“If you have a ClassPass membership, you have access to their digital workouts (and they don’t require any credits). They have both audio and video, and you can search by type of activity ― yoga, barre, cardio, etc. They also vary in length, which is great if you’re trying to squeeze something in but are crunched for time. I did a 25-minute mat Pilates-type class this weekend and it was great! It required no equipment but you could use light weights if you had them. You can also Chromecast the videos to a TV instead of watching on your phone. I’d recommend it!” ― Ashley Rockman, Executive Relationships Editor
“Yoga with Adrienne is one of my favorite fitness YouTube channels and has been especially great now when I can’t make it to my gym. I love her channel because she has videos for everything you might be looking for, from a long, strength-oriented flow to a stretching routine for sore muscles, and goes at a pace that’s easy to follow along with for beginners. There are tons of videos on her channel so you won’t get bored! Plus her cute dog frequently makes an appearance ― an added joy trigger!” ― Anna McGrady, Senior Editor, Growth and Analytics
“FitOn is a free app that gives you workouts based on the equipment you have (even no equipment!). They even have a ‘WFH workout challenge’ you can join with your friends, so it’s another way to be social during social distancing. I find the classes to be really engaging and easy to follow. They also have a questionnaire you can fill out, which creates a custom workout plan for you. The app also sends you notifications to remind you to do workouts, and is super user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.” ― Lindsay Holmes, Senior Wellness Editor
Running: FREE!
“I decided that there was probably no better time than now to start running outside again. It breaks up the day and gives me a reason to be outside. I figure by the end of the month, I’ll be in a real groove again.” ― Erin Evans, Senior Enterprise Editor, Culture
“If you want to go for a run outdoors but don’t really have the motivation, I love the ‘guided runs’ on the Nike Run Club app (which is free!). While your phone (or watch) keeps track of how far and fast you’ve gone, a coach will guide you through the run on your headphones, helping you with pacing and giving positive reinforcement.” ― Aiken
“I’ve been following the gym guides from Mari Llewellyn for almost exactly a year now (I know her page looks like it could be [a] shady Insta ‘influencer’ scam but she is really down to earth and legit!). I’ve made a lot of progress on my fitness and it was disheartening to think that I might lose some of it now that going to the gym just isn’t an option. Fortunately, she also has home guides for people who don’t/can’t work out at a gym and they’re only $10 on her site right now. I plan to follow those until it’s safe to hit the gym again.” ― Casey Bond, Money Reporter
“For when you want something that is a little less intense on your body but still garners great results, P.volve is an awesome, low-impact workout class that has both in-person and streaming classes, and right now is offering a free 30-day trial. It’s a ‘functional movement-based method to help you achieve the beautiful, natural muscle tone and healthy results you want’ and it offers more than 150 different videos along with free workouts on Instagram Live and YouTube each day. While there are some classes that require equipment, plenty just rely on bodyweight.” ― Feldman
