The 9 Best Online Exercise Classes of 2021

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Our Top Picks

Best for Yoga: Gaia

"You can choose exactly the class that you’re craving for the movement your body needs."

Best In-Studio: Classpass

"This service is perfect for people that want access to a wide variety of in-studio experiences."

Best Live: Tracy Anderson

"You’ll get to sweat with both Tracy and her trainers, who are specially trained to teach the TA Method."

Best Variety: Daily Burn

"Daily Burn offers more than 1,000 classes ranging from options for beginners to advanced athletes, all taught by expert trainers."

Best with Community: Alo Moves

"Through this app, you are given the opportunity to connect with encouraging coaches and other hardworking members."

Best for Cardio: Booya Fitness

"Every workout is set to live streamed pop music to keep you upbeat and moving throughout the class."

Best for Meditation: Yoga Glo

"You can find videos that range from 5 to 120 minutes and that span all sorts of mindfulness and meditation."

Best for Cycling: Peloton

"There are new classes every day, and thousands of classes in the on-demand catalog to choose from."

Best for a Time Crunch: Obé Fitness

"Tapping some of the best instructors in New York City to lead the classes, Obé Fitness encourages users to vary their classes throughout the week."

Our Top Picks

Best for Yoga: Gaia

It can be hard to make it to the studio to practice yoga on top of a busy schedule. But you only need a few minutes to reap the benefits of an asana practice. Plus, since yoga uses practically no equipment, you can easily do it anywhere. When you’re looking for a little instruction, follow along with one of the teachers on Gaia.com. The website offers classes with themes such as Simple Yoga for Stressful Times and Twist Your Way to Bliss, so you can choose exactly the class that you’re craving for the movement your body needs.

There are two payment options, you can pay $11.99 monthly, or you can pay $99 annually, which saves you some money per month. Both options give you unlimited streaming on your laptop, phone, tablet, and TV, with absolutely no advertisements, so you can take your practice on the go with you. If you don’t love it, Gaia will let you cancel either plan at any time.

Best In-Studio: Classpass

This service is perfect for people that want access to a wide variety of in-studio experiences. Here’s how it works: subscribers buy credits online that can be redeemed for workout classes. Each class is worth a specific number of credits, based on their instructor popularity and time, with more in-demand time slots costing more credits than less busy slots. Longer classes may also cost additional credits.

Classpass is available in 30,000 studios in more than 30 countries around the world, so while it’s not available everywhere, it’s becoming more widespread, especially in major urban areas. For those that don’t live in participating areas, Classpass recently announced that they are launching the in-home system Classpass Live, where subscribers will be able to workout live in their own homes with a heart rate monitor that pits them against other participants, so you can let your competitive side shine as you work hard to rank on the leaderboard.

Best Live: Tracy Anderson

While lucky residents of New York City, London, and Los Angeles are able to workout at a Tracy Anderson Method studio, the reality is that most of us aren’t able to get there. The best compromise: streaming the live classes online, so you can workout with the famous studio from the comfort of your living room.

There are three payment options offered: $90 monthly, $457 semiannual, or $808.50 for an annual subscription, so it’s definitely more expensive than some of the other at-home options on this list, but you’re really getting an in-studio experience for that price. You’ll get to sweat with both Tracy and her trainers, who are specially trained to teach the TA Method. There are two kinds of classes offered: a Muscular Structure Class and Dance Cardio options, so you’ll be getting both cardio and strength in one subscription.

Best Variety: Daily Burn

If you want the freedom to workout at home but don’t want your workouts to get repetitive, try a premium online streaming service like Daily Burn. Daily Burn offers a 30-day free trial, so you can get a feel for the classes and instructors before you make a financial commitment. The monthly price is not available on the website, however.

Daily Burn offers more than 1,000 classes ranging from options for beginners to advanced athletes, all taught by expert trainers. There are classes that are 10 minutes and ones that are an hour, so you can do a workout that’s perfect for your schedule.

Best with Community: Alo Moves

Alo Moves

If heading to a yoga class with a friend or team helps keep you on track to meet your practice goals, you’ll love the community support you get with Alo Moves. Through this app, you are given the opportunity to connect with encouraging coaches and other hardworking members, and take more than 2,500 diverse yoga classes of all styles and all difficulties. You can even take classes or practice yoga with any of your friends online.

At a price point of $20 per month, or $99 for the first year, it’s definitely one of the more reasonable at-home options on this list. Alo Moves' videos are compatible with a web browser, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Apple TV, so you can move freely from one device to another. You can also take the classes to go when you don’t have Wi-Fi. With Offline Access, you can take your devices on the move and practice when it works best for you.

Best for Cardio: Booya Fitness

If you love the high intensity of a large group cardio class but hate bumping elbows with the girl moving next to you, take the group experience to your living room with Booya Fitness. Classes offered include barre, pilates, cardio kickboxing, HIIT, sports conditioning, dance, yoga, body weight sculpting, boot camp, and even more. Even if that sounds like you’ll need like a lot of fancy equipment, Booya promises that 75 percent of their workouts can be completed with just a yoga mat.

Booya is also very selective with the music they play because they know a good song can make or break your cardio workout. Every workout is set to live streamed pop music to keep you upbeat and moving throughout the class.

Best for Meditation: Yoga Glo

A huge part of self-care and wellbeing revolves around mindfulness, and it’s important to set time aside to do some sort of inner workout in addition to working out your body. A meditation practice can feel super overwhelming at first, especially when you’re not sure at all where to begin. But on Yoga Glo, you can find videos that range from 5 to 120 minutes and that span all sorts of mindfulness and meditation, from incredibly slow to fast-paced vinyasa flows.

Yoga Glo also offers videos of lectures and workshops from teachers and yoga scholars, so you can round out your physical practice with learning about the origins of yoga.

Best for Cycling: Peloton

If you've ever been to a cycling class with loud music, motivational instructors, and immersive lighting, you know how intense and exciting cardio can be. Now, thanks to Peloton, that cycling class can come right into your home – along with one of the stationary bikes you'll need to do the pedaling. Peloton's service is based around live classes streamed out to anyone who has a bike, and they require the Peloton branded equipment to join in. There are new classes every day, and thousands of classes in the on-demand catalog to choose from.

Peloton doesn't just offer cycling classes, though. There is also a treadmill users can purchase for running- and walking-based classes, and a TV app for yoga and strength classes that requires no external equipment. Peloton's in-house equipment is top-of-the-line, meaning that it can run users upwards of $2,000, so be ready to invest in your home gym.

Best for a Time Crunch: Obé Fitness

If your daily planner is filled to the brim with meetings, and you've got no time for a workout, Obé Fitness's web and phone app will come in handy. Focusing on quick, 28-minute and 10-minute long classes that easily fit into any schedule, the workouts center themes of muscle definition, cardio, and flexibility. Sweat-themed classes include Cardio Boxing and HIIT, while Define-based classes include Pilates and Strength.

Tapping some of the best instructors in New York City to lead the classes, Obé Fitness encourages users to vary their classes throughout the week, offering all three types of classes daily. Classes typically start live streaming at 6 a.m. and end in the early afternoon, but guests can stream classes on-demand at any moment.

What Are Online Exercise Classes?

Online exercise classes are instructional workouts offered via livestream or on-demand that you can watch and follow along with at home. Taught by certified personal trainers and expert instructors, the classes may include yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, cardio kickboxing, HIIT, boot camp, strengthening, and more.

Some classes are geared toward beginners, while others are intended for more advanced fitness enthusiasts. Online exercise classes offer the convenience of working out whenever and wherever you want. Instead of relying on a limited schedule of classes at a gym or studio, you have the flexibility to choose what you want to do at times that work best for you.

How Much Do Online Exercise Classes Cost?

Some online exercise classes are free, but others require a paid subscription for access. Most memberships range from approximately $10 to $30 per month, with discounts available for longer subscriptions. Prices vary based on the number of classes offered, quality of instructors and workouts, and level of instruction. Most services offer a free trial or let you download classes for a small fee to try out the membership before committing to it.

What Should I Wear for an Online Exercise Class?

Workout clothing should be comfortable and allow for a full range of motion. Stick to breathable, wicking fabrics to stay dry and avoid chafing. On your feet, wear athletic shoes that provide support and traction. Women should wear a supportive sports bra.

What Equipment Do I Need for an Online Exercise Class?

Many online exercise classes don’t require any special equipment, other than a device such as a tablet or a computer that can stream the class. Some classes may suggest using a yoga mat for floor exercises or light handheld weights or resistance bands for strengthening, but they’re usually not necessary to complete the exercises.

If you regularly do online exercise classes at home, you may want to get some basic equipment such as dumbbells or a medicine ball to boost your workout intensity and calorie burn. Of course, certain types of classes do require equipment, which can sometimes be pricey. For example, to take online cycling classes, you’ll need to invest in a stationary bike.

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