Valentine’s Day, the highlight of the gloomiest month of all (inarguably February), commands cramming large amounts of chocolates and candy into your mouth by encouraging singles to wallow in sweets and paired up petit ami’s to gift each other tons of bonbons.
Yum. And, also, shit. As in, “my pants are uncomfortably tight, and my New Year’s resolution is as forgotten as where I tossed my keys are after coming home from one (okay, three) too many glasses of wine last night”.
Pair this confectionary-heavy holiday that — let’s face it — lasts all month long (we can’t resist the box of heart shaped chocolates marked down for 88 cents, either) with a dwindling desire to bounce around in a too-well lit gym and you might start to feel and look kind of languorous, and not in the glamorous kind of way.
To keep the blahs and the next dress size up at bay, we’ve rounded up our absolute favourite fitness apps and websites that keep you fit, healthy and happy; no sparkly, peppy, aerobics instructors or screaming, scary muscly guys here, promise.
APPS:
Evolve Functional Fitness
Evolve is a fitness-driven app that is “dedicated to helping people look, feel and perform better through movement.” By providing bodyweight-only exercise routines, the no-equipment routines make for a no-excuses expectation. The total body training is aimed for modern, day-to-day life, meaning tasks like hauling a 30lb bag of flour up the stairs to your condo when your elevator is broken will be done so with ease and proper form. These techniques are the basis of “functional fitness”, and build stamina, stability, balance, strength and agility while toning muscles head to toe and burning calories and fat. Three progressive levels and modifications for each move suit strengths and weaknesses and ensure you’re working out the right way for you.
Pocket Yoga
Fitness doesn’t only have to mean running until your lungs are on fire or pumping iron like a Jersey Shore bodybuilder. Sprinkling in a yoga routine here and there will add a healthy dose of mindfulness, inner peace and those elusive long, lean muscles. If coughing up $200 a month to find your Om in a studio you can’t even muster the willpower to hoof it to sounds like you, then the Pocket Yoga app is the perfect solution to starting or maintaining your practice. If you’re just starting out and have no idea what the hell crow pose is and how you’re supposed to make your body look like that, then you’ll really appreciate the dictionary that details each poses correct posture, alignment and benefits. With a generous amount of sessions that vary in time and level and detailed voice and visual guidance, everyone can enjoy and advance in their yoga journey.
SITES:
Fitness Blender
Founded by a husband and wife team of personal trainers, Daniel and Kelli (who always introduce themselves at the beginning of each video — cute personal touch, guys!) make fitness at home or on the go easily available to absolutely anyone and everyone. The duo, who both have extensive training and knowledge in the fitness and health industry, offer programs that target specific goals (8 week fat loss program, 4 week stretching and flexibility program, etc.) as well as an enormous catalog of workout videos, ranging from an insane 70 minute HIIT workout to a 40 minute barre exercise to upper, lower or total body routines.
Each video shares stats like a difficulty level ranging from 1-5, calories burned, equipment needed and a detailed breakdown of the routine and why it’s effective. Talk about motivation. If that’s not reason enough, Daniel and Kelli are completely running the show and shoot from a spare bedroom or garage (don’t worry, you won’t see their garage junk; the videos are a blank slate that only show D or K), but you will occasionally see their adorable dog wander through a shot and distract Kelli while she’s doing a 5 Minutes to a Bigger Butt routine.
POPSUGAR Fitness
Wanna work out like Jessica Alba and Cameron Diaz? Us too. With tons of amazing exercise videos from celebrity trainers (and otherwise), quick, 10-minute sweat sessions are perfect for days when you just want to squeeze some activity in. From super-sets to tabata to toning routines, there’s a huge selection for your preferred activity or mood. In addition to a myriad of workout videos, POPSUGAR Fitness also posts heaps of helpful and relevant tips, like how to choose the right fitness tracker for you and “Cool Girl Mesh Leggings for the Gym”, making it super easy to get inspired.
Also sharing healthy living insight, get lost browsing delicious looking healthy lunch recipes and get sleep better advice from experts in each field, respectively. If you’re ready to dive right in and are feeling especially dedicated, POPSUGAR FITNESS offers an motivational 31 day fitness challenge, with all the workouts, meal plan, coaching and support all laid out for you.
Fitness makes people feel spirit and confident.