I don’t know about you, but getting to the gym has been really hard for me. It always seems like the only choices are to get up at 4 AM in order to have the time to get to the gym, work out, get home and then get everyone ready for the day, or wait until the end of the day when the gym is packed. Not only that, then I have to know what to do when I get there, which, TBH, I have no idea. I have found over the years that I am typically more successful if I have something I can do from home.
The best part of working out from home, especially if your family has some sort of gaming console or streaming device, is that there are SO MANY ways to find workouts that are both fun and effective! Below I have listed some of my favorites and a handful more that I have saved to check out later!
LET’S GET DIGITAL!
Nintendo Switch
- Ring Fit Adventure -This one comes with a large ring that you hold and a leg strap. I am currently using this one and it is pretty fun. As you progress you unlock new exercises and as you go through the game you are battling bad guys with those exercises. I will typically do 30-45 mins each time and it will make your buns burn!
- Fitness Boxing 1 &2 – I personally do not have this game yet, but once I am done with the Ring Fit Adventure this is my next purchase! I have found I really like doing workouts that incorporate boxing moves and these look like the perfect fit for me!
- Any of the Just Dance Games– There is a new version that comes out each year. Not only is this a fun game just to play with your family when you’re in need of a little dancing karaoke but if you are really intentional you can turn this into a workout!
- Zumba: Burn it Up!– If you want to up your dancing workout game a little more they have a Zumba game you can use to sweat and move. This one reminds me of the Zumba game I used to do with my Wii console many years ago which was also a Nintendo product.
- Knockout Home Fitness- Again, this is one that is on my list after I have completed the Ring Fit Adventure game. This one has several different trainers you can pick with different personalities and the workouts are really fast for those who don’t have a ton of time.
- Nintendo Switch Sports- If you have a competitive family like mine the Sports pack could result in some major family game time. So not only can you get a workout in but you can spend time demolishing your loved ones and spending time together!
- Jump Rope Challenge- This one is pretty basic and from what I can tell is even a free download, bonus! But it was created when we were all stuck at home in 2020 and the creators wanted a way to get in some physical movement!
Playstation
- Just Dance– This one is back on the list because if you do not have a Nintendo Switch but you do own a PlayStation 4/5 you can do the same dance moves to get you moving to the music. For a bigger burn turn on Sweat Mode to find the most intense songs and view a calorie counter.
- Beat Saber– For this one, you will need to have the Playstation VR headset in order to play. But if you have these you can work up a sweat with music while you slash, duck, and move to hit the beat blocks flying at you.
- Box VR or Creed: Ride to Glory– Both boxing games that require the Playstation VR headset that uses boxing workouts to get you sweating. The Boxing VR will be more training with guidance, whereas the Creed game is going to be more gameplay that will not feel like you are working out until you realize you’re sore and sweaty!
- Sprint Vector- This is a high-intensity game that has you going up against other people on courses that you have to move to get through as fast as possible. I will warn you, games like this are not my jam as much with the VR technology because you feel like you are running but you are staying in place, and tend to make me nauseous. I watched a lot of videos of people playing this game and I could see how it would be a really good workout though especially if you are competing against people.
- Yoga Master– The best thing about this one is that you do not need the VR headset to play. It does suggest having the move controllers but you don’t have to have them. This game is built for all experience levels.
Note: these are available for the Playstation 4 or 5, if you have an older PlayStation these won’t work but there are other fitness games for the earlier PlayStation models.
Xbox One
- Zumba Fitness World Party- Another Zumba game to get you dancing and sweating. As you progress the game opens new songs and experience levels for you to choose from.
- Just Dance– This one will probably be under each console because I think they all have a version of this game.
- Shape Up– This one seems really similar to the Ring Fit Adventure. The storyline is obviously different but you are playing games while doing exercises like squatting or punching. So you are getting a full body workout while playing making it maybe a little more enjoyable.
- Kinect Sports Rivals-Much like with the Sports package with the Nintendo Switch you can use these games to get moving AND to have really fun family time!
Xbox 360
Note: unfortunately with a lot of these consoles these days if you have one version you have to find games to fit that specific version. I do believe if you have an Xbox One you can make it so that you can play Xbox 360 games but not vice versa.
- Your Shape Fitness Evolved-This one is really good if you are new to working out because has celebrity trainers that will walk you through the workouts.
- Nike+ Kinect Training– Similarly to the one above you have trainers that will guide you and you can earn points and go up against others. I would say this is a more competitive version of the fitness game above.
- The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout– If you are like me, the show The Biggest Loser, used to be one of those shows that I could not miss. I would root for the people all while sitting home snacking. I realize now that there are a lot of problematic things about this show and the amount of weight these contestants were losing. But I have to admit I have used this game many times to get a workout in with Bob and Jillian yelling at me from my Xbox.
- Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure– staying in line with the Biggest Loser theme, Jillian came out with her own fitness game that makes you feel like a character in Indiana Jones while you work out.
- UFC Personal Trainer– This game uses MMA workouts to not only help you get in shape but also teach self-defensive moves to you as you play.
Meta Quest 2 (Oculus) VR
Note: The best thing about this VR set is there are TONS of apps and games to play and MANY workouts you can do. Too many for me to list them all. But these are the top 5 ones I have found that I have either tried or want to try. Warning: some apps like those on your phone require subscriptions to be able to use them and some apps cost money to even download, this is not necessarily a cheap workout method.
- Supernatural– This is one of those apps that requires a subscription to use it. But it was one of the best things I have done. I LOVE these workouts. You have trainers that guide you through tons of different types of workouts. The boxing ones and the Flow workouts are my favorites because they are full-body and will leave me drenched in a matter of 30 minutes.
- Beat Saber– This is the same as the one that is offered by Playstation VR. You have music and beat blocks that you have to slash while moving and ducking.
- Holofit by Holodia– This game offers full-body cardio workouts. However, Like Supernatural it looks like you would have to have a subscription to unlock most of the features.
- LesMills BodyCombat– This app is not free, you have to purchase the app to even look at it. But it looks like once you do you can access everything from there. This would be like going to the local gym and taking a BodyCombat class but in your own living room!
- Any Sport you Can Think Of– if you search for any type of sport on the VR app store you can find so many different things to do that will help you get moving!
As you can see there is just an endless amount of things you can find on the Meta Quest 2 app store! I will tell you there are some downsides to working out with a VR headset, the biggest of which is sweating and the headset fogging up. But they sell different things you can use to make this a little better.
YouTube
Note: Like the VR there are so many different workout channels you can find with a simple search on YouTube. Too many for me to list here, but these are my top 5.
Fitness Blender– I have used this YouTube channel for YEARS to find great free workouts that I can do at home! And the best part unlike above you don’t need a gaming console just something to stream from like a Smart TV, tablet, Computer, or phone.
The Fitness Marshall– this is not a free channel, you do have to become a member to get access to their full dance workouts but I follow these guys on TikTok and I just love their energy and the dances. Not only will you sweat but you will laugh, and they have a dancer for every level of fitness.
Tone it Up– This channel is dedicated to fitness specifically for women. You can get so many different kinds of workouts from their channel for free. Most of them are 15-30 mins long.
blogilates– This channel is really popular and it offers a wide variety of quick workouts to help you meet goals!
Kaleigh Cohen Cycling– Maybe you would love to drop the dough on a Peleton bike but it is not in your budget. You can get a less expensive bike like this one and then go to this cycling channel and find rides to follow to help you get in shape and make use of your equipment.
I’m curious, what do you prefer? Home Workouts or Gym Workouts?
I’m hoping this post will inspire you to steal that console that you bought your son or daughter for Christmas, get sweating and make this year your BEST YEAR YET!
