free online workouts that kept me in shape (and sane) in 2020

wearing Abercrombie fleece (sold out, similar here & here), ribbed crop top, Alo Yoga leggings, and Puma sneakers

I touched on this briefly in my post on winter self care, but exercise has become a big priority for me since the pandemic began. Not just for physical fitness, I rely heavily on daily exercise to boost my mood and keep me sane.  I haven’t had a gym membership for years, so working out at home wasn’t a big change for me. With all the free workouts you can find online, I’ve always preferred to save my money and have a flexible exercise schedule. Since many of us are jumping back on the exercise train after the holidays, I thought I’d share some of my favorite free workouts and apps you can use from the comfort of your own home!

• Arms for Abs and Legs for Butt by Karen Lord for the Glossier. I stumbled upon Karen Lord’s videos for the Glossier when I was searching for Pilates routines. Of all the workouts I’m highlighting in this post, I probably do these most often. I really like that Karen walks you through how to do each movement correctly and doesn’t go too fast. That being said, the Arms for Abs and Legs for Butt workouts that I do at least a couple times a week are less than 15 minutes and super effective. They’re great for when you’re running short on time, but still want to squeeze in a workout. I also love the Perfect Morning Workout, which is gentle and perfect on the days you’re not feeling super motivated.
• Move with Nicole. Nicole’s workouts offer a nice blend of Pilates and Yoga. Like Karen Lord, she doesn’t go too fast, but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel your muscles working. Added bonus: she has a very cute Australian accent! My favorites are the 20 Minute Full Body Workout and 30 Minute Pilates.
• Madfit 10 Min Lower Abs Workout. I’ll be honest, since I had my son, my lower abs just haven’t been the same and sitting in front of a computer all day hasn’t done me any favors. This lower ab workout is super targeted and, believe me, you will feel the burn. I did it 2-3 times a week before bikini season and I definitely saw results!
• Wundabar Pilates full-body toning routine. Popsugar Fitness has a great library of workouts, but this one is my favorite. This workout really targets hard-to-reach muscles and mixes things up so I don’t get bored.
• Yoga with Adrienne. I mentioned before how much I love Adrienne. She does a great job of explaining every moment and appeals to a variety of skill levels. I do her Yoga for the Neck, Shoulders, and Upper Back routine daily and it really helps with my neck pain. Yoga for Bedtime is also relaxing at the end of the day.
• 7 Minute Workout. I’ve been doing this one for years. It can feel grueling, but it will definitely get your heart rate going if you’re pressed for time. I like the app because the timers are all set up and there are other suggested exercises if you get bored with the original sequence. Of course, it’s completely free!

As you can see, I prefer short and effective over long and punishing. I’m a working mom so I like workouts that I can squeeze into my already busy schedule. I generally want exercise to be something that I look forward to, not something I dread. 

I should note that I’ve recently started p.volve. This is not sponsored, I’ve just been seeing it highly recommended on social media and, like many of you, I was intrigued. I’ve only been doing it consistently for a few weeks now, but so far I really like it. I’ll do a full review for you guys once I’ve had more time to try it out!

What online workouts are you loving right now?