Train without breaking the bank | The Press

January, as we know, rhymes with resolution season. However, this year, inflation obliges, our subscriptions on the right or inscriptions on the left are likely to be a bit limited. That said, this is not a reason to give up (literally, come on, hop!), because, good news, online services and especially free are more attractive than ever. We tested five of them, handpicked, to better serve you.

Daily Yoga

Of course, nothing beats a flesh-and-blood and face-to-face course. With personalized advice from our favorite trainers. But in war as in war, this inflation will not get the better of our motivation. That said, first, a few caveats: many supposedly free apps aren’t exactly free, actually only offering a seven-day trial. Others, like Daily Yoga, one of the most popular applications in this area, hides a series of exercises that are actually free (varied, well explained/illustrated, at the required pace, in impeccable French, a rare fact that deserves mention here, words of encouragement and small relaxing music included), but good luck getting there. The secret: after downloading the app, dodge the many invitations to subscribe (at supposedly unbeatable prices), close all the advertising windows, close them again, in short, persevere. Once you’ve finally arrived at the home page, the “practice” section (at the bottom of your phone screen) has several not-so-interesting freebies in store for you: simple yoga sequence, development of the fundamentals (our favorite , in 20 minutes), energizing morning yoga, etc. To be tested again and again.

7 Minute Workout

Popularized a few years ago, this idea of ​​training daily, albeit minimally, is gaining ground. This is also the new trend of the moment: mini-workouts. Several applications offer different sequences of seven minutes, to do at home, quiet, in the morning. Good to know: in reality, these workouts were designed to be repeated three times, for a total of 21 minutes, therefore. At seven minutes, you won’t necessarily reach the intensity or endurance you want. Anyway, it’s still better than nothing? Well said. The app 7 Minute Workout, signed Fast Builder (one of the most popular, with that of Johnson & Johnson), offers a dynamic (loud music included) series of squats, pumps and stretches, in seven minutes flat. In English only, unfortunately. If you don’t know the moves, it’s a bit confusing, but an animated little guy is there to guide you. Notifications and alerts are offered to keep you motivated.

Nike Training Club

Just create an account, and you’re done. A host of workouts await you on the brand’s app with the most motivating slogan (Just do it!), in quantity and without any advertising (special mention to short activities, less than 10 minutes, here in very large numbers). A real charm, which probably explains why Nike Training Club is highly recommended as one of the best (really) free apps of its kind. With exercises for endurance, mobility, strengthening and yoga, often without any equipment, variety is at the rendezvous. Whether it is to wake up in the morning or relax in the evening, the activities are recorded here, and can also be programmed. One and only downside: if the app is available in several languages, the workouts are animated in the language of Michael Jordan only.

Pamela Reif

We discovered her in a pandemic, depressed stiff in quarantine. And God knows if she perked us up. With her videos attracting millions of clicks on her YouTube channel, German influencer Pamela Reif has seduced more than one with her dynamic workouts (and that priceless smile that never leaves her, even after the most demanding of sessions! ), both accessible, varied, in always different environments (beach, castle, boat, why not a sunset with that?). Let’s say she does everything to keep us hooked. And it works. But not only because of the coating: his exercises are targeted (buttocks, abs, legs), for all levels of difficulty, according to different durations. We love its catchy “dance workout”, the ideal way to start the day with a smile. Note that most of the activities offered are without words, but always with music. And what music!

Boho Beautiful Yoga

This other super-popular app doesn’t offer any free exercises. Good news however, dozens of sessions signed Juliana (ex-gymnast) and Mark Spicoluk (a couple, sorry, a brand, to whom we also owe a podcast, derivative products, in short a health-oriented lifestyle) are posted on YouTube. Their channel is also considered one of the best of its kind, according to Healthline. For a few advertisements (the time to unroll your carpet), you will have access here to a host of workouts of 10, 15, 25, 30 minutes, to choose from, and in quantity. To energize your mornings, or to deal with your stress, beginners or intermediates, the choice is frankly rich, varied and interesting, but the courses are unfortunately only offered in English (we searched, but did not find anything equivalent in French). We especially appreciate the decor, live from Costa Rica, which really makes a difference, not to mention the comments and words of encouragement, both sweet and oh so motivating. Namaste.