My Favorite YouTube Workout Channels

We are all aware of the benefits of engaging in exercise, or general movement, on a consistent basis. For one, physical activity can help us in achieving our fitness and/or weight loss goals. It can also increase our ability to handle stressful situations, improve our mood and self-esteem levels, enhance our relaxation and quality of sleep, and boost our overall energy levels…These are just a few of the countless benefits of exercise, but to summarize, engaging in physical activity stands to enhance our quality of living altogether.

This past year has definitely changed the way we workout. Our ability to work with trainers, attend exercise classes, and simply go to a gym to utilize desired forms of equipment diminished for quite some time. This sudden change forced us to re-evaluate our fitness goals and figure out ways that we could accomplish our daily workouts from home, and find the motivation to do so. This proved to be difficult for a lot of people…myself included.

I’m fortunate to have exercise equipment available to me at home: a treadmill, which you all know by now just how much I enjoy my treadmill workouts, and free weights and weight plates of all shapes and sizes, most of them heavier than I could ever hope to lift. However, I still struggled to figure out a good “balance” of workouts to do at home. With exception of my time away at college, a majority of my workouts over the past couple of years were spent with a trainer, so I did not really have experience with “designing” an exercise plan for myself…So, I stuck with what I knew. For approximately a year, five to six days a week, I would change into workout clothes, turn on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians (I started over from Season 1), and would walk, jog, run, or sprint on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes at a time, but sometimes just until I felt like stopping.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, and I still do, but I got to a point, about a little after the New Year, where I felt that my progress had plateaued. I knew I needed a change in my workout routine, and even tried to design my own arm, ab, and lower body workouts to go along with some of the cardio workouts I had established for myself…However, I couldn’t get myself to commit to these new types of workouts, and would quickly find myself reverting to my default exercise setting, the one that involved the treadmill and only the treadmill. It wasn’t until very recently, in the past month I would say, that I actually have been able to incorporate more than just treadmill workouts into my exercise routine. How did I do this? YouTube.

After seeing countless TikToks and Instagram posts referencing some of the most popular fitness-related YouTube Channels, I decided to ~finally~ give some of these guided workouts a try…and I have not been disappointed.

Here are my top three fitness influencers on YouTube, whose workout videos have become a staple within my weekly workout schedule:

1. Lilly Sabri

Lilly Sabri’s workout videos were actually the first that I explored on YouTube, my first workout with her being the 30 minute “Sweaty Cardio Box”. Her channel offers a wide variety of exercise videos, which has allowed me to continuously switch up the workouts I am doing.  With that, this channel has become my go-to guide for “targeted” workouts, including ones focused on my arms and back, core, and lower body…and if your someone who’s not into lengthy workout videos, this channel is the perfect solution. These “targeted” workout videos, on average, range from 5 to 15 minutes in length, so pick one or double up if you’re in the mood for some extra movement.

2. MadFit

MadFit’s YouTube Channel has become my go-to for Full Body Workouts. These workout videos are approximately 20 to 30 minutes in length, and consist of unique full-body exercises, ones that I would never even think to do on my own. The workouts are mostly structured into two sets, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the movements in the first round, and perfect your execution in the second. With good music, creative movements, and the high-energy environment, these full-body workouts truly fly by. Beyond full-body workouts, this channel also offers videos targeting specific areas of the body, as well as guided stretches and dance-related workouts.

3. Move with Nicole

I’ve never been a person that was really into slower-paced workouts…until I found this YouTube channel. Move with Nicole allows you to engage in Pilates workouts from within the comfort of your own home. With a wide variety of durations and focuses, ranging from full body to yoga and barre cardio, this channel offers the perfect solution for the days in which your body is in need of some slower movements. Believe me, these Pilates workouts are just as effective as any other workout. If anything, I feel the burn more throughout the course of these videos, as Pilates movements assist in the improvement of flexibility, muscle strength, and balance.

~All of the videos shared by these channels require little to no equipment, and provide suggestions for typical household items that can be used in lieu of weights~

It takes a lot for me to fully invest myself in a new type of workout, beyond those involving the treadmill, and these three channels have allowed me to do just that. If you’re looking to switch up your workout routine, check out these channels and let me know what you think! I can assure you that there is something of interest here for anyone and everyone.