5 Workout Apps That Help You Save Money
By: Renae Bieder
Renae is a fellow personal finance nerd and debt freedom enthusiast. Much of her debt freedom and ability to afford the things she loves has come from being clever, mindful, and intentional about her spending.
I used to go to the gym right after I finished work for the day, but when I arrived there were many hurdles to jump over before I could actually start my workout. For one, the parking lot was always packed, and I would circle around endlessly looking for a spot. Or even worse, I’d pull the car over and shamefully wait to stalk a gym-goer as they left, so I could take their parking spot.
Then there was the cold sprint in winter from the car to the door. And once I got inside, I might still have to wait in line for the equipment that I wanted.
All this for the price of $60 a month!
When my husband and I first started dating, he was perplexed as to why I would spend $60 a month – and, collectively, hours searching for parking – when I could just put on my sneakers and go for a run.
So, I tried it his way. I went running with him. And, ummm….no. I am no runner.
But he had a point about working out at home. While paying down debt and saving money, it was counterproductive to pay for an expensive gym membership.
So I looked into workout apps that require little to no equipment, which is a money-saver in and of itself. I found a variety of low-cost or free options for exercising from home. The best part (after saving money) is that sometimes I workout in my pajamas because I’m in my own basement!
Here are 5 exercise apps I’ve tried, broken down by cost and my main takeaways from each:
1. Sweat
Cost: $19.99 for the monthly plan or $119.94 for the yearly plan
Takeaway:
The Sweat app was created by Australian trainer, Kayla Itsines. It has something for everyone – HIIT workouts, weight training, yoga, barre, boxing, pilates, and even powerlifting.
You can search for workouts in categories such as express (short duration), stress relief, challenges, or the area you want to target (like shoulders or abs).
Even more impressive is that they’ve made a marked attempt at diversity for the app’s users. There are trainers of different body types, races, and nationalities. They offer low intensity programs as well as multiple programs for pregnancy and postpartum.
This is, by far, my favorite exercise app. I sometimes venture out and try others, but I always come back to the Sweat app.
2. Nike Training Club
Cost: FREE
Takeaway:
Obviously, a huge perk of this app is that you can’t beat the cost!
It also has a variety of workouts that are organized into different categories like muscle group, workout focus, or available equipment. You can choose a trainer-led class or a livestream.
I also like that they have a collection of quick workouts if you are short on time.
3. Nike Running Club
Cost: FREE
Takeaway:
The Nike Running Club has some great features. It will track your run, store your results so you can compare it to your next run, and even has guided runs! A feature I love is that it has guided run programs for 5k and 10k training.
However, as I said earlier, I’m no runner. So, my use of the app goes in cycles…something like this:
Phase 1 – Notice how fit runners are.
Phase 2 – Think to myself, “I could do that!”
Phase 3 – Use Nike Running Club to go on 2-3 runs.
Phase 4 – Feel like I’m going to die during these runs. 🥵
Phase 5 – Abandon any notion of running, but keep the app on my phone just in case I change my mind someday.
Then, sure enough, back to phase 1, and the cycle repeats.
4. FitOn
Cost: FREE
Takeaway:
FitOn was started by Halle Berry and has one feature that I LOVE. It creates a program for you composed of all different styles of workouts. I get bored easily. I often find myself in the Sweat app searching for a different workout because I’ve lost interest in the program I chose. Barre four times a week is just too much for me.
But FitOn switches it up. The workouts in my program this week consisted of yoga, sculpting, pilates and HIIT. I don’t find it as user-friendly as Sweat and there are pop-ups, but, I mean...it is free!
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5. Beachbody
Cost: $59 for 3 months, $77 for semi-annual, or $99 yearly
Takeaway:
I switched over to using Beachbody when I felt myself in a rut. I joined hesitantly because it’s a Multi-Level Marketing company. I expected to be pressured into buying or selling things that I didn’t want. Fortunately, I wasn’t.
I found that the nutrition section was very helpful in my quest to lose weight.
However, the workout videos were not for me. There’s an instructor at the front of the room and a group of people completing the workout with him or her. There’s some over-acting and people yelling out things like, “I can really feel the burn!!” When using the app, I purposely put on my bluetooth headphones so that other people in my house couldn’t hear. 😅
My last workout using Beachbody was a barre fusion one. At one point, the very perky instructor announced, “We’re gonna have a booty party!” I knew then that I wasn’t going to use the app again. This booty party was over.
It wasn’t my thing. But by all means, if this sounds motivating or entertaining to you, give Beachbody a shot!
Conclusion
I work out most days. It’s one thing I do (mostly) consistently. However, paying for a gym membership wasn’t the best use of my money when I had debt to pay off and savings to build up. Luckily, I found so many options for at-home workout apps that a gym membership really wasn’t necessary.
When choosing an at-home exercise app, know what’s important to you. Are you a runner? Do you prefer a large variety of programs? Do you need quick workouts? Whatever your fitness preferences, a cheaper alternative to the gym is out there. Hopefully, the apps I discussed will help you find what works for you and help you save money too!
What do you think of these workout apps? Have you tried any others that help save money? Share in the comments below!
