Edited by Mikkel Hyldebrandt
With the pandemic driving a digital workout boom during 2020, the at-home fitness sector has grown explosively over the last year. LESS MILLS On Demand is one of the companies, who has created a comprehensive workout platform for your home workouts – and it was just voted one of the ten best in USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Here are some useful workouts and great tips to keep you fit in the comfort and safety of your own home.
With an increasing demand for fun, science-backed, and effective workouts, LES MILLS On Demand, has developed a full platform of workouts across 13 popular programs, including popular classes like Bodypump, Bodycombat, and Bodyflow that are already well-known from gyms all across the world. The platform features a variety of strength, cardio, HIIT, dance, flexibility, and other classes, led by highly-trained expert presenters who motivate, inspire, and change lives through fitness. Each ranging from 15-55 minutes, the workouts are powered by science and proven to get results. LES MILLS On Demand gives members access to 1000+ online workouts that mimic what you used to do.
“The digital fitness boom is helping to break down barriers to fitness for people you might not typically see in the gym, and that’s really exciting,” said Jean-Michel Fournier, CEO, Les Mills Media. “More than six million people each week enjoy the thrill of Les Mills workouts – which are powered by science and deliver world-class results – and our community continues to grow.”
USA Today’s readers recently selected LES MILLS On Demand as the ‘Best At-home Workout for 2020.’ LES MILLS workouts are delivered by 140,000 certified instructors in 20,000 clubs across 100 countries and are available for at-home exercisers via the LES MILLS™ On Demand streaming platform. For more information, visit lesmills.com.
Popular Workouts
LES MILLS On Demand offers you the same workouts you know and love from the gym in the comfort and safety of your own home. Here are some of the most popular ones.
BODYPUMP uses light to moderate weights with lots of repetition. BODYPUMP gives you a total body workout. It will burn up to 400 calories. Instructors will coach you through the scientifically-backed moves and techniques, pumping out encouragement, motivation, and great music – helping you achieve much more than on your own! You’ll leave the class feeling challenged and motivated, ready to come back for more. BODYPUMP is available as either a 55, 45, or 30-minute workout.
BODYCOMBAT is a high-energy martial arts-inspired workout that is totally non-contact. Punch and kick your way to fitness and burn up to 570 calories** in a class. No experience is needed. Learn moves from Karate, Taekwondo, Boxing, Muay Thai, Capoeira, and Kung Fu. Release stress, have a blast, and feel like a champ. Bring your best fighter attitude and leave inhibitions at the door.
BODYFLOW® is a yoga-based class that will improve your mind, your body, and your life. During BODYFLOW, an inspired soundtrack plays as you bend and stretch through a series of simple yoga moves and embrace elements of Tai Chi and Pilates. Breathing control is a part of all the exercises, and instructors will always provide options for those just getting started. You’ll strengthen your entire body and leave the class feeling calm and centered.
Stay Motivated to Get Fit
Sticking to it is hard to do at home when the couch is literally right there! But with a few tips and guidelines, you will master your at-home workout regimen like a pro.
Stick to your schedule
Often the most challenging part about exercise is mustering the motivation to get off the couch and get moving. Scheduling a specific time to train each day will not only shape a regular routine, but it will also help manage (and eliminate) any potential distractions. To avoid spending the first half of your exercise time browsing an online library of workout options, decide on your next workout the night before (or at the end of your previous workout session). If you want to hit the ground running, bookmark the workout, lay out your workout gear and equipment, and make sure your workout space has plenty of room to move.
Create the perfect setting for sweating
For most of us, setting up a gym in the basement isn’t plausible or necessary. You can create a motivating workout area by merely finding the best place to stream online workouts and keeping any exercise equipment nearby. Watch and learn how to make the most of your space here. By keeping any workout equipment organized in a basket or tidy spot, you’ll stay motivated and remove the hassle of getting “set up” every time you think about exercise. Be sure to always have a sweat towel and water on hand – rushing off to the kitchen to get a mid-workout drink won’t do your fitness goals any good.
Ditch the Distractions
When you’re working out in a gym, you’re surrounded by fellow exercisers, the focus on fitness is absolute, and the chance of distraction seeping in is slim. At home, it’s a different story. Kids, neighbors, your pets, your phone … they’re all on standby, ready to sabotage your exercise. If you want to tick off an at-home workout successfully, you need to eliminate potential interferences before they take hold. The easiest way to make this happen is to turn your phone on silent, plan your workout for a time when children or visitors won’t be around to interrupt, and make sure your dog or cat is shut away in another room.
Get Your Tech Setup Sorted
While streaming from your mobile or iPad is perfectly okay, you get a much more motivating experience if you’re hooked up to a bigger screen. This can easily be done using an HDMI cable to connect your mobile or iPad to the big screen. If you have a Smart TV, you can stream most workouts on your television, and many believe that investing in Apple TV, Roku or Chromecast is also worthwhile. Good headphones are also a sensible investment. Katarina Berggren from Sweden says she loves working out with a good sound system and uses headphones to make sure she doesn’t wake the family during her early morning workouts. Others say using headphones helps immerse them in the workout more, particularly if they’re working out outdoors.
Don’t Go It Alone
Sharing your exercise experiences with others can positively influence your training – helping boost results whether you’re in the group fitness studio or sweating it out at home. Scientists have found that when exercisers become part of an online community, it stimulates them to do more – and the exercise becomes more enjoyable. Simple activities like sharing posts and receiving encouragement provide the social support many people need to stay motivated.