What’s The Perfect Workout Routine? 

Just like with your diet — everyone’s body is different. We all respond differently to different programs, foods, etc. 

Of course, there’s a general, very baseline suggestion that you probably know already: the one suggested by the CDC. 150 minutes per week — spread out however you see fit. The default suggestion is 30 minutes, five times per week. But if you go on a rather long run (a half to full marathon, for instance) — that’s covered in one XL workout. 

The guidelines have also been updated to suggest not just the 150 minutes of aerobic activity (think: anything from yard work and walking the dog to basketball and swimming) plus two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity.

You can mix it up. It doesn’t have to be five days a week of 30-minute moderate-intensity sessions. You can do a little moderate, a little vigorous, a little muscle-training. 

AND! If you’re at a more intense level, you can up the intensity and cut the time in half (we’ll get to details on safety in a moment). Think: 75 minutes per week of higher intensity workouts (25 minutes three times a week, 15 minutes five times a week, or a blast of 75 minutes all at once if you’re on the advanced side).

Up to five times per week: To get started with a few days of aerobic per week, try mixing things up with circuits, cardio, dance, and kickboxing. 

Up to two times per week: Toning, strength, Pilates, and barre will help you round out your routine with some muscle-strengthening exercise. 

How Many Days Should YOU Work Out Each Week? 

That really comes down to your personal plan, pre-existing conditions and injuries, and goals. It’s also extremely important to not “level up” too quickly. If you’ve been at a low-intensity, beginner level for a while, don’t just jump right into high-intensity, advanced exercises and training because you’re trying to make up for lost time! That’s not great for your body.

“There is a sweet spot for each person that considers both the amount of exposure to exercise they need in order to spark a change in the body and the amount of rest they need to avoid injury and overtraining,” says Dr. Liz Letchford, Ph.D., MS, ATC, injury-prevention expert, and athletic trainer. 

Her bottom line: quality over quantity, safety over intensity. “More training days are not better for reaching your goals,” says Dr. Letchford. “Find a rhythm that allows you to see progress -— maybe it’s two to three times per week of training — that doesn’t come at the expense of your nervous system.” What does that mean? Putting yourself at risk for injury, not recovering properly, causing inflammation, and even giving yourself overtraining syndrome. 

“If you are training hard six or seven times per week without adequate recovery, this might be to blame for your frustration around not achieving your goals,” she says. 

Don’t Overdo It!

Part of finding the perfect regimen is to ease into it. Dr. Letchford warns you to not overdo it. “When someone comes to me with an insidious onset injury, I ask them what their training routine has been like for the past two weeks,” explains Dr. Letchford. “If they had a sudden increase in days or intensity of their training, usually I will see an injury occurring about 10 days after they started ramping up the intensity.”

Dr. Letchford says that “In order for training to be effective, a certain amount of overload must be achieved. Training must be consistently and increasingly more difficult as it progresses.” Again: ramp up to something that your body (that means muscles, bones and joints, lungs, heart, and nervous system!) is ready for. And as she mentioned — recovery is essential, too.

Bottom Line

So aim for about 150 minutes of lighter exercise — spread out however works for your schedule. A 15-minute walk in the morning and 15 minute cardio sesh at lunch can do the trick! Then a couple times a week, work on your muscles. Remember to be kind to your body, don’t overdo it, and recover well. You’re in it for the long-haul — so treat your routine like a marathon, not a sprint! 

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RELATED: How Much Cardio? Guidelines For Health and Weight Loss 

But First: The Benefits of Cardio 

Whether you think you enjoy cardio or not, it’s a vital part of your fitness routine. Cardio is more than a means to burn calories; it also helps sculpt muscle tone and supports hypertrophy, supports heart health, gives your brain a boost, and improves mood, focus, and productivity. 

However, you have to do enough to experience these benefits. This is why it’s so important to find a style of cardio that you actually enjoy (and we promise, it does exist). The CDC recommends getting at least 150 minutes of low to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of intense aerobic exercise per week. How you choose to split up your time is up to you! 

Studies show longer durations of exercise can be just as effective as short sessions. It’s about finding the right balance to fit your schedule, lifestyle, goals, and preferences. If you get bored or tired after 30 minutes of exercise, fitting in 90 minutes of cardio on a Saturday morning may not feel inspiring to you. 

How To Do Home Cardio Without Running

Ready to see how you can get cardio in without having to go for a run? Here are our top cardio alternatives to running that can be done at home, without equipment. 

#1 Try Kickboxing to Let Off Some Steam

You can be a lover and still get a thrill putting up a little fight. Kickboxing is a full-body workout that requires endurance, speed, and power. Full-extension punching and kicking take a lot of force, which means you’re recruiting multiple muscles at once and core stability strength with every move. This will fire up your muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, abs, butt, and legs, all while burning some major calories. Kickboxing can be modifiable for any level, whether you need to take it down a notch or want to bring on the heat. 

#2 Make It Short and Sweet With HIIT 

If you have a busy schedule or just don’t want to spend a lot of time working out, say hello to HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). You can do more in less time because HIIT workouts create an “afterburn” effect. By combining short bursts of all-out effort with brief rest periods, your body ends up burning more calories up to 48 hours after your workout is done during the recovery process. HIIT is also a super effective way to build muscle with your own body weight. HIIT workouts usually include a combination of compound and plyometric, or explosive, movements, think jump squats, burpees, mountain climbers, and jump lunges that require muscular strength. 

RELATED: Hate Burpees? Try These 7 Effective Burpee Alternatives 

#3 Turn It Into a Dance Party

Love to boogie? Turn up the volume on a dance workout video for an awesome cardio workout that will feel like a party. Dancing does more than help you break a sweat. When you listen to music you love, it can give your creativity and memory a boost, which has an anti-aging effect on your body. Letting loose without judgment reduces stress. Dancing also challenges you cognitively since you have to focus on the movement patterns. And don’t be discouraged if you’re not catching on to them right away. Muscle memory is learned by repetition, so just keep on dancing! 

#4 Get All the Results With None of the Impact

Getting your heart rate up doesn’t have to be hard on your joints. Whether you suffer from knee, hip, or back pain or just want to avoid it, low-impact cardio workouts can be an effective form of home cardio. And walking or cycling aren’t the only forms of low-impact cardio. Certain styles of interval training, Pilates, Barre, and circuit training will give you the benefits of cardio while also sculpting muscle tone.  

Get Started With These Cardio Alternatives to Running

We can’t think of anything that can make a home cardio workout more fun than doing them with the guidance of an inspiring fitness expert. That’s why the FitOn app has a library of quick, free (zero running required) cardio workouts for you to do anywhere, anytime. 

If you haven’t joined our community yet, sign up for free and get access to unlimited free workouts, including those cardio without running workouts you’ll look forward to! 

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Read on to learn about what it is. We’ll share how often you should be doing it, and the best forms to fit into your current fitness routine. 

What is Active Recovery?

Simply put, active recovery is when you choose low-intensity exercise after going heavy on the workouts. It could be something as simple as a brisk walk cool down after a run, or a quick yoga practice to stretch out sore muscles. 

The point is to allow your body to recover a bit but to also engage and stretch out those muscles you’ve been using in your FitOn workouts all week.

What Are the Benefits?

There are tons of reasons we all should be doing active recovery. 

Some of the benefits include:

• It’s a great way to prevent all the pain associated with lactic acid build-up. 
• Combat fatigue and boost your overall mood by doing less intense activity like yoga or Pilates. 
• Cool inflammation by boosting blood flow to your tired muscles and joints. 
• Support exercise endurance by allowing your body to rest without being completely still and not doing any form of movement. 
• Active recovery is a great way to beat stress. You can do a relaxing, restorative FitOn yoga practice to promote muscle recovery and bring some calm into your life. 

How Often Should You Do It?

Most people think of active recovery as their “rest day”. But, we’re about to debunk the myth that a once-a-week active recovery day is enough. 

Get this – we should actually be doing it after every intense workout. Now, this doesn’t have to take a half-hour every single time. Even a 15-minute yoga or stretch cool-down is extremely beneficial.

The length of time is really going to depend on your fitness level. For example, if you’re a long-distance runner, active recovery may look like 30 minutes of brisk walking. If you’re doing a quick 20-minute FitOn HIIT or cardio workout, a 10-minute stretch will suffice. 

Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still have a day where all you do is active recovery. You can still pick one day where you don’t go all out, and stick to more relaxing low-impact exercise to help your body recover while still boosting strength. 

Read on to find out about our top ways to get some active recovery into your fitness routine.

The Best Kinds of Active Recovery

• Yoga: Yoga is the perfect way to wind down a workout or max out on your designated active recovery day. It helps boost flexibility, reduces stress, and supports blood flow to your muscles and joints. 
• Pilates: Pilates can be a tad more intense than yoga, depending on how hardcore you are about your Pilates workout. But a gentle Pilates workout is a great way to strengthen, tone, and improve flexibility without being hard on your muscles and joints. 
• Stretching: A good stretch after a workout makes for the perfect active recovery exercise. We all should be stretching after exercise, and don’t underestimate how great stretching is for your fitness results. The more you stretch, the more flexible you’ll be. 
• Walking: If you’re a runner, or just got done with a sweat dripping FitOn workout, try going for a brisk walk outside, or hop on the treadmill. Walking is an ideal form of active recovery as you’re improving your cardiovascular endurance, but it’s low-impact enough that you aren’t going to completely stress out your already tired muscles. 

Make Active Recovery a Regular Part of Your Fitness Routine

The takeaway here is that active recovery should be viewed as more of an add-on to what you are already doing as opposed to a one day a week kind of a thing. No matter what your fitness level, try to add at least a little bit of it at the end of your workout. This will help support endurance, strength, recovery, and makes the perfect way to cool down your body after an intense workout.

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This is where fitness comes in…

Your invitation to find time for you even if it means getting the kiddos involved for a quick 20-minute HIIT workout. It is so important to remember that self- care is not selfish, and in fact, self-care should never be optional. Mommas are so used to taking care of everyone before themselves, but we need to remember that we can’t pour from an empty cup. So, here is your reminder to go and fill that cup up momma! Fill your daily cup with some form of movement each day. The better you take care of you, the better you will show up for others each and every day.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your sneakers, throw your hair up, and if you’re like most of us moms,  you’re already in leggings (jean..what even are they?) so, let’s get started and get stronger together.

Here are five kid-friendly workouts you can do when your tiny little humans are running around the house demanding all of your attention.

5 Kid-Friendly Workouts You Can Squeeze in When the Kids are Around

#1 FitOn Workouts

If you need variety when it comes to your daily workouts, FitOn has you covered. Plus, we offer kid-friendly workouts you can do with the kiddos at home. Use FitOn app to get a daily dose of HITT, Pilates, yoga, cardio, dance, or strength training in with our world-class trainers, and get your little spawn involved. They will look forward to whatever new FitOn class you choose to take for the day, and not only are you getting your sweat in, but you are setting an example for your kids at the same time. Win, win!

#2 Have a Dance Party in Your Living Room with Sydney Benner

Press play on a cardio dance workout with trainer Sydney Benner or JJ Dancer using FitOn app, and get your kids involved! If you have a toddler, this is the ideal way to get your cardio sesh in while also keeping the attention of your toddler and getting them involved. Plus, all that dancing is sure to make naptime ten times easier! So, go ahead and burn those calories by having a dance party with your kids right in your living room.

#3 Get Centered with Yoga

Us mommas need to stop and breathe to re-center ourselves, but often times we totally forget to do this. But, if you do take the time to find some peace in your day while also moving your body a little with a yoga class, you will feel ten times more equipped to tackle everything else on that endless to-do list. The great news is that you can get your yoga in without having to leave the comfort of your own home, and you can get your little one’s involved. Grab a mat, a comfy blanket, and whatever yoga props you may have at home. Press play on a virtual FitOn yoga class with trainer Vytas Baskauskas both you and your kids will enjoy. Namaste, momma!

#4 Cardio

There are so many ways you can get your cardio in with the kids around (and yes, chasing your toddler around does count as daily cardio!) Some kid-friendly workouts include loading them up in the stroller and going for a brisk walk or a jog. Too cold or rainy out? Get a HIIT workout in with trainers Christine Bullock or Bree Branker, and ask your kids to join! Let them pick whatever playlist they want to help them feel like they are a part of the workout, and to make it more fun. Plus, this way, they are more likely to stay involved and allow you to get your full workout in because sometimes, life is all about compromise.

#5 Ab Strengthening

Ab exercises make excellent kid-friendly workout options when you need to be within arms reach of your little one. You can always count on at least being able to get a 10-minute ab strengthening workout in. Grab your yoga mat, and try getting some planks, crunches, and mountain climbers in. Have an older kid? Invite them to join in with you. With ab routines being shorter than full body workouts,  you can get these targeted ab exercises in within a very short period of time.

The 2-Minute Takeaway

If you feel guilty about taking care of you and finding time to fill your cup each day, know that you momma are important, and your physical and mental health is of utmost importance. The better you take care of YOU, the better you take care of others, and the better you show up for work, or whatever other obligations you have each day.

If you’re like other moms, struggling to find time to fit in a workout, instead of finding an excuse, find a reason to work out with your kids. If all you manage to squeeze in is a 15-minute workout with the kids at home, that’s a massive win. Not only are you taking care of you, but you are setting an example for your kiddos.

We want you to know that you are doing amazing things, so take care of you, and commit to getting a workout in each day. Use these tips if finding alone time to exercise just isn’t realistic right now. You got this!  

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But, throw away all of your preconceived notions about at-home workouts. Forget the idea that working out at home is boring, or that you can’t get fit by exercising in your living room. We are going to give you exactly what you need to revamp your home workout routine, and guess what? You better believe that exercising at home can be even more exciting than going to the gym. Plus, the tips we have up our sleeve may make your daily sweat session the part of your day you look forward to the most.  Sound good? Let’s look at the benefits of getting your workout in from home.

The Benefits of Working Out at Home

Save Yourself Some Money

Want to keep more money in your pocket each month? Of course you do! This is one of the best things about working out from home. You don’t have to worry about an expensive monthly gym membership fee that could cost you upwards of $100 a month. Tack on the cost of expensive fitness classes and staying fit can quickly become way more expensive than it needs to be. Instead, you can create your own little gym oasis at home, and get fit with FitOn. The FitOn app can help you stay fit at a fraction of the cost of a monthly gym membership. You can work out from anywhere without any equipment and can choose from a wide variety of popular classes so you’ll never get bored of the same old workout each day.

Home Workouts in Your PJ’s

Let’s face it, life gets busy, and it can make staying motivated to work out a challenge. However, when you can literally roll out of bed and get started with your workout right away, you leave yourself with one less excuse to skip your workout. Plus, when you exercise at home, you don’t have to worry about getting any strange looks for showing up in your PJ’s. You do you girl, we promise, no one’s judging.

Get More Done in Less Time

Have you ever shown up at the gym with all of the best intentions to get a full workout in, but got sidetracked with fellow gym members, or wound up waiting your turn to hop on the treadmill, or dare we say “dreadmill?” By the time you get your turn on the fitness machine or wrap up a conversation with a fellow gym-goer, an hour has passed, and you’ve only done a few bicep curls and a handful of sit-ups.

So, what’s the solution? Workout at home where you can set a timer, put aside distractions, and get it done! You are in charge of removing distractions at home, and you can put 15, 20, or 60 minutes aside if you have it to focus 100% of your attention on your workout. By the end of your workout sesh at home, you will likely have accomplished so much more in much less time.

5 Tips on How to Make Home Workouts Not Boring

#1 Work out with the FitOn App

If you need a little direction when it comes to what type of exercise to do, but you want to do it in the comfort of your own home, the FitOn app may be a total game changer for your fitness routine. Choose from different classes and workout with world-class trainers that make fitness fun. Plus, your favorite class is always open with the FitOn app!

#2 Get an Accountability Partner

Just because you exercise at home doesn’t mean you can’t work out with others. Make things fun by getting an accountability partner. This is the number one way to stay on top of your fitness goals, especially when you are working out from the comfort of your own home. An accountability partner will help to keep you in check, giving you that little nudge to show up and exercise each day.

Need a little help getting started? You and your friends can show up for workouts together using the FitOn app. The FitOn app even allows you to talk to your friends during your workouts, and for a little friendly competition, see where you and your friends rank on our leaderboard. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?

#3 Make the Ultimate Workout Playlist

There’s nothing like a motivational workout playlist to get you amped up to exercise. Create the ultimate playlist and blast that music to keep you pumped up and ready to tackle your fitness goals.

#4 Treat Yourself to New Workout Clothes

If exercising in PJ’s doesn’t quite get you motivated to exercise, then this one’s for you. Treat yourself to a few fresh fitness outfits, you deserve it! Sometimes a clothing refresh is all you need to stay motivated to show up and exercise each day.

#5 Try Something New

Variety is the spice of life, so spice up your fitness routine as often as you need. Don’t get stuck in a rut doing the same exercise day in and day out. Mixing things up is one of the best ways to make exercise fun, especially when you are exercising from home. So, how do you find new and exciting exercises to try each day? FitOn offers various popular fitness classes with different world class trainers. Test them all out until you find your favorites!

The Best Exercises for Home Workouts

• Yoga & Pilates
• HIIT
• Core Strength Workouts
• Strengthen & Tone Workouts using light weights or resistance bands

The Bottom Line

Ready to kick your home workout routine into high gear? Ready to finally get started on a health goal you set out for yourself but haven’t quite had the time or the motivation? Now is the time! Push yourself, change your view on working out from home, and get moving one workout at a time.

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The Winter Exerciser

Most people fall into this category. After that long break from exercise between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, those resolutions begin, and everyone is back to the grind as of January 1^st. And why not? It’s a new year, and you want to start on the right foot. Everything seems to fall into place this time of year. And yet, this newly found motivation seems to wane by mid-February if not sooner.

Solution: Remember why you started. Don’t quit for at least the month of January. Studies have shown that it takes a good three weeks for something to become a habit. Sure, it’s going to be difficult, and you’ll feel like quitting, but always remember why you wanted to start in the first place whether it’s to lose weight, live a healthier life, being able to keep up with your kids, etc. Find a workout buddy so you’ll have each other for support. It’s nice to have an accountability partner and someone who can give you that push to keep going when you need it.

The Spring Exerciser

Spring exercisers usually have one goal and one goal only—lose weight and get into shape as fast as possible in time for summer—better known as swimsuit season. They usually start sometime after Easter and go until Memorial Day weekend or a little longer. Often, these exercisers are looking for that quick fix. They’ll be at the gym several days a week, almost killing themselves on the cardio machines, sometimes more than once a day, and doing as much as they can to lose the weight.

Solution: Slow down and start earlier. If you truly want to lose weight for the summer, starting in April is not enough time to do it right. You may end up hurting yourself trying to do too much in such a short amount of time. Follow a workout routine that includes both cardiovascular and strength training exercises. When you do work out, make it count. Stick to the plan, stay focused and be patient!

The Summer Exerciser

So, maybe you reached your summer fitness goal, but now you want to keep it up throughout the summer season. Many people will continue their spring fitness routine throughout the summer which then may start to taper off come Labor Day.

Solution: Instead of overstretching yourself when it comes to your fitness routine, stick to a very doable routine that you can carry on with throughout the summer and well into the fall and winter. The goal is to exercise throughout the year, not just for swimsuit season! A great way to keep up with a realistic fitness routine is to be very real about how much time you can commit to fitness each day. FitOn offers very doable 20-30 minute workouts taught by world-class celebrity trainers that you can do right from home, so you don’t have to worry about gym time taking away from beach time during the summer.

The Autumn Exerciser

Summer is over, vacations have come to an end, and the kids are going back to school. With all the summer fun, maybe there wasn’t any time to dedicate to your workout routine, so you didn’t bother. Now it’s after Labor Day, and time to get back on track. But getting back into the swing of things is difficult after taking a few months off. In many cases, it’s like starting from scratch.

Solution: Don’t take the entire summer off from exercise. Even if you can’t commit to the same routine you had before summer began, make a point to exercise at least three days a week. On vacation and don’t have access to a gym? There are plenty of workouts you can do that require no equipment. FitOn can help by offering many no-equipment workouts that you can do while you’re away. Even if you’re home but can’t get to the gym like usual, squeeze in some bodyweight exercises, do a quick yoga routine, go for a long walk, bike, swim, play tennis. There are so many great ways to stay active in the summer that you can’t do in the colder months.

The Bottom Line

Just because the seasons change, doesn’t mean you have to change your exercise routine. It’s always better to just keep going throughout the year. After all, consistency is always going to win over sporadic exercising. But if you find yourself falling into one, or more, of these seasonal habits, use the suggested solutions, so you’re no longer struggling throughout the year.

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If finding the motivation to get through a good workout isn’t easy, bring your workout to life by working out with a friend or a trainer on the FitOn app! You don’t even need to leave your house to do so. When you have those couple of minutes of downtime or even during an hour lunch break, grab your phone and get to it!

Here are eight exercises that workout buddies can do together!

8 Home Workouts You Can Do With Your BFF

1. Back-to-Back Squats

Grab your workout buddy and stand back to back. With your backs pressed up against one another, begin to slowly squat down. Continue slowly squatting until your thighs and legs are at a 90° angle.

Don’t bend your knees far enough that they reach over your feet. Hold your position for about 30 seconds. Then slowly bring yourselves back up. And repeat!

2. Butt Lift Bridge

Lay down across from your buddy with feet touching. While keeping the bottom of your shoes and the bottom of your partner’s shoes together, scoot forward until your legs are in the air and your bottoms are about one foot apart. With your feet flattened on theirs, raise both of your legs up.

Continue to raise your legs until you have both lifted your hips towards the ceiling at the same time. Slowly come back down. Then repeat!

3. High Five Push-ups

Face your workout partner while both in an upper push-up position. Complete one push-up trying not to let your body rest on the ground. When making it back to the upper push-up position, clap right hands together.

Go back down to complete another full push-up. Once back into the upper position, clap left hands. Alternate between hands each time a push-up is completed.

Repeat this for about one full minute.

4. Wheelbarrow Push-ups

For this fun exercise, one partner will start off in a high-plank position with arms straight. The other will begin by standing at the feet of the planking partner. The partner at the feet will hold the feet and pick the other partner up into a wheelbarrow position.

The planking partner will then lower herself into a push-up and the other partner will lower herself down into a squat at the same time while continuing to hold her feet. You will both slowly come back up together and repeat! Once you’ve completed a couple of rounds, switch it up!

5. Core Twist with Resistance Band

Pull out your resistance band and get to twisting! Standing next to your workout buddy shoulder to shoulder and facing the same direction, hold one side of the band while your buddy holds the other. Begin to slowly separate from one another until you feel the resistance in the band.

Once the tension is felt, keep your hips facing forward, your hands out in front, and begin to twist in the opposite direction of your partner. You will feel even more resistance in the band. Keep control of it as you twist back into the starting position.

Repeat for one minute before switching sides!

6. Single-Legged Medicine Ball Toss

How’s your balance? Does it need some work? This is a great exercise for keeping your balance and working out your obliques, abs, quads, and calves.

Stand next to your workout buddy facing the same direction. Both of you should bend your outer knees. One buddy will start out holding a medicine ball at belly button height and slightly away from their body.

The buddy with the ball will begin by twisting in the opposite direction of the partner while holding the medicine ball and keeping the outer leg lifted. Then she will twist back towards her buddy, passing the medicine ball to her. The workout buddy with the ball will now complete the same steps.

You then repeat, passing the ball back and forth!

7. Leg Lift and Throw

One partner will lie with their back flat on the floor and with their head on the other partner’s feet. They will then begin to raise up their legs until at a 90° level with the ground. The standing partner will then grab her partner’s feet and throw them back to the floor.

The partner lying down will need to stop their feet about 2-inches before touching the ground. Repeat this several times before switching places!

8. Squat Jump

For this exercise, you’ll need two resistance bands. Each partner should stand facing the other. Hold out the bands in each hand across from one another (the bands should be parallel with one another, not crossed and you should each be holding the opposite ends).

Slowly walk backward, separating from one another with arms out straight in front out you. Once you feel the tension in the bands you can stop. At the same time, both of you should begin to squat.

Once your squats are completed, jump up and softly land on your toes. Transition right into another squat and repeat!

You’ll get all the Motivation You Need When You Have Workout Buddies

Finding some awesome workout buddies is the best way to stay motivated and encouraged during a workout session. For a busy person like yourself, it’s hard to find time to make it to the gym, but now you can work out with a partner in your very own home! These partner workouts are awesome, but if your workout buddy can’t always make it to your house or vice versa, no need to worry.

The Bottom Line

You can now work out together from anywhere! With the FitOn app, you can add friends into your work out sessions and exercise together from any location. With world-class trainers at your fingertips, nothing is stopping you from an amazing workout. Download the free app today and check out what classes we can offer you!

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We’re going to dish the deets on why barre may be a secret weapon for those toned legs, arms, and that tight booty you are after, and why it may just be that thing that takes your fitness routine to the next level.

And, heads up, barre is nothing to joke around about. By the time you are done with a workout class, you are sure to be completely maxed out and dripping in sweat as each exercise will fatigue each muscle group for optimal results. So, think you have what it takes to add some barre to your fitness routine? (We think you are!) Let’s take a look at what it is and why fitness enthusiasts are raving about it.

What is Barre?

So, what even is barre, and what makes fitness enthusiasts so excited about it? Barre incorporates movements from ballet, yoga, and Pilates (um, talk about a trifecta for total body toning!) It focuses in on lower impact but high-intensity movements to help tone and strengthen (hello toned arms and strong legs.) Basically, barre gets the muscles toned by fatiguing each muscle group with small movements that are repeated a number of times. So, all of those little squat pulses are doing some serious work toning your glutes and your legs.

Is Barre Really That Great?

Yes, we think so, and here’s why. Not only is barre the ideal workout to add to your fitness routine for strength and tone, but it’s lower impact, which is great for anyone who doesn’t enjoy higher impact workouts.

Here are some other reasons why we think all ladies should be adding it to their fitness routine at least once a week.

• Improves balance
• Improves flexibility
• Improves posture

How to Take a Barre Exercise Class

Convinced, and want to try adding some barre to your fitness routine for some total body toning? Good news, we have a way that you can start incorporating this in now (without needing a ballet bar.) FitOn app offers a virtual barre class taught by world-class trainer Christine Bullock that you can do right from the comfort of your own home.

The Bottom Line

Barre can be a great addition to whatever your current fitness routine looks like. It can add some balance to the cardio lovers fitness routine, and add an element of strength and muscle toning to your workout plan. So, get fancy with your workouts, and get your barre fitness on. Hey, it may just be exactly what you need to supercharge those fitness results and see those super toned and defined muscles you are after.

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So why do so few of us do it?

Perhaps we’re super busy, or perhaps every time we want to run, it suddenly starts raining, or maybe working out doesn’t sound very appealing after we’ve already worked hard all day long.

But don’t worry! Treadmills and gyms aren’t the only options to help us get healthy. There is a unique kind of workout that is both beneficial and relaxing. Here’s what makes dance exercise awesome.

6 Reasons Dance Fitness is an Awesome Way to Workout

#1 Makes Working Out Fun

Working out can make us feel better. Yet many of us don’t simply don’t like normal exercise. There are a million more interesting things to do.But what if we could work out without the work?

Dancing it out makes exercise fun. We can play our favorite songs over and over or try out an instrumental playlist. If we’re a creative person, there’s a seemingly endless amount of new moves to learn.

In fact, dancing is so enjoyable that even ancient cultures did it, and with no technology to help them on the farm fields, they didn’t have a need to work out.

If we already have an existing exercise routine, we can use dance exercise to switch things up and keep it from becoming boring or be a substitute for when it’s too rainy to run or when the gym closes early.

While there are many kinds of workouts with benefits, the best one is the one you can stick with, and actually do consistently. Who wouldn’t want to twirl to their favorite song all day long?

Because dance exercise is so fun, it’s harder to resist.

#2 Is Inexpensive and Convenient

Another great thing about dancing is that it requires little to no equipment. The only thing we need is a pair of good quality tennis shoes or ballet slippers if we’re on the carpet. And if we don’t want to invest in a fancy speaker, turning up our phone volume should work just fine.

We also don’t need to go to a gym or pay a monthly gym fee; rather, we can just push back the living room couch, and voilà! There is plenty of space. It also doesn’t matter whether it is rainy or sunny, because our living room is not affected by the weather.

#3 Builds A Variety of Muscles

Of course, dancing isn’t the only kind of exercise that’s good for us. Swimming, for example, also has many benefits such as using all your muscles rather than just a few.

Dancing has a similar effect and uses multiple groups of muscle. However, we don’t need to find a pool or stop just because it thunders outside.

#4 Is Safer than Other Exercises

Exercise is meant to improve our health, but some types of exercise can be risky. For example, cyclists face a higher risk of injury than drivers. Running can have an impact on joints.

And while few things in this world are risk-free, dance exercise seems to minimize these risks. It can be low or high impact, depending on your style. Don’t let this scare you away from other exercises, though, because cycling and running are indeed fun, and there are ways to do them safely. However, if you like both exercises equally as much, it makes sense to go for the safer option of dance exercise.

#5 Boosts Immune System

Did you know that dancing it out can boost the immune system? Research has found that listening to positive dance music may provide immune support, help reduce cortisol levels, while also boosting endorphins, giving us those feel-good vibes after a dance workout! 

#6 Helps Us Keep A Positive Mindset

Dancing is also a workout that is trickier to keep track of. Sure, we can log when we do it, but how much intensity will depend on the song or playlist we choose. There is no specific distance to count, and unless we have a fancy fitness watch, we really can’t track anything except how often we do it.

While this can be annoying to those of us who like to track progress, this setback can actually work to our benefit. This is because our health is more than just a number. There are other things to factor in such as having better sleep quality, which can also help curb those junk food cravings.

A scale won’t give us credit for this because it can’t be counted. Paying attention to only numbers can cause us to become discouraged and not realize our true progress. However, since dance exercise doesn’t have mileage or numbers to count, we can keep our main focus off the numbers and instead realize the full health benefits of dance.

The Bottom Line

Exercise is very beneficial to our health and something we should all consider working into our daily routine. However, if we’re going to be working out consistently, it makes sense to choose the most enjoyable option possible. Many people have loved dance all throughout history; if they didn’t, then there wouldn’t be so many types we can learn how to do.

Want some help? Download our app! We have virtual classes in dance exercise, plus workouts in various fitness categories like Pilates, yoga, strength, HIIT, cardio, and stretch. New workouts are added all the time.

So,  join in on the fun and get moving to the music!

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Maybe you are just the impatient type, who would rather do kickboxing than yoga. Work up a sweat and stay fit, right?

Actually, stretching is an important part of any workout. There are many benefits of being flexible, and stretching helps maintain those benefits throughout your life.  

Whether you include stretching in your daily routine, or perform it when you are unable to do other kinds of exercise due to schedule, injury or other impediments, make sure you include stretching in your overall health regimen to help work on your flexibility.

Here are ten reasons why you need to stay flexible.

10 Amazing Reasons to Work on Your Flexibility

#1 Better Range of Motion

Daily stretching helps maintain range of motion. If you have ever stopped stretching for a period of time, because you were pregnant or postnatal for example, you may be amazed how quickly your range can disappear.

Range of motion is not just important for a good golf swing or a fast breaststroke. You need it to reach stuff on the top of a closet or to catch a toddler running toward danger. Functional fitness means you will be adept at all the motions your body may demand, and flexibility is part of functional fitness.

#2 Prevents Injury

If you have ever had to make a sudden move and then felt a shooting pain, you probably wrenched something because you were not flexible enough.

Stretching brings blood to your muscles, warming them up and lubricating the joints and tendons. That way they are ready for sudden bursts of energy and speed.

#3 Helps Performance

Stretching before a race may help you go faster. Stretching before lifting weights may help you lift more.

Stretching before any kind of physical activity prepares your body, warms it up and psychs your mind for the challenge too.

#4 Protects Against Soreness

When you warm up your body before vigorous activity, you are less likely to feel soreness in your muscles the next day. It’s also important to stretch after exercise when your muscles are warm and more flexible.

You will find stretching after a cardio workout will enable you to reach further and extend your limbs more. Long lean limbs make an attractive look. Think of a ballerina body!

By sending blood to the muscles and stimulating the synovial fluid in the joints, you get yourself ready for the big push. You are also taking precautions from being couch-bound in pain afterward.

#5 Calms Your Mind

Whether you are taking a yoga class in a studio or at home on an app, you must set aside part of your practice for relaxation. Movement is not the only necessary component to holistic fitness and wellness.

By taking long, slow, and sustained stretches, you fall into deep breathing which serves to calm your racing mind. You are taking precious time to feel your body, understand where it is hurting, and where you need to rest.

A good stretch and savasana provide the healing space that every hardworking body and mind needs.

#6 Reduces Stress

By calming your mind and body through gentle flexibility training, you help reduce the signs of physical stress. Stretching has been known to help lower blood pressure and heart rate.

When you’re anxious, your body tenses up, becoming less limber and more prone to aches and pains. How often have you had a tight neck or sore shoulder and an achy back during periods of stress? We’ve all been there, done that, and daily stretching can help reduce some of that built up tension.

Some good deep stretches will help loosen those muscles and let go of the tensions that are causing physical and mental pain.

#7 Helps Posture

When you lose flexibility, you find your muscles shortening. For example, if you are constantly hunched over a computer, your back and shoulder muscles get hunched and short, causing soreness and pain.

By doing flexibility exercises, you can lengthen the muscles that get bunched up by long hours at a desk or in a car.

#8 Improves Your Sex Life

Exercise improving your libido…say what? Yep, all exercise helps your sex life, by boosting endorphins and self-confidence.  Stretching and flexibility exercises help by letting you become more aware of your body.

Increasing blood and oxygen flow is a great intimacy aid. When your energy and stamina are high, you are sure to have more fun in bed.

The modern world takes us away from the sensual, and letting yourself feel good again can arouse the libido. By letting go of tension and pain and embracing the physical, you may find yourself wanting to find pleasure with your partner too!

#9 Helps with Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most pervasive chronic issues plaguing people in modern society. Our sedentary lifestyle is likely one factor.

Flexibility training through Pilates, yoga and other techniques improves posture and strengthens the core muscles. By strengthening your core, you support the spine and help protect it from damage and injury.

Many core exercises will help with back pain, such as planks and spinal twists. Make sure you have an instructor who can help you with adjustments if your pain inhibits certain movements.

#10 Alleviates Headaches

Headaches may happen when you are dehydrated, ill, or stressed out. As discussed above, stretching and flexibility training can help with those issues.

If you incorporate some long slow and sustained stretches into your routine,  you will feel the release of tension that leads to headaches.

Some stretches and yoga postures are said to improve immunity (like spinal twists.) Downward facing dog increases circulation in the body because your head is lower than your heart.

Promoting good circulation can help immune cells flow freely so they can more effectively fight off infection. The blood flow to your head can also provide welcome relief.

The Bottom Line

There are many benefits of being flexible, which will affect your physical, personal and spiritual well being. Why not take a few minutes out of your day to experience all the peace and relief that effective flexibility will give you? Your body will thank you for it.

For a great way to achieve fitness anywhere, even in the comfort of your own home, check out our app where we offer classes taught by world-class celebrity trainers and the best part? Our classes are always open, so you can press play when you have spare time in your busy day.

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