Best online workouts: ultimate lockdown exercise

Bringing premium boutique class experiences to your living room, FiiT is way more than just an archive of high-intensity video HiiT workout video archives from some of the UK’s top PTs. Referred to as the “Netflix of fitness apps”, you can choose from classes led by some of the UK’s top trainers like movies. Best of all, it works alongside a heart-monitoring chest strap to track your progress while you’re burning those killer kcals. By integrating your stats on screen, offering real-time performance metrics that are dependent on effort levels and then giving you “personal best” goals to beat, FiiT is like an addictive video game, just with much healthier outcomes. f you want even more Fiit, the Premium memberships is £10/month (after a 14-day free trial).

The FitOn app offers instant access to a countless group fitness classes from cardio to strength to dance and more - all completely free. Launched by a former Fitbit vice president, it’s different to many other fitness streaming platforms out there as it uses tech to create a one-of-a-kind social experience. For example, it lets you interact with friends inside and outside of the streamed class while you workout, which can really help with motivation: something you might be in need of if, say, you’re working from home all week.

During lockdown, the challenge of homeschooling children was mighty but tuning into this channel was a blessing. The Body Coach, aka Joe Wicks, made the lives of parents a little bit easier by streaming 30-minute P.E. lessons every morning. It was a great way of getting the whole family moving despite having to stay at home and it may even allow the kids to burn off some of that excess energy. He is still doing these exercises in lockdown 3 but now it is three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Most will associate Peloton with the pricey at-home exercise bike that links up to an online spin class. But what many don’t know is that the company’s workout app is much more than that, boasting an expansive, ever-growing library of live and on-demand studio classes taught by some renowned instructors. It also covers multiple fitness disciplines, including strength, yoga, meditation, stretching and even bootcamp. And those who want to follow the workout on a big screen will be able to find Peloton’s service on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices. There's a 30-day trial, too!

From what started out as solely a yoga apparel brand, Alo recently launched what we consider one of the best apps for yoga class streaming: Alo Moves. And what sets it apart is that it’s aimed towards dedicated yogis, featuring advanced classes to challenge even the more experienced practitioners. Hosting over 2,000 class videos taught by some of the world’s most respected instructors, there’s something in there for everyone, though. You’re also bound to appreciate the Class Finder filter, which lets you sort classes by style, difficulty, time, and instructor to suit your mood and schedule. Alo Moves does offer a 14-day free trial, though.

If you’re looking for something a little more personal when it comes to home fitness, such as guided workouts and advice from PTs, then you have Remote Coach. Removing the need to have a trainer in your local vicinity, the app allows users to workout alongside their favourite coaches or as a personalised one-on-one online. You can also link your Apple Watch and Healthkit to the app so both client and coach see your vitals such as heart rate and calories burned as well as a summary at the end. Small note: 1:1 coaching is additional.