One of the few silver linings to be had with the new circuit breaker measures is that we’re spending more time at home — and more free time on our hands means more time to work out.
Bring the gym to your living room with these 6 different fitness streams. We promise it’ll be fun.
01 | Evolve MMA
Whether you’ve always wanted to try martial arts or if you’re an adrenaline junkie that’s itching to hit the gym, Evolve MMA will give you your fix. They host several hour-long fitness livestreams on their Facebook and YouTube page every day, with each video dedicated to a different martial art: Muay Thai, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts… they’ve got you covered.
They’ve also posted up a daily schedule on their Facebook page showing what classes they’ll be doing, and when, so you can plan your workouts around them.
The great thing about these livestreams is that they’re interactive, so if you have any questions about what’s been taught during the lesson, you can always comment and ask.
02 | BalletBody
Just because you aren’t in the studio doesn’t mean you have to give up on barre classes. All you’ll need is a space with a smooth floor and a makeshift barre (which can come in the form of a sturdy chair, tabletop, or even an ironing board) — and, of course, online classes from BalletBody.
The studio — which was set up by former ballerinas from the Singapore Dance Theatre — now offers online classes that include BalletBody Basics, BalletBody Classic and BalletBody Stretch. Just purchase a single class or a pack, and you’ll be invited to a private Zoom meeting with your virtual classmates and an instructor.
03 | Barry’s Bootcamp
Disappointed that you can’t visit the vaunted Red Room for your sweat sesh? Not to worry, because Barry’s Bootcamp is bringing their legendary workouts to your nearest IG-compatible screen. The Barry’s At Home series does exactly what it says on the tin: they bring the Red Room to your living room.
Right now, just every outpost of Barry’s around the world is offering live classes on their Instagram at set times, with the Singaporean branch of Barry’s set to announce their schedule soon. Barry’s United Arab Emirates’ branch has a schedule that’s closest to Singapore’s timezone, with workouts everyday at 2 pm. For the early birds, the Australian outpost of Barry’s offers live training sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am on their Instagram.
And judging by the legion of Instagrammers tagging Barry’s Bootcamp in their satisfied (and sweaty) post-workout selfies, we’d say that their digital sessions are just as rewarding as those IRL.
04 | FitOn
There are yoga classes, and then there are yoga classes held by Jonathan van Ness, Queer Eye’s indomitably pepper and sunny grooming specialist. He recently hosted a 5-part yoga series on fitness app FitOn, where he guides yogis through various lessons that range from beginner’s yoga, a heart-opening flow (as part of that lesson, van Ness gives you a heartening pep talk that’ll make you feel like a Queer Eye contestant), and a ‘get up and dance’ lesson. The app (and van Ness’ lessons) are all free to watch.
He’s probably the only person in the world who’ll describe a hamstring stretch as ‘gorgeous’, and honestly, our workouts are better for it.
05 | Joe Wicks, @TheBodyCoach
This one’s for the kids — or those looking for a comforting dose of nostalgia. If you’re stuck at home with rambunctious kids, there’s no better way to burn off energy than with a good P.E. session. He uploads daily P.E. lessons on his YouTube channel, and powers through each of the 30-minute sessions with a chipper smile and Energizer Bunny-like energy.
He even has a variety of workouts for adults, too: there are chair exercises for people who want to get fit between #WFH sessions, and full-body workouts for seniors.
Beyond just exercise, Wicks also assigns ‘P.E. homework’ for the little ones that range from designing their own workouts to written reflections on how they feel after exercise. Now that’s what we call a rounded education.
06 | Zouk
Alright, hear us out: you, your home gym, and a livestream of music straight from Zouk. The club organises weekly ‘Cloud Clubbing’ sessions that take place every Friday, which are streamed from 9 pm till late on Bigo Live. The stream is held in collaboration with Razer, and can be found on their Bigo Live page.
Whether you want to do burpees all night long or bust out your Mambo moves, it doesn’t matter — nobody will judge. Take all the reps you’ve learnt from your other training sessions, mix them in with some dance moves, and you’ve got the recipe for a wildly fun workout. Cover charge isn’t inclusive of drinks, though, so you’ll have to bring your own.
If you’re so inclined, you can even send ‘virtual gifts’ via the app, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the government’s efforts to combat the disease. Clubbing and charity — what’s not to like?