There’s no time like the present when it comes to improving your fitness level and to develop an exercise routine, with many of us now working from home due to the pandemic. Enough has been said about the dangers of sitting for too long, and at home, this is a trap that’s especially easy to fall into.

To help you with your workout regime, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite free Android- and iOS-friendly apps so you can just follow along at home and stay motivated as you move and stretch.

Yoga for Beginners

Yoga for Beginners promises to relax your mind while also helping you take control of your fitness. If you often sit for hours to do computer work and suffer from back ache, this free app is a must-try.

It offers handcrafted workouts that range from beginner-friendly to targeted exercises. Each pose comes with a video clip with soothing voice guidance and a set of instructions that will enable you to execute them properly and safely.

The app comes with a built-in calendar, weight tracker, and alarm. You can also adjust your rest interval and circuit and enable the background music.

Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer

Developed by a certified personal trainer, the Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer specializes in exercises that you can do at home. 

You can pick among 5 to 10 minute targeted exercises and 10 to 30 minute randomized full body workouts. Along with a simple interface, each exercise comes with a video, on-screen instructions, and a timer. You can use the app offline but playing the videos requires an internet connection.

The app is powered by ads which come at the end of the exercise videos when you’re still catching your breath.

FitOn: Fitness Workout Plans

FitOn is a highly rated, comprehensive fitness app that comes with personalized fitness plans in varying intensity levels and length. This includes programs designed for losing weight, getting toned, building muscle, and pre- and post-natal women. What’s more, it offers different exercise styles such as cardio and strength training, HIIT, Pilates, yoga, dance, and barre from top celebrity trainers.

The exercises come with voice and visual instructions, a lot of which you can do at home even without gym equipment. You can also join a live class and share your workout progress with your friends for some healthy competition.

The free version of the app is already great but, if you want access to personalized meal plans and hundreds of healthy recipes, you’ll have to upgrade to the pro version.

Sworkit Fitness – Workouts & Exercise Plans App

Teach your kids the importance of working out especially during this pandemic with the help of the Sworkit Fitness app. Though the adult-targeted exercises require an active subscription, all the kids’ workouts are totally free. Not only is this a great way of getting them to stop using their devices for a few minutes, your kids might also be so bored from being stuck inside the house that working out presents a welcome change.

The Sworkit Kid Workouts are available in different categories – strength-training, endurance-building, stretching and balance routines, warm-ups and cool-downs, and workouts for when space is limited. You can even create your kid’s very own custom routine. Each workout comes with video and voice instructions and a timer.

Nike Training Club

A 2017 study which assessed 28 fitness apps placed the Nike Training Club (NTC) as second when it comes to following the exercise guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). It’s lauded for having a great variety of training programs and individual exercises.

After signing up, you’ll be asked to answer a few questions that will help the app find you initial workouts that are suitable for your current fitness level. You can also choose a training plan with several customizable options, including whether you want to use gym equipment or just your own bodyweight. 

J&J Official 7 Minute Workout

Completing my list is the first placer in the 2017 study that we mentioned previously, the J&J Official 7 Minute Workout. Since the original 7-minute workout was too difficult for some, the co-author, Chris Jordan, created 22 variations. The difficulty level ranges from the First Timer, something that even his old mother can do, and the Superhero Workout which is designed for athletes. You can also personalize the 7-minute workout based on your strengths and weaknesses.

It aims to workout the cardiovascular system, lower body, upper body, and core for 30 seconds before taking a 5-second rest. This sequence is repeated 3 times.

If you want a longer workout you can find ones up to 32 minutes long. Aside from the 72 exercises with video tutorials and 22 workouts, it also comes with music and audio prompts and reminders – all for free.