Free is good, and there’s a lot of free online workout options right now. But especially now being stuck at home so much, you’ll need some variety in your fitness routines. Free options just don’t have that.
We’ve combed the web to find the best premium streaming workout subscriptions, and many of them aren’t as expensive as you may think. While some just offer streaming workout classes, others offer additional options like a companion app, discounts on workout equipment, and more.
Daily Burn
Daily Burn has an extensive library of workouts — almost 1,000 of them. Among the types of workouts included in your subscription are cardio and running workouts, yoga, dance, and Pilates, but also included are activities that you’ll only need basic equipment to complete, so this service grows with you as your home gym grows.
Currently, Daily Burn offers a 30-day trial, and after your first 30 days, service is $19.99 per month. If you’re only interested in a particular type of workout, the service has options there too: Yoga is $9.99 a month, a Running app is $7.99 a month, and a HIIT membership is $12.99 a month, but with the low cost of the complete membership, we’d recommend you opt for that.
Peloton
You might think you’d need a Peloton to take full advantage of Peleton’s streaming workout service, but that isn’t the case. For only $13 per month, you can stream boot camp, strength, yoga, running, and cycling classes that you can do without one of Peloton’s expensive treadmills or exercise bikes. They also have outdoor run classes that you can stream while you run.
Classes are held both live and on demand. Of course, having Peloton equipment is a bonus, but you don’t need it if you have the right exercise bike. And the price is cheaper than other options on here, which is a definite bonus.
Aaptiv
One thing that sets Aaptiv apart from our other suggestions is the fact that it’s audio-only. As such, this service is targeted more toward outdoor activities that could benefit from some coaching: Think running and cycling. It does have indoor elliptical, cycling, and treadmill workouts as well, but we believe some of the other services are better suited for those who prefer working out indoors.
But the sheer number of classes on the service is by far the most expansive: Aaptiv currently counts about 2,500 in total, with roughly 30 new ones added each week. You can customize these workouts by difficulty level and even change the background music to your preferences, and there is an Apple Watch app available too. Unfortunately, the free trial is only a week and only available with the $99 annual plan, but the $14.99 month-to-month option isn’t badly priced, either.
Glo
Staying indoors can be stressful on the mind and body, and yoga is a perfect way to de-stress and refocus. The best online yoga subscription service, in our opinion, is Glo (formerly YogaGlo). Given it is primarily yoga focused, there aren’t as many videos as the other services. But there’s still a substantial number across several yoga disciplines.
You can access Glo via its website or through its various apps, including one for Apple Watch. If you need something a little more heart-pumping, Glo recently started producing HIIT videos (thus the name change). A 15-day trial is available, and the cost is $18 monthly after that. You will likely want to grab yourself a yoga mat and yoga towel before using this, however.
Barre3
Barre is based on ballet concepts and has become a popular method to increase tone among fitness enthusiasts. Gym chain Barre3 has studios in 33 U.S. states, Canada, and the Philippines, but it also offers online classes. Its Barre3 online service hosts about 500 videos in total, teaching you the core concepts, including movement and balance.
Barre3 uploads one new class a week, and you should pick up a few items — a core ball, resistance bands, and dumbbells — before you get started. They do offer these items in an inexpensive kit. The service is reasonable, too, considering what you’d pay for a membership at their studios. You can sign up for a 15-day trial, with service billed $30 per month after that.
Jazzercise On Demand
No, you’re not reading this wrong. The exercise craze of the 1980s is very much still alive some four decades later (it just turned 50!), just now in streaming form and with obvious necessary updates for today’s fitness fanatics. Each high-intensity workout is anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes long, incorporating the same get-up-and-move music that made the original so popular.
You’ll learn how to jazzercise like a pro through the moves, which combine movements borrowed from Pilates, HIIT, kickboxing, and other fitness techniques. All you’ll need is your workout shoes and a pair of lightweight dumbells. If you’re not so sure about this particular reboot, there’s a 15-day trial to test out the service. After that, your service costs $20 per month.
Pilatesology
If you’re big into Pilates, then Pilatesology is an excellent workout subscription service for you to try. Created by husband and wife Pilates instructor team Jack Coble and Alisa Wyatt, this service has grown to nearly 50 instructors and over 1,400 classes — including instructors taught by Pilates founder Joe Pilates himself.
Pregnant, traveling, or a runner? Pilatesology has classes just for you. While those looking for a more general workout service might be better served elsewhere, Pilates fans will find much to love about this particular one. A 16-day free trial is available, and it costs $20 per month after that.
Crunch Live
Crunch has its branded gyms all over the country, but most are located in highly urban areas. But you don’t need to be near a gym to take advantage of its streaming fitness service. While it doesn’t have anywhere near the number of videos as the other services — about 85 total classes — they’re taught in the same way they are in the gyms themselves, and those working out with you are often actual Crunch members.
Crunch members have access to these workouts at no additional cost, but non-members can get a 45-day free trial and pay just $9.99 per month or $90 per year thereafter, making it one of the cheapest options on our list. And new workouts are being added all the time, so the service will only get better.
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