Due to the coronavirus outbreak, health clubs, gyms and dance and yoga studios across the country are shuttered indefinitely. So in these challenging and uncertain times, we have to find creative ways to get moving and stay in shape while we’re hunkering down and sheltering in place.
In the quest to stay active, I recently took an energetic live dance class taught by acclaimed actress, dancer, choreographer and Grey’s Anatomy Executive Producer Debbie Allen on Instagram, along with more than 30,000 fellow dance enthusiasts and fans of the Fame star. Energized, I went looking for more fun at-home fitness sessions to nurture my mind, body and spirit during these stressful times and connect me with a virtual community of sisters seeking the same. Classes are on Instagram unless otherwise noted.
1. Allen’s virtual dance class will be an ongoing offering along with classes taught by dance instructors from her Debbie Allen Dance Academy. (@therealdebbieallen and @officialdadance)
2. Naomi Campbell (@naomi) and her trainer Joe Holder (@ochosystem) offer a free daily Instagram Live workout.
3. Afropunk hosts a free twerk yoga party. (@afropunk)
4. Essence is streaming free Caribbean “whine” workouts and wellness classes. (@essence, #EssenceWellnessHouse)
5. Color of Change hosts free dance parties led by female DJs. (@colorofchange, #setitoff Saturday Brunch)
6. Jeanine T. Abraham offers donation-based JourneyDance™ Transformational Dance Movement Flow exercises. Check website for times. (@jeaninetyree)
7. Audrey Cash, aka “twerk yoga queen,” hosts Instagram Live meditation and prayer sessions, Monday-Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, and leads yoga and other wellness classes. (@afropunk and @level3yoga)
8. Brenda Green, founder of Fit4abetterme offers classes taught by women of color for women. Virtual Zumba, yoga and strength classes are $5 per class. For unlimited virtual classes, you can also opt for a $34.99 monthly membership. (fit4abetterme.com)
9. Down Dog features apps such as Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre and 7 Minute Workout. If you’re a health care professional, they offer you free access to the apps listed here until July 1. Visit downdogapp.com/healthcare to register your work health care domain. (downdogapp.com)
10. Briana Jessica has taken her intense barre workout to Instagram Live to keep in touch with her students, fitness community and new followers. And all you need is willpower and a chair. (@barre_bri)
11. Beatrice Capote, a member of the Camille A. Brown and Dancers troupe and an instructor with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, offers warm-up sessions using her own technique. Contempo Class: Capotechnique exercises, livestream most mornings at 9:30 a.m. on Instagram Live. (@b__capote)
12. HealHaus, cofounded by Elisa Shankle in Brooklyn is currently offering daily or monthly access to both livestream yoga and meditation classes with its practitioners via Zoom. An HH Live monthly membership is $30 a month and HH Live drop-in classes are $10 per class. Free unlimited streaming is available for existing members (healhaus.com). HealHaus also partners with Everyday People for free community sessions via Instagram Live. (@everydayppl)
13. Dianne Bondy, author of Yoga for Everyone: 50 Poses for Every Type of Body, offers a free two-week trial ($14.99 a month after the free trial) of yoga classes (yogaforeveryone.tv). And you can access Bondy’s Yoga For Everyone 21-Day Accessible Yoga Challenge for free on YouTube.
14. African & Diaspora Dance Facebook group is the group to join if you’re looking for virtual African and Latin dance classes. (facebook.com/groups/1879922782239392/)
15. Planet Fitness provides free home work-ins for anyone and everyone via live sessions and videos featuring Planet Fitness trainers and surprise celebrity guests. (planetfitness.com/united-we-move)
16. YMCA 360, the YMCA’s free on-demand site allows you take everything from weight training and boot camp classes to tai chi and low-impact programs for seniors. (ymca360.org)
17. Nike Training Club (NTC) provides free workouts designed by Nike trainers, including bodyweight-only sessions, invigorating yoga classes, targeted training programs and full-equipment home workouts for all fitness levels. Just visit the app store to download the app for your iOS or Android device.
18. Peloton offers a free 90-day trial of its app. You don’t need a fancy Peloton bike. You can use your own stationary bike or treadmill along with the Peloton app. You'll receive a reminder before the trial period ends, and the app also offers a mix of yoga, meditation, strength training, cycling, running and more. (onepeloton.com/app)
Stephanie Rausser/Gallery Stock
