Working moms or stay-at-home moms (which, let’s face it, is still a working mom) barely get any time for themselves. There are so many household activities to juggle, and the only time to do them is while the kids are at school, after they've gone to bed for the night, or — ding, ding, ding — nap time! Cooking, cleaning, keeping up with and managing schedules, laundry, work, and kids’ activities are just some of the things that need to get done in any even given day. Even with a partner’s help, moms are still hard-pressed to find time for themselves. And, when they do, a plop on the couch and a scroll through Instagram can be the preferred method of entertainment. (Can anyone even believe a a single egg got more likes than Kylie Jenner?)
Among the many things women need to do to take of themselves, like eating healthy and sleeping as much as possible, working out is an important part of it. Because all of the things that need to get done on a daily basis is a workout in itself, it takes a special cocktail of motivation and convenience to set the mood. Instead of going out to the gym or some kind of exercise establishment (hello Orange Theory), why not work out at home? Invite the kids along on the action, or try and get a workout in while they're napping or have gone down for the night.
It's 2019, so the entire world (and beyond) is right at the fingertips. There are plenty of live-streaming fitness apps and channels to check out, so it feels like an instructor or trainer is right there in the room. Here are 20 to try out.
Best You Crew
Best You Crew is a community-focused app designed specifically for moms, by a mom. Each month features new workouts to master. Moms follow along with fitness coach Andi Wagner in video as she does each workout, too. Workouts are only about 30 minutes — perfect for a busy mom's schedule. Free seven-day trial, $35 per month afterwards.
LES MILLS On Demand
Les Mills is responsible popular workouts such as BODYPUMP™, BODYFLOW®, and LES MILLS BARRE™. The company has developed an On Demand app that has access to all the above workouts, and tons more, for users who can't always get to the gym. The membership runs $12.99 a month with a 10-day free trial.
FitNFlow
FitNFlow is an app for on-demand personal yoga instruction. That's right — no videos or need to stream. With the FitNFlow app, one can book a verified yoga instructor to come to the house for an in-home class, while the little one is napping. FitNFlow creates a class centered on specific needs, and gives the guidance necessary. There are a wide variety of instructors and styles, and classes range from an average of $25-80.
NTX Go
NTX Go is a membership site that delivers a new workout video every single day that requires zero equipment and takes less than 20 minutes. Each workout has a briefing video explaining the movements and offering modifications for all ability levels. The moms who are currently members love it for its convenience and super accessible way to get back into a fitness routine. Pay just $10 a month.
Lazy Dancer Studio
Ever want to be a ballerina? Now's the chance! Lazy Dancer Studio helps people rediscover their passion for ballet and improve their fitness though ballet-inspired workouts and a beautiful community. Join the tribe of at-home ballerinas for $25 a month.
Sworkit
Sworkit is a digital fitness app that offers customizable and pre-planned aerobic, strength, resistance and flexibility workouts. Available on smart mobile devices, the web and Apple TV. Sworkit guides moms with video workouts for their specific needs that can be done at home in as little as five minutes. Starts at $15 a month.
GOtivation
GOtivation takes a different approach to training. First, the app discovers what motivates the user, then customizes a 30-day training course that teaches them the skills to stick with whatever fitness program they like. The fun games, lessons, and chat are all based on behavioral science. And since the training only takes 10 minutes, it’s easy to sneak in while the baby takes a nap.
Body By Finch
Body By Finch has been crafted with love and longevity in mind. It brings health and wellness experts to one place to help users develop a healthy relationship with food, learn to love to move, nourish their mind and regain confidence. Starts at $25 a month.
Matriarc
Matriarc is specifically designed with streaming exercises to help women rebuild their core and pelvic floor after having a baby. Stream exercises for less than 10 minutes a day. Users can also begin or end with a four-minute meditation.
Trainiac Fit
Trainiac is an online personal training app that brings the trainer to the user when she can't make it to the trainer. Working out with a personal trainer can often yield the best results. But a trainer comes with a cost — literally and figuratively. With Trainiac, users work with trainers directly through their phones on a custom workout that's uploaded, logged, and tracked directly within the app. Hello, accountability coach!
BURN
BURN offers exclusive daily workouts, meal plans, and motivation all laid out for users in an easy-to-follow calendar. Also, it provides an education resource guide and a complete workout library with over 150 videos. Members can track their progress with the workout calendar and have the ability to book one-on-one nutrition coaching plans.
Every Mother
The EMbody Program by Every Mother is the only comprehensive exercise program proven effective and safe for the resolution of diastasis recti. Additionally, users report a lower incidence of back pain and improved urinary continence, no matter how long ago they gave birth. Pay $45 for three months. Other subscriptions are available.
V Shred
The programs available through V Shred seek to create a healthy fitness movement specifically designed to deliver profound changes in your body with a minimal amount of workout time, through the implementation of at-home HIIT routines and targeted gym plans. V Shred has created some of the world's most popular fitness and nutrition programs such as Fat Loss Extreme and Toned in 90 Days for women. Programs start at $15.
NEOU App
The mission of NEOU is to bring the best trainers and concepts to consumers globally. Everything from boxing to yoga to bootcamp to dancing (and more!) are available to a worldwide audience. Pricing starts at $8 per month.
FitON
FitOn is a platform for group fitness that makes the most popular studio workouts available to users on demand anytime, anywhere. Its one-of-a-kind social experience lets users interact with friends inside and outside of class, so they have fun and never lose motivation.
iFit Coach
Experience a completely personalized fitness app, tailored for the user. iFit Coach is designed to work with iFit wearables and provide actionable guidance each day for activity, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. The fitness plan will continually adapt, based on a user's goals, body stats, and activity. It’s just like having a personal trainer and dietitian with the user always, guiding her every step of the way. Pay $8 per month.
Aaptiv
Aaptiv's classes are audio-only, so getting in a workout is as simple as opening the app, popping in headphones (no waking LO!), and following along with an expert trainer's guidance. While it does offer classes that use cardio machines and strength-training equipment, it also has a variety of classes totally equipment-free, making them perfect for an at-home workout. Subscription plans start at $15 per month.
Glo
Glo's online classes are anywhere from five to 90 minutes, so depending on how long baby naps, there's a yoga class for every mama. Glo uses some of the country's best yoga teachers, so users get access to incredible resources.
LEKfit
These dance-inspired workouts from LEKfit use low-impact, high-intensity intervals to tone muscles. Users can mix and match videos to create their own personal workouts, or follow one of many filmed classes. Starts at $16 a month.