8 of the best fitness subscription boxes for any type of wellness junkie

Calling anyone who puts fashion and beauty just as high as fitness on their priority list: If you don't get FabFitFun yet, WYD? This quarterly box is beloved by Instagram and YouTube bloggers and hit one million subscribers in 2018 — just for reference, that's joining the ranks of HelloFresh and Blue Apron. So what makes it so bomb?

V-A-L-U-E, y'all. Most subscription boxes do save you more money than purchasing everything at retail value — FabFitFun just quadruples it. For $49.99 per box, you're getting $200 to $400 worth of full-sized, premium products in numerous lifestyle categories (AKA no mountain of tiny, expired samples). Members also get exclusive discounts (like up to 70% off) on add-ons and products that are rarely on sale otherwise.

Boxes come every four months and attempt to line up with the current season, upping your chance of getting use out of everything. You'll have the option to customize a handful of items in each box, and the rest is a surprise. Products range from high-end makeup and designer bags to workout equipment and home decor — so even with the stuff you don't pick, it's pretty unlikely not to find a few new favorites. A VIP subscription also gets you access to a massive library of video workouts on FABFITFUNTV.

Motivation to go to the gym can get sparse when your routine is so repetitive that you forget what day it is. Switch it up with Gainz Box: A monthly subscription service delivering some of the highest quality fitness gear out there. It's billed as a subscription for CrossFitters, but it's so much more than that. Anyone who doesn't sleep well without squeezing a hardcore lifting session in will be stoked. 

At around $32 per month, Gainz Box is one of the pricier weight-lifting subscriptions out there — but it's also so much more substantial. Instead of throwing socks and five samples in a box, Gainz is handing out Nike shirts, Ethika bras and underwear, wrist straps, shaker bottles, and more, like protein snacks. (Don't worry, they'll ask you about sizing for everything.) Ask Men's review insists that the quality and variety of the six to eight products you'll receive is enough to make you wonder what's in the next box.

There's no option to purchase items that were in your box straight from the Gainz Box site, which is a slight bummer — as most subscription boxes do this and offer discounts. However, leaving reviews for the products in your box gets you points toward money off, and introducing Gainz Box to a friend gets you a free box.

Just when you thought runners couldn't get any more obsessed with running, the Runner Box is perfect for those of us who run six miles miles for fun — or for those who want to get into running, but aren't sure where to start. 

Mentioned by ClassPass and Everyday Health as one of the best boxes for runners, this bi-monthly box offers goodies that will aid in every leg of your run (pun intended). Items include headphones, protein bars and other healthy snacks, water bottles, and more for about half of what you'd pay IRL — many coming from unique brands that you won't find at a Dick's Sporting Goods. 

If your love for cardio is aimed toward something other than marathons, the same company also has boxes catered toward cycling and triathlons. Regardless of your passion, you can choose to pay $20 twice a month for $60 worth of stuff. For the days you'd really rather just binge Game of Thrones instead of hitting the road, those 11 to 14 items might just be enough incentive to get off the couch.

Picked by badass ladies, for badass ladies, the Barbella Box is the ultimate girl power fitness box for female athletes who love all things CrossFit. A subscription also gets you an in to Barbella Box's exclusive Facebook group to get connected with other women who share your passion.

CrossFit is one of the most hardcore, time-consuming workout regimen out there, and anyone who does it knows how much dedication needs to be poured in — and a busy schedule isn't an excuse. Barbella Box wants to keep you in the zone 24/7 with monthly packages of weightlifting apparel from big brands like CrossFit World, deodorant, sunglasses, protein supplements, and more. It's basically a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods, but the stuff is cuter and you don't have to go out in public to buy it.

Because the sports bras, shorts, and more are from high-end brands, the extras in your box may very well be samples. Think of it as getting the expensive stuff you've always wanted but never thought you needed to buy, plus a free chance to discover new supplements and snacks without paying full price.

Protein and workouts go hand in hand — your first shaker bottle is essentially a rite of passage. But if you've ever stepped inside the hell that is GNC, you've noticed that most protein supplements opt for a gimmicky body builder approach with obnoxious health claims rather than actually explaining the habits and body types it works with.

Enter Gainful: The monthly subscription service that customizes your protein powder and delivers it to your door. We're prone to fall in love with any site that appreciates a minimalistic aesthetic like we do, but that's only the beginning: After a few questions about body type, exercise, eating, and sleeping habits, Gainful's unique algorithm will whip up a special blend based on what you need — broken down on a fun pie chart for max transparency. A real life dietician (with a real name, real picture, and everything) is also available to answer questions.

A subscription gets you 30 servings for $45 a month, or $49 for an à la carte order. You could find other brands that offer a cheaper price per serving, but unlike most subscription boxes where you're signing up to get a lot for a little, Gainful's appeal isn't the price (though the price isn't much above average, either). You're signing up for the attention to detail — both in the curated ingredients and in the customer service — that you aren't going to find anywhere else. When the product is going in your body, price should be a lesser priority.

If you've been on social media at all in recent months, you've probably seen someone (like Vinny from Jersey Shore) raving about their ketogenic diet. If you're still in the dark, it's basically a super low carb diet and "keto" because the body produces body-fueling ketones when it's low on carbs. Your fat stores are then needed for energy, basically making your body a fat burning machine — ideal for those trying to lose weight or get super cut quickly. Meat, veggies, and eggs are in, and potatoes, pasta, and desserts are out.

Except most of us don't have time to go to the store to hand-pick the perfect low-carb snacks. Keto Krate will send you a monthly package filled with protein snacks (all under five grams of carbs), including protein bars, crackers, cheese, jerky, and even cookies.

Head's up: This may be a shocker, but just because a celebrity does something doesn't mean it's healthy. While the high-protein, low-carb approach can shed pounds rather quickly, diets with no cap on saturated or trans fats can have risk factors like high cholesterol, dehydration, and kidney stones. There's no reason to be scared of healthy carbs, guys.

However, while full-force keto diets may not be the healthiest in the long run, keto snacking can certainly cut down on your intake of processed (vending machine) snacks with upped ingredients like sugar, salt or fat. Keto Krate can truly change the way you snack.

Exercise isn't the only factor here: Fitness is at its peak when your physical activity is complemented by a clean, non-processed diet. But finding time to find recipes and shop for fresh groceries? Not so easy — especially when you're using your only hour of the day to get that gym or yoga session in. Sun Basket is a healthy meal subscription service that caters to your preferences, shipping meals chosen by you three times per week.

While popular competitors like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron offer measly selections of diet-specific meals, Sun Basket caters generously to five diets: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, and pescatarian. All ingredients are organic and non-GMO, too — Green Chef is the only other box to offer that, and Sun Basket is cheaper.

Another reason to be pro-meal subscription: Calories aren't everything. A slice of pizza and stuffed peppers could technically have the same number of calories, but the latter is healthier for so many reasons beyond that. Sun Basket's fresh produce and balanced food groups offer an alternative to the frozen meals or grilled cheeses of the world by giving your body the vitamins, antioxidants, and more that it needs to run properly — while still keeping prep time under 30 minutes.