Five of the best online workouts to do in your living room

Looking for new ways to work some movement into your day? Good news – the gym is coming to you. With top trainers and fitness influencers dishing up fresh content on a daily basis and cult fitness studios opening their (virtual) doors online, there’s never been a better time to try an online fitness class. Charlotte Cox, founder of London fitness studio FLY LDN, says, ‘You can use our online classes to give some structure to your day, and as a chance to try classes you haven’t found the time, or perhaps the confidence, to try before. Just do what you can and take it at a pace that suits you.’

Exercise can help to combat stress and fatigue, enhance mood and boost productivity – taking part in an online class is a really positive way to start, end or break up your day, whether you’re working from home or simply seeking some structure. It can also be a great way to connect with others – from a YouTube class with the kids to a live yoga class on Zoom. ‘It’s more important than ever to keep our activity levels up,’ says Charlotte. ‘Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine will help to keep your body healthy, support your immune system and mental health, and ease any stiffness from sitting at your desk or bending over your phone.’

If you’re not sure where to start, now is the perfect time to experiment. ‘Bootcamp-style classes like our Low-Impact class will build and maintain your cardiovascular fitness, which is always a challenge when you’re stuck inside,’ says Charlotte. ‘Yoga will help with balance, mobility and flexibility, and barre and Pilates will help you build core strength – crucial to support your back through those hours at the computer – and strengthen the smaller muscle groups often missed by traditional fitness classes.’

Get started with some of our favourite online classes.

If you turned your hand to home-schooling during lockdown 1.0, you’re probably already familiar with Joe Wicks and his lifesaving P.E. with Joe series. Now he’s back with an all-new series of free 30-minute HIIT workouts designed to get the kids moving, lift everyone's mood and help you start your day in a positive way.

New classes will be streamed on The Body Coach TV YouTube channel at 9am each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but you can access them at any time. If you’re struggling to motivate yourself to exercise, it’s a quick and easy way to tick those three weekly workouts off your to-do list while the kids burn off some energy. For Joe, though, this isn’t about changing the way you look, it’s about changing the way you feel. ‘You never ever regret a workout, and you’ll always feel better afterwards,’ he reminds us.

Trampolining isn’t just for kids – it’s also a seriously effective way to get fit, fast. A 10-minute bounce on a fitness trampoline or rebounder is said to clock up as many benefits for your physical health and emotional wellbeing as a 30-minute run. Better yet, you can do it in your living room.

Instagram trendsetters rate SanFran Fitness’s Bounce Fit classes, created by husband and wife duo Scott and Claire Francis. ‘Rebounding is a fantastic way to exercise and keep you healthy,’ Scott confirms. ‘It is scientifically proven to stimulate your lymphatic system and is a brilliant low impact cardio workout. It’s a great thing to do at any point during the day, every day if possible. But if you’re new to rebounding, start with every other day so your body and muscles get used to the new movement.’

You can use it to keep the kids active, too – Scott and Claire have recorded a series of family exercise classes that feature their own children. ‘We take you on farm adventures, visit sea life on the rebounders and do some light resistance work,’ Scott explains. ‘Videos last 10 minutes and the whole family can join in.’

Adult BounceFit exercises should be performed on a rebounder or fitness trampoline, but kids can use any trampoline, or even the floor. Head to SanFran’s YouTube channel to try one of their free beginner-friendly Bounce Fit workouts. Full membership costs £14 per month.

If you’d dropped into Barry’s Bootcamp pre-Lockdown for one of its infamous HIIT classes, you might well have found yourself elbow to elbow with Harry Styles on the treadmills, or chugging down a post-workout protein smoothie alongside David Beckham. Now Barry's signature blend of hardcore cardio training and bust-a-gut-strength moves is coming out of the ‘Red Room’ and into your living room, with a full programme of 50-minute At-Home classes running daily, from £7 per class.

Alternatively, you can sign up for Barry's UK Weekly Survival Membership, which dishes up new Strength and Shred workouts each day, for just £20 + VAT. While we can't promise celebrity classmates, we can promise you'll get a good sweat on – it’s not called ‘the best workout in the world’ for nothing. 

Remember a time when you ran and jumped for the sheer joy of it? One of London’s quirkiest fitness studios, FRAME was born from a dream of making fitness feel like play again. FRAME's live and on-demand programmes include everything from ’80s Aerobics to Disco Yoga, with plenty of living room and neighbour-friendly versions of their regular barre, Pilates, Pre-Natal, Box Fit and strength classes thrown in for good measure.

If retro pop music takes you to your happy place, this is your jam. Live classes cost £7 each, or £25 for 6. Access to on-demand classes starts from £6 per month.

You can now stream morning, lunchtime or evening FLY LDN fitness classes straight to your screen, with 30 live classes running each week, plus access on-demand from £8.33 per month with a 7-day free trial. Pulse-raising classes like barre, Pilates and Fly’s Low-Impact classes will help you power through hectic mornings, while gentle evening yoga classes will help you recalibrate. Keen to begin a home yoga practice? These make a great introduction.

‘All our classes are equipment-free and beginner-friendly,’ FLY founder Charlotte explains. ‘Mixing up your workouts will keep your body guessing and your mind engaged. It will also help you to build and maintain different types of fitness. Our barre, dynamic Flowlife yoga and Low-Impact fitness classes will wake you up in the morning, while our gentler slower Slow Flow and Chill yoga classes will help you unwind, stretch out and ease tension or anxiety at the end of the day.’

Aaand relax.

Image: Getty Images