Favorite Workout Apps

Hot5 

Hot5 is an app I discovered last year and is now a favorite. Hot5 features 5 minute workouts with 5 exercises for 1 minute. The person in the video does the exercises with you and there is a timer so you know when to switch. I use Hot5 to do 5 minutes of abs after cardio, but I also use it for 5-20 minute strength workouts. The great thing about Hot5 is you can do one 5 minute workout or combine several for a longer workout. Many of the workouts are equipment-free, but some do require/recommend dumbbells, kettlebell, medicine ball, etc.  The categories are:

• High intensity cardio blast (no equipment needed)
• Total bodyweight (strength moves with no equipment needed)
• Abs & Core (most are equipment free, but a few require equipment)
• Butt & Legs
• Cardio & Agility
• Muscle & Strength (most require dumbbells, kettlebell, or weighted bar)
• Yoga & Flexibility (no equipment needed)
• Partner workouts (just need a partner...Justus has yet to do this with me)

Overall, Hot5 provides a lot of options and changes things up in your workout. I have learned a lot of new exercises I use in my normal workouts. Hot5 is free, but I believe now has in-app purchases. I downloaded it last year when it was all free :)

Here is the ab workout I did this morning (Complete Abs) on YouTube! Click here for an overview of the app. 

Yoga Studio 

Yoga Studio is the best yoga app I have found and trust me, I have tried many! I had never done yoga, but wanted to learn. I was too big of a chicken to go to an actual studio, so I searched for an app and I luckily came across Yoga Studio ($3.99). It taught me how to do yoga, is not boring, and really did improve my flexibility. The teacher in the app does a great job because it seems natural and flows well. You can search through the "studio" based on focus, duration, and level.

Collections:

• Sun salutations
• Deep Relaxation Meditations
• Quick Yoga Fix (under 10 minutes each)
• Yoga for Back Pain
• Yoga for Runners (My favorite collection of classes)
• Beginner Essentials
• Intermediate Essentials
• Advanced Essentials

Focus:

• Balance
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Relaxation
• Combination

Levels:

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Duration:

• 5-60 minutes
• I like to combine several shorter videos for a longer session

There are a lot of classes within each collections, so you can change it up often and not get bored. There is even the option to create your own custom class or copy a class, but make adjustments to it. There is a "poses" section where you can work on improving specific poses. I have never been to an actual yoga studio and am sure I should to get the feedback I need on form. Until then, I will keep using my Yoga Studio app!  Click here to checkout Yoga Studio and get a sneak peek before you download the app.