Is DailyBurn 365 worth it?

Maybe you’ve seen the ads online or on TV for DailyBurn 365. I got an email about it (and a promo code!) so I decided to check it out. If you’re interested in fitness but don’t have access to a gym (hello, every freelancer ever) you may want to read this post!

I wrote about the “regular” DailyBurn in The Healthy Freelancer, but at the time we went to press the 365 product hadn’t been launched yet. So here’s a little bonus primer for everyone.

What is DailyBurn 365?
DailyBurn 365 is a website that live-streams a new 30-minute workout every day. You can only do that day’s workout on the day of; it vanishes the next day to be replaced by another.

The workouts are different every day but mostly are aimed at beginners or moderately fit people. For example, you’ll do burpees, but the instructor will always give a modification for people who can’t do them.

Of the workouts I’ve tried, none have required any equipment except an optional yoga mat.

Since my home office is nowhere near a gym, I’m always looking for ways to stay fit that don’t involve the gym–but I get bored of jogging pretty quickly. Enter streaming exercise videos.

What’s different about DailyBurn 365?
Because the workouts are live-streamed, if you get online at 9 am (Eastern) sharp you can actually watch as they’re taped, and interact with the teachers and hosts through a live chat. (Despite working from home, I have yet to actually succeed in doing this–mostly because I prefer working out in the afternoon. But it seems like it would be a really cool feature!) Also, because the workout is literally different every day, it’s not like your standard workout video program, where by Week 3, you’ve memorized all of the host’s jokes.

Why not just watch videos on Youtube?
There are some amazing fitness videos on Youtube. I’ve written about a bunch of them in The Healthy Freelancer and also on this site. But for every great video on Youtube, there are a half dozen duds. Sometimes I go back to my favorites on Youtube–but sometimes I want something new, and I’m not sure if I want to take the risk that the video that looked great in the thumbnail is actually way too easy, boring, poorly lit, or just has really inconveniently placed commercial breaks.

DailyBurn 365 does cost money: $12.95 per month. That also includes access to DailyBurn’s “regular” streaming exercise videos (i.e. pre-recorded ones that don’t update every day). Compared to the gym, that’s a pretty good deal, but as always, you have to weigh the cost against whether you’ll actually use it. You do get a 30-day free trial if you haven’t used it before, so if you’re curious about the program, give it a shot and let me know what you think. I’ll be sweating along with you.


At-home workout: exercise like a figure skater

Well, this is something new.

Have you ever wished you could work out like a figure skater? OK, I admit it’s not the top thing that comes to mind, but then again, those sparkly outfits…

Competitive figure skater Sofie Barnova has a Youtube channel shares her workouts–a mixture of Pilates, core, and ballet–for free, as well as sharing tips for improving your figure skating. (I could use some tips for not falling down, but that’s another story.)


I tried the Total Ballet Body Workout earlier this week and I’m still sore! The comments on the video indicate that I’m not the only one. Check that video out above, or visit the entire channel here.