I have been exercising regularly since I was a teenager back in the early 2000s, even though back then the only knowledge I had was a VHS yoga tape I found at the thrift store, magazines like Shape or Women’s Health that had written workouts, and The Firm workouts from the 80s and 90s.
Fast forward to now, I have tested so many fitness apps and workouts that I can’t even remember them all. During that journey though, I have come across trainers that are SO GOOD that I have to keep going back to try them when they release a new class or program.
Currently I have four favorites that I want to share. These trainers are all women’s fitness focused, they have their own styles that set them apart and they are all SO GOOD.
Move 365 by Steph Derby
First up, we have Move 365 from Stephanie Derby who’s website is https://www.stephderby.com and she has not only been a trainer for over a decade, she also has been certified at NASM, NPTI (National Personal Training Institute) and earned a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. Stephanie also has specialized certifications like TRX and Precision Nutrition.
I love Stephanie’s workouts because they make you feel like an athlete, and they aren’t specifically focused on growing your glutes like many female focused programs that you see now, but instead give a you a fit and lean physique. She uses equipment like slam balls, stability balls, dumbbells and gym equipment depending on which program you choose.
On her app you will find a monthly program, which has a 30 minute or a 45 minute version for you to choose from, or you can pick one of her other programs. She also has a targeted finisher, a 5 minute workout called ” The Daily 5″, an inspirational quote each day to help keep you motivated and more.
She offers a challenge each month as well, such as the one this month called “Jump Strong”, which is a 10 minute HIIT workout that includes the use of a jump rope to help build cardiovascular health, and bone density.
On top of all this, you can actually reach out to her in the community section of her app and she will respond to you personally, or on social media! It’s really just like having a personal trainer in your pocket.
I have been using Move365 for over a year and I can attest to how fun AND effective it is. I have talked about this app on my YouTube channel many times awe so you can see clips of the type of classes you can expect on there as well.
Cost: $19.99/ month, or $169.99/ year
Prana With Love
This app is a gem, and it’s so unique and full of amazing content. I discovered Prana App last year when I was studying Ayurveda and I fell in love with it. Along with the fitness aspect, Monica shares her expert knowledge of Ayurveda with programs for each Dosha, meal plans that are specific to your dosha, rituals, meditations, and tips to improve your health using Ayurveda.
Monica is a certified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant from the American Institute of Vedic Studies, ISSA certified personal trainer, as well as studying at Health and Wellness Department at Harvard University, specializing in designing sustainable nutrition plans.
Her programs are so unique, and revolve around the “seasons” in Ayurveda. Each season has a dominant Dosha and so the programs reflect that. For example Kapha season is happening now (early spring February-May), as she explains it:
“The qualities of Kapha—cool, moist, heavy, and static—can cause women’s bodies to feel weighed down, sluggish, and even congested. These qualities also lead to attachment, sentimentality, and shyness.”
So you adjust your workouts and meals to match your season for optimal health, and I find that so fascinating.
Her workouts are a mix of strength, barre, and yoga and I found them to be VERY effective and even my boyfriend commented on how fit my body was looking when I was doing her classes because he noticed how it changed! I find this type of movement very beneficial for my body type and keeps my mobile and injury free since you use a variety of formats.
Cost: $12.99/ month, $31.99 quarterly, and $99.99/ year
Born to Sweat by Beverly Cheng
If you saw my post from a couple years ago about my favorite trainers that weren’t like everyone else (read that here), you will have seen Bevelry Cheng on that list as well. The difference now is that she just released an app! It’s called Born to Sweat, and it’s really good!
In my last fitness app post, she was only doing 1;1 training that you had to apply for, so I never did her training from that aspect, but I was familiar with her old platform called Sweat Nation which was where I discovered her. The new platform launched in early 2026 and is a workout platform specifically for women, using athletic style training.
I cannot find Beverly’s certifications but from what I have read she is a certified personal trainer and former rugby athlete from Canada. Her workouts use dumbbells, bands, and exploding movements like jumps and sprints to burn fat and build speed and endurance.
I love this training style, similar to Steph Derby, these classes are designed in a way that help you build an athletic physique, but also improve your daily movement with mobility and strengthening so you can stay string as you age. She also has challenges that are for specific goals that come with nutrition guides as well.
Beverly’s workouts also use alot of glute and ab focused exercises to help give you a lean body but still have round glutes for a fitness model type look. So if you want those type of results, she definitely delivers!
Cost: Free 7 day trial, $29.99 month, $299.99/ year
Studio KSL by Katrina Scott
If you were on the internet in the mid 2000’s you probably know this trainer. I found her in 2012 on YouTube when she first launched Tone It Up with Karena, and I fell in love with them. I became a TIU member immediately and have been following her since.
Katrina Scott started Studio KSL after leaving TIU and I gotta say I like it even better! Studio KSL meat Kinetics, Strength, and Longevity according to Katrina, and her workouts and programs are focused on building your strength to help you age without injury, and keep your bones strong among other health goals.
I truly love her classes! They are around 30 minutes for the most part and they are EFFECTIVE. I find that even some of the workouts that are only 15 minutes give me the feeling of doing an hour class and I have the soreness I would from a much longer class from another trainer.
Similarly to Prana App, Katrina offers guided meditations, seasonal challenges so you never have a lull in your training, and she has some gorgeous recipes, as well as a weekly meal plan and monthly calendar with little challenges for you to do each day.
Her programs include her signature KSL program, pregnancy & postpartum, as well as a 21 day reset and a summer program called Hot Springs.
She has a section with information for you to learn about her nutrition guidelines, progressive overload, weekly meal planning with a grocery list, and a weekly trainer check in where she updates you on the workouts to expect and the Saturday Live class she does each week.
Her energy is so inviting and friendly and it just feels like you’re just working out with your friend who happens to be your trainer. You can also shop her KSL equipment like ankle weights, pilates ball, mat, and she and her husband have created their own supplements as well.
Katrina is a NASM certified personal trainer, with a Bachelor’s Degree, Health Science
Women’s Fitness Specialist | Prenatal & Postnatal
NASM Certified Nutrition Coach
Harvard Medical School | Nutrition Executive Education
Yoga Sculpt | Kettlebell | Strength
Cost: 7 day free trial, $27.99 month, $159.00/ year
I know that exercise style depends on your preferences, your anatomy and what feels good for your body, as well as the specific goal you are working towards, but these apps are ones that I found to be effective for my body, as well as fun and leaving me feeling strong, energized and fit afterwards.
As someone who is currently studying to become a personal trainer myself, I love to study all types of exercise, as well as learning for trainers who really know their craft to make sure I’m getting correct forma and learning how to teach others properly.
I hope that this list gave you some inspiration to try another type of workout if you are feeling like you want to shake things up, or are just looking to start exercising after a break.
Do you have a favorite workout app or trainer you’d like me to try? Let me know in the comments!
See you next time,
Shauna