My preferred fitness routine has always been a combination of Pilates, Barre, yoga, and interval training. While living in St. Louis, New York City, and Chicago, I had belonged to full-service gyms that offered an array of classes, but sadly I haven’t found one I like since moving to Connecticut and Westchester, NY. For the last couple of years, I have been working out mostly at home, trying out a variety of online apps and youtube videos. Even though the current building I live in offer a standard gym, I’m not really a big fan of using machines. Having an instructor, even one through the phone or iPad, definitely feels more interesting and motivating for me.

Of all the online fitness offerings I have tried, ModelFit and Asana Rebel are hands down my favorites. Both are online fitness programs that offer access to an inventory of classes featuring live instructors. They are relatively new and the class offering has significantly increased in the last few months since I joined.

ModelFit classes offer workouts that are similar to Pilates, focusing on micro-movements that are low-impact, high-repetition, and effectively tones and strengthens your muscles without putting unnecessary strain on your joints. Many of these classes also incorporate Pilates rings, light weights, ankle weights, and gliders, though there are plenty of no-equipment offerings as well. The classes are grouped by body parts (upper body, glutes, legs, abs, etc.) and range in lengths from under 10 minutes to under an hour. What I like about ModelFit is that the instructors focus very much on proper form and the exercises are so targeted and effective that I always feel the burn just a few minutes into the workout, and sometimes for a couple of days afterwards too.

Asana Rebel offers yoga classes that are tailored to various fitness goals, such as flexibility, strengthening, and cardio. Similar to ModelFit, the videos vary in lengths, with some as short as 5 minutes, and the longest ones are around 30 minutes. I have not always been a yoga fan as the slow pace of some yoga classes have never been my cup of tea. What I like about Asana Rebel is the classes are quite high-energy and fast-pace (for yoga) and I never feel bored.

While working out at home will never be the perfect substitute for attending fitness classes, ModelFit and Asana Rebel are about the second best thing. They are both challenging and effective, and offer enough variety to keep my fitness routine comprehensive and interesting. If you are looking for an easy way to work out at home, or while traveling, I would highly recommend both of these. ModelFit is currently offering a free 7-day trial, and Asana Rebel also offers a free trial when you download the app. Let me know if you decide to try either of them!