• Individual Apna Wellness Coach workouts are sorted by type and focus as well as difficulty. Use the filter at the top of the workouts’ page:.

Select workouts for “high burn” or “HIIT” to get workouts more suitable for weight loss, slimming down and toning up.

Strength / ToneSelect “strength / tone” option to get workouts more suitable for muscle building and muscle definition.

Most of Apna Wellness Coach routines are full-body workouts and already have ab exercises included but if you want to get additional midsection definition, use the filter and select workouts for “abs / core” and include them into your training as extra or in between workouts during the week.

All Apna Wellness Coach workouts are designed for all genders, regardless of illustrations. There is no difference in difficulty or approach in routines with different illustrations in them.

Workout posters are read from left to right and contain the following information: grid with exercises (images), number of reps (repetitions) next to each, number of sets for your fitness level (I, II or III) and rest time. Exercise are dynamic moves e.g. jumping jacks and squats, you can find a how-to video for most of them in our video exercise library.

Exercises that only show a single exercise e.g. planks and wall sits which you hold to a count (count to ten, for example) or for a given amount of time.

To stay safe and get the most out of your workout you must always include a pre-workout warm-up before you begin and then finish with a cool down to get your body back into gear.

• The difference between warm-ups and stretching.

During a workout we can all go from zero to hero and push hard but the safe way to train is to bring the body’s temperature up slowly and loosen up the muscles before we get to do anything serious. That’s what warm-ups are designed to do. Stretching, on the other hand, is done in order to improve overall flexibility. Once muscles have worked they are at their most compliant state and they let us stretch further than we normally would gaining more ground while we are at it.

Timing: We start with a warmup and then we finish our training session with a cool-down and some stretching.

Warmups are critical to a better performance and fewer injuries but stretching is somewhat of an optional extra - we can do it, we should do it but not doing it will not cause any issues, most times. It is highly recommended nonetheless.

Important difference: warm-ups should always be dynamic, always use active exercises (e.g., hops, rotations, chest expansions) to get our bodies ready. We need to get the blood flowing, especially during colder seasons. Our bodies benefit from stretches after we have already worked out - our muscles are more susceptible to them allowing us to stretch further and hold the stretches longer.

• Warm-Ups.

Most warmups don’t take very long, just two-three minutes, five minutes tops. To benefit us the most a warm-up should work the same muscles we will be engaging during the main workout - they should include lighter exercises or a toned down version of the training ahead.

Examples

• If you are a runner, your best warm-up is a light jog.
• If you are doing martial arts training a warm-up should also include a few light kicks and punches. 
• If you are doing bodyweight workouts basic body (neck, arms, torso, legs) rotations will get your blood flowing. 
• If you are about to lift weights, do a few lifts with very light weights.

Tip: If you are short on time and you are doing a bodyweight workout, you can forgo a specific warm-up and do the first set of the circuit moving at a slower pace, jumping lower and moving slower in general turning the first set into a warm-up.

The temperature of when and where you workout plays a difference. In winter our body keeps most of the blood flow away from our extremities so warming up will take longer. In summer with higher ambient temperatures, the body is already half-warmed up and our muscles are loose. Many Olympic athletes tend to ‘chase the sun’ for that reason training in Australia and California so they spend all year in a summer environment.

• Cool-Downs.

Cool downs are a natural end to any session but it doesn’t have to be stretching at all. It can be anything from yoga to meditation to a jog or a walk. Cool-downs are designed to get us back into normal pace gradually and give us time to recover. Unlike warm-ups they are not absolutely necessary but they do help.

Although cool-downs don’t have to include stretching, it is the smart thing to do. You benefit the most from stretching exercises when you have already exercised for a prolonged period of time - that’s when your muscles are ready for it the most.

• Stretching.

Everyone can get flexible if they work at it. Some people have a natural gift for flexibility others have to struggle to gain every little bit but everyone can get there. It takes persistence and regular training and the muscles adapt and respond.

The best time to stretch is post-workout when our muscles are completely relaxed, thoroughly warmed up and capable of giving us the most stretch, easiest. When muscles are really well warmed up they exhibit a high degree of plasticity. That means that not only do they stretch but after stretching and cooling down they maintain an increased range of movement and display greater flexibility.

This is the reason why everyone should stretch: range of movement. Whether you are a boxer or a ballet dancer your sport will necessitate your muscles performing by working through a range of motion. Muscles that are tight and constricted tend to work against each other to perform the move. That means that energy which should be used in the move itself is actually soaked up by fighting against the muscles themselves and the supporting muscle groups. This leeches away power.

At Apna Wellness Coach we aim to give you as much choice as possible when it comes to fitness. We believe that enjoying your training and having variety as well as accessibility is key to any successful fitness journey. You have to find something you can look forward to doing every single day so you are able to stick to it, indefinitely. It’s not just about training hard, it’s about having a sustainable long-term plan so results you get become permanent results. Establishing a positive relationship with fitness is crucial here.

We recommend that you look over all of the programs available (unless you decide to follow a training plan from here) and pick a program you feel you will enjoy doing. Each program has a unique attribute, focus and complexity (you can adjust difficulty as you go). Which one you pick is really up to you but it should be something you are able to follow through to form a habit and stick with for long enough to see results. We have all types of programs from classic routines to RPG with interactive storylines. Most of everything you see at Apna Wellness Coach is bodyweight no-equipment based and absolutely everything is completely free to access and download.

• What is casual training?

Any type of exercise you can do throughout the day like training by numbers, jogging, sports and other daily activities all fall under “casual training” (a few examples here). By continuing to exercise but at a lower rate you will recover faster and keep the momentum going allowing you to stay on track and, eventually, make exercise a habit. It is a great way to stay active and get enough rest at the same time - unless of course you are too sore to move, then you need actual rest.

Aim to perform each workout at 100%, whatever that might be on the day. The only time you will see results is when you challenge yourself. If you feel like your workout is too easy or it is not pushing you enough and you still have energy left, up the difficulty by increasing the level or reducing the rest time between the sets.

Begin each workout with a warmup and take advantage of the activation of your body and do a post-workout stretch. Use the workout database and filter for “Stretching” to find appropriate routines to finish your workout with.

Every time you do something physical your body changes. As a matter of fact it changes even when you don’t do anything physical which is the problem. Your body is an adaptive machine that’s in constant dialogue with its environment.

Sit in a chair for eight hours a day doing nothing more strenuous than pushing a mouse around and this is what happens: your muscles begin to weaken, your metabolic system slows down. Your body stockpiles calories in the form of excess weight “just in case you need fuel in the future”, your aerobic and cardiovascular systems remain unchallenged and begin to degrade - your body thinks they are not really that necessary to keep at peak any more.

As an adaptive machine your body does all this because it thinks you no longer need to swing a club or outrun saber-tooth tigers therefore it sheds all the excess high-maintenance abilities it has (muscle, finely-tuned cardiovascular and aerobic functions). Conversely, should it be physically challenged it also adapts which means that even small doses of daily exercise are enough to begin to make it change.

Micro training sessions during the day add up, everything you do will count so even on days when you don’t really have time to exercise you can do an hour’s worth of training in total, letting your muscles recover while still continuing to train them. You can do a few exercises here and there, do something every hour, go for an extra brisk walk and by the end of the day you would have done more than if you put in an hour’s worth of exercise in one go. It’s easier to fit into your day and it’s easier on you load-wise plus it keeps you working and keeps you active. That’s what casual training is.

There are several ways to casually train throughout the day. Pick one or several and stick to it.

• Training by numbers.

In the beginning of the day, write down a total number of reps of several exercises you want to complete by the time the day is up. It can be 100, 200, 300 or 400 of everything – sit-ups, push-ups, squats and lunges. Every time you take a break or feel yourself slowing down at work do a set of each and subtract it from the total. Continue until you have reached the number and you now have zero reps left to do.

Sample lists:

Strength List: 200 squats, 200 sit-ups, 50 push-ups
Cardio List: 400 high knees, 400 jumping jacks, 80 burpees
Fighter List: 1000 punches, 600 side kicks, 600 turning kicks

Complete throughout the day in manageable sets. As you get stronger, slowly increase your total numbers from day to day.

• Hourly drills.

Pick one of the drills:

1 1 minute of jumping jacks

2 60 high knees (30 each leg)

3 20 burpees

4 40 punches + 1 push-up | 3 sets back to back

5 100 side leg raises (50 each leg)

Set a timer to remind you to do the drill every hour. The moment you see or hear the reminder, perform the drills. You should be out of breath by the end of it – then get back to whatever you were doing. This way you’ll stay active all day long and by the end of your working day you’ll have done hundreds of reps during your micro HIIT drills.

• Training by Numbers.

If you are busy or simply don’t have a solid 30-40 minutes to put into working out training by numbers is the perfect solution. The rules are simple: you just need to get the numbers in by the end of the day.

There are several methods to work out this way but all of them start with a list. Write down a list of exercises with a challenging number of reps next to each, the number you want to do by the time the day is over. Don’t write too few, after all you are spreading the load so it’s greater numbers you are after here, but don’t write unrealistic numbers either.

It doesn’t matter if you write it on a piece of paper or if it’s a digital list, as long as you are reminded about it every now and then. You don’t want to forget about it and then end up with a whole list still undone by the end of the day – it defeats its purpose. If you use an app see if you can set up an hourly reminder so you can see if you can get some of the numbers in – it’ll also help you stay active throughout the day if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Examples of what your list can contain: mountain climbers, squats, push ups, pull ups, jumping lunges & forward lunges, burpees, high knees (running in place), push-ups, leg raises, crunches & sit ups.

So, for example your list can look like this:

Squats: 200
Forward lunges: 200
Crunches: 200
Push-ups: 50

If you have home equipment like weights of a sandbag or something you can use in the office, add that in as well.

Now, if you want to add a level of difficulty to it, set a number of reps for each. So your list will look like this, for example:

100 Squats: 20 20 20 20 20
100 Forward lunges: 20 20 20 20 20
200 Crunches: 50 50 50 50
50 Push-ups: 10 10 10 10 10

It also makes it easier to cross things out, when you do a set.

So, you can either do one at a time or you can or do it in sets. For example, just do 20 squats and cross them out, then after a while move on to the next number. Or do one set of each: 20 squats, 20 lunges, 50 crunches and 10 push-ups. Cross them out.

It’s easy to maintain since all you do is cross things out but you end up with a lot more exercise done by the day’s end than you would otherwise because of a busy schedule. Then, you also get used to daily exercise and eventually it becomes a habit, you do more and want to do more each day. Start small and see where it takes you. With training by numbers you will end up doing thousands of squats and crunches every week and it all counts.

If you are recovering from an injury, have a mild disability that prevents you from doing certain moves, have bad knees or are suffering from back pain and you want to avoid high impact exercises but you still want to stay active and try some of the workouts from this website, try these modifications.

The modifications will also be suitable if you are trying to keep the noise you make to a minimum – it’s handy if you live in an apartment and your neighbours are … not very understanding people.

• Reduce the pressure you put on your knees by replacing high knees with march steps and jumping jacks with step jacks:
  
  
  
• Reduce the pressure put on your knees by replacing squats with wall squats and jump squats with floor taps:
  
  
  
• Take the pressure off your shoulders and upper body during push-ups by replacing them with knee push-ups, wall push-ups or incline push-ups:
  
  
  
• Replace mountain climbers with cross climbers or towel sliding climbers to reduce noise and the pressure you put on your knees:
  
  
  
• Use a sofa to elevate your static and/or dynamic planks if you find them too hard or if you struggle with a lot of extra weight.
  
  
  
• Add Equipment
  
  
  
• Add sandbag to: squats, lunges and push-ups
  
  
  
• Replace bicep extensions with dumbbell curls or resistant band curls:
  
  
  
• Add ankle and wrist weights for additional difficulty
  
  Ankle weights are best for: flutter kicks, side leg raises, slow climbers, leg raises, kicks
  Wrist weights are best for: punching, raised arm circles, punches and overhead punches