It's becoming clear that a cornerstone of great health and stronger immunity is through the right food and nutrition which helps nourish your gut microbiome, as well as your human cells, right down to the mitochondrial and molecular levels. People are becoming more conscious of this relationship. But, lesser-known is that your gut and your cellular health also play a fundamental role in fitness. This interconnected system does more than simply breaking down nutrients. It produces hormones like testosterone and estrogen, and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Your cellular and mitochondrial health also influence inflammation levels, energy production, and your body’s ability to care and repair for itself. All of this is important to athletic performance.
It's important to note that this is a two-way street. Gut health impacts athletic performance, and conversely activity impacts the health of your gut and your cells. You can read more on that in our article on fitness and the microbiome.
When it comes to physical activity at home to support their microbiomes, many feel at a loss for options. Viome’s mission is to help you understand what your body uniquely needs to be healthy, and to provide the necessary tools so that you can experience proven health improvements.
In order to help you with next-level home fitness tips from people who really know, we reached out to our top fitness ambassadors and athletes for their favorite ways to build strength, sweat, and stretch at home.
Our Top 10 At-Home Workouts:
The Sweat Series: IG Live Class schedule
What is it? The Sweat Series is the channel guide to all live, free fitness classes on Instagram. Every night at 7:30ET the full list is posted in the IG Story. Everything from Tabatha to Barry's Bootcamp is there.
Who's it for? The variety seekers. This has options for everyone to get your heart going.
This was recommended by a former Division 1 (D1) women's lacrosse player. She uses this to source workouts that will push her, and also fit into her schedule. She loves the options to vary her workouts each week and gain access to classes she would normally have to pay for.
Yoga By Candace
What is it? Just as it sounds, free yoga videos on Youtube for every level of practice.
Who's it for? Those who've always wanted to try yoga, improve their flexibility, and feel better, but who were too busy or self-conscious to join a group class.
Recommended by two separate ambassadors. This was their gateway drug into yoga. Simple, and accessible in the privacy of your own home.
Mobility WOD: Kelly Starett
What is it? Video coaching for stretching and functional movement. Kelly is the gold standard coach for functional mobility. He works with elite professional athletes and Hollywood A-listers to improve their flexibility, mobility, and strength.
Who's it for? Athletes who have always wanted to improve their functional mobility, resolve chronic back or join pain, or who simply want to move better so they can get stronger in their other training. Kelly will walk you step by step through the movements and stretches - how it should look and feel, so you know you're doing it right. Previously his methods were inaccessible to the general public but with two options, "Live Ready" or his free Mobility WOD video's on youtube, you can benefit from his expertise.
Nike Living Room Cup
What is it? Each week a Nike feature athlete posts a short workout and challenge you to beat their score. The first post was Cristiano Ronaldo completing a 30-second ab exercise.
Who's it for? Those who want something fun to mix into their current regiment.
Official Thenx
with Chris Heria
What is it? Official Thenx videos are short, at-home workouts that will challenge the strength of elite athletes despite not using weights.
Who's it for? Elite strength athletes accustomed to spending 60-90 minutes in a traditional gym but who are now at home with limited or no tools.
Recommended by a former Army Ranger and West Point graduate. "I was wary at how little time it took, but I was smoked. Super sore the next day."
Home Workouts 4 U: Chalene Johnson
What is it? Instagram channel that features dozens of great at-home workouts for core, strength, and functional movement. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space or equipment to do these workouts.
Who's it for? Females looking for functional, core, and strength workouts. Chalene is the queen of at-home workout regiments and now you get access to her for free.
Ryan Fischer at-home workouts
What is it? At-home functional fitness workouts. Includes a variety of movements to mix things up and challenge your strength and cardio.
Who's it for? Those who are already fit and need a daily full-body sweat that will challenge their muscles, cardio, and athleticism.
Recommended by former D1 soccer player and former Jr. National Team player.
Ben Greenfield: Ben’s Latest 30-40 minute Full Body Massage Routine
What is it? Instagram story series reviewing everything from how to get smarter, sleep better, build muscle, burn fat, fix your gut, have mind-blowing sex, defy aging, and much more. Ben is a fitness and wellness guru who's following includes top athletes and business leaders, including Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey, who want to optimize every aspect of their biology.
Who's it for? Everyone looking to upgrade your brain, optimize your body, and defy aging.
Peloton App
What is it? More than just bike workouts. The app includes floor workouts, yoga, and strength training classes with the same high quality and intensity you'd expect from Peloton.
Who's it for? While Peloton bikes are normally a fairly high-priced item, right now the Peloton app is free for your first 90 days. For those who want a killer workout that utilizes the best aspects of modern technology, and to experience what all the Peloton hype is about, check out this offer.
Personal, at-home Coaching: Dr. Anthony Aamodt
What is it? Personalized telehealth coaching, specializing in bodyweight, kettlebell, and barbell techniques.
Who's it for? Highly serious athletes who want one-on-one coaching to rebuild or improve strength and mobility, or alleviate back or joint problems.
Recommended by jiu-jitsu blackbelt and elite kettlebell strength experts, Anthony is the coaches coach. Anthony refuses to post online videos as they don't provide the option for instant form correction. He only works with people in person to ensure proper form and fast progression.
Coming Full Circle: Precision Nutrition to Optimize Fitness and Your Gut
While fitness is critical for both gut and overall health, you can't outrun a poor diet. That's because optimizing your health requires a multifaceted approach. As you explore the above fitness options, nutritional support becomes even more important for optimizing workouts and fueling recovery. Viome provides three key benefits for optimizing your nutrition and overall health.
First, Viome’s Health Intelligence™ service provides dynamic health measurements to help you understand what is currently happening inside the ecosystem of your body right now. By assessing how your microbial, human, and mitochondrial genes are being expressed (RNA), we can help you see what you might think of as a digital snapshot of your health right now. You will receive over 30 specific health scores to improve and understand the most important areas to focus on. Stop guessing and start quantifying!
Once you have your baseline, Viome equips you with precision nutrition designed to meet your specific health goals. This includes wellness tips and eating recommendations that can help you improve performance and optimize recovery for your body. You’ll also learn which foods could be slowing you down on your minimize/avoid lists, as well as specific supplements which can help modulate your microbial and cellular activity.
Remember, your body knows what it needs. We’re just here to translate that secret language into actionable information you can use to optimize your health. Customers who have followed their Viome recommendations have reported sustainable, natural progress and benefits over time like more energy, weight management, improved sleep, reduced stress, and boosted immunity.
To learn more about Viome’s NEW Health Intelligence service, which builds on our award-winning gut Intelligence test and shows your humans cells and mitochondrial health, visit www.viome.com
Originally published 4-22-20
Updated 7-8-20
The information on the Viome website is provided for informational purposes only and with the understanding that Viome is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. Viome is providing this educational information to share the exciting developments being reported in the scientific literature about the human microbiome and your health. Viome products are not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.