work it out
Don't give up yet on that New Year's resolution to exercise: Try these freevideo workouts
We’re into the second month of 2012, which means we’ve had plenty of time to either stick with or ditch our New Year’s resolutions. Chances are, some variation of “get in shape” was on your list — how’s that going so far?
I’ll be honest: several weeks at home (coupled with the cold New England weather, which always puts me in carbo-loading hibernation mode) preemptively wrecked my holiday workout goals.
I’m not the only one having trouble; The Atlantic took a look at people’s fitness goals, and the high number of abandoned resolutions:
Now is the winter of our idleness. In January, our cup of willpower overfloweth. But by June, the odds that you've kept your New Year's Resolutions falls to under 40 percent. On the bright side, your flabby willpower means open weight machines for other gym members. Our laziness isn't good for our fitness, but it just might be good news for the fitness industry.
The magazine notes that the high cost of gym memberships often acts as a motivating factor; you’re more likely to squeeze in a workout when you think about the money you’re essentially throwing away when you don’t go. But why not eliminate the cash factor — and the travel time — altogether?
If you’re gym-shy, broke, interested in trying something new or just too lazy to leave the house, there are plenty of sites that offer free workout videos you can do in the comfort of your own home. Here are a few of our favorites.
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Blogilates
Run by eternally bubbly Pilates instructor and workout wear designer Cassey Ho, Blogilates should be the #1 web destination for ladies looking to get in shape. Best known for her popular YouTube series, POP Pilates, Cassey’s expanded her workout empire with this full-service site that also offers recipes, playlists and printable guides.
Cassey kicked off the New Year by introducing her new 90 Day Challenge, a diet and meal plan that’s available for free on the site. While it’s a bit rigorous, the benefit of the online plan is that you can go at your own pace — while she recommends 5-6 days of working out, and provides recipes for every meal during the 12-week plan, you’re obviously free to adjust.
With dozens of videos ranging from two to 30+ minutes, there’s no excuse not to squeeze in at least one a day.
FitSugar
From diet plans to evaluating trends to offering tips and tricks, FitSugar’s got you covered. Part blog, part workout video library, its experts give advice to help you decide what types of fitness routines suit you best. They’ve got their own videos on FitSugarTV, and they’re constantly linking to interesting new clips to try out.
(Don’t forget to use one of their recommended online fitness journals to track your progress!)
Couch-to-5K
If you’re more into running, but you need some help getting back on the pavement, check out Couch-to-5K. This self-guided two month plan starts you off with 60 seconds of running, alternated with 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes, working up incrementally til you’re clocking 30 solid minutes without thinking twice.
They’ve got a podcast, plus iPhone and Android apps that literally guide your workout and check off your progress.
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Many sites have no-fuss video libraries for those who know what they want and don’t necessarily need the extra guidance a program like Blogilates offers. MyFreeYoga and Diet.com are great places to start.
And of course, Hulu and Netflix each offer a selection of fitness videos. Hulu’s Health page has channels from Gaiam Yoga, Dance and Be Fit and more, while Netflix subscribers can stream hundreds of videos from big names Crunch, the 10 Minute Solution — even The Situation.
Do you have a favorite site we didn’t list? Let us know in the comments!