After the year that was 2020, it’s been hard for me to commit to going to a workout class. I love a good, quick workout to feel better – both in mind and body. And I like the option of doing a workout from the comfort of my home.
There’s not always the time (or frankly, desire) for an hour-long workout, and that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in a little sweat session with fitness apps that are built for our full schedules.
We all know the benefit of movement – the endorphin release, the strength building, and the mental health benefits add so much value to our lives. And a shorter workout can still give us those benefits, so don’t skip on a workout just because you can’t or don’t want to devote too much time to it.
Do what you can!
Tips for making these wellness apps work for you in 2022
Decide that 20 minutes or less workout is worth doing.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get back on track with your fitness goals in a realistic way.
It doesn’t have to be an hour-long workout to have an effect on your mental, emotional, and physical health. And 20 minutes is a whole lot easier to weave into our routine than an hour workout is. Being able to do it at home is a major plus.
Start with a 20-minute commitment, and go up from there if you desire.
Find a time and place
I call this a habit habitat. Find the place where you’ll do your workout – and the time that fits best into your schedule.
Ask yourself, when is a good time with the routines I already have in place? Stack the habit on top of an existing habit in your routine. For example, after you write in your journal and before you take a shower to get ready for the day in the morning. Again, this is 20 minutes or less – figure out where you can fit that in to make it a daily commitment to your health.
Invest in yourself
While I find that free YouTube videos are great and there’s a ton of great fitness classes available, when we sign up for classes or sign up for an app, we have more buy-in.
A lot of amazing apps out there are low-cost, including the ones recommended below. Find an app that works for your style and the kinds of workouts you enjoy and feel excited to do again.
Don’t wait for the motivation
Motivation will often find you after you take the micro action. What amount of time can you commit to every day? 10 minutes? 15? 20? 30? Decide this for yourself, and when you can’t make the 20 minutes, opt for 10. These apps below all have options that work for bite-sized action.
As you take more action and commit to yourself every day, you’ll feel more motivation. Your self-trust muscle (and physical muscles!) will start building.
The best fitness apps for 30 minutes and under workouts
1. Melissa Wood Health
My tried-and-true. I love Melissa Wood’s app for my daily fitness routine. It’s the perfect starter fitness app if you love Pilates-style workouts.
Whether you have 10 minutes or an hour, you’ll find tons of options. She has workouts specifically for prenatal, and she also has a power series for more advanced workouts. It’s my favorite app for a quick morning workout, because she has tons of workouts to choose from for a quick power-packed session.
Plus, she has some meditations, recipe videos, and a schedule you can follow – so you don’t have to think about what workout you’re doing if you want to follow along.
You can start with a 7-day free trial.
2. Sweat app
The Sweat app by Kayla Itsines is an oldie, but goodie. She has high and low-intensity workout options. Including some on-demand workouts like 10-minute boxing, banded full-body, and the 1000-rep challenge.
The app also includes meal plans, options to track your steps, and your water intake – all the essential wellness things! And you can also opt to join in a program for more accountability.
3. Cacti Wellness Collective
Kira is one of my favorite wellness influencers and friend, and you NEED to know about her app. Her goal with the app is for you to improve your focus, body, and mind with 20 minutes or less per day.
The Cacti app has everything: breathwork, meditations, on-demand workouts, stretch flows, and productivity workshops. The videos are all bite-sized and action-packed, so that you can fit them into your routine while running your business.
If you want to improve your life in small steps, we definitely recommend her membership – and you can use our code LIFEGOALS on the Cacti app for a free 30-day trial. That’s a full month to test it out for free!
(Not sponsored, just wanted to get you all a code so you can try it out!)
4. FORM by Sami Clarke
Form’s tagline is “forming the best version of you.” The membership includes everything from fitness, wellness, and self-love. Sami is such an inspiring wellness influencer, and her branding is on point. I love everything she creates, and I’m sure her app is on the same level.
She recently added nutrition to the app as well, so you can get recipe ideas for your meal planning too!
5. The Class
The Class is a holistic workout that combines movement and meditation. I love the way The Class is structured. You almost always get in some burpees and free flow dance in every live session. I love that there are live classes daily! It helps with the accountability.
It’s a good mix of flow and cardio, and the classes are always similar while still mixing it up enough.
It’s described as a cathartic workout for the body and mind. While most of the live classes are between 45-60 minutes, they have a collection of 10-30 minute on-demand classes with shorter, targeted sequences.
How are you spicing up your workout routine in 2022?
