I don’t know about y’all, but I really hate working out. What I hate more than just working out is working out at a gym. I know realistically that everyone is too busy focusing on themselves to even think about what I’m doing, but just the thought of people seeing me sweat…makes me sweat.
I discovered the wonders of online workouts when COVID struck because, hey, we’re gonna be stuck inside for awhile, might as well get as healthy as I can during it. And, when I tell you online workouts are the best, they are literally the best. However, there are so many to choose from; wherever shall you start? I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites that actually made me look forward to working out every day.
The first YouTube workouts that I recommend are literally anything by Emi Wong. She was one of the first YouTubers that I started following, and has been my go-to for a couple of years. Her mantra is: “no pain, no gain” and although that is a little cliché, it actually helps me get through the workouts. They are in bite-sized chunks with built-in rest periods, which makes it more manageable. My person favorites are her Burn Fat in 7 Days and any of her ab workouts. She also has a 20 minute stretching video that is a good, calming end to any workout.
My other favorite workout YouTuber is April Han. Her workouts are more relaxing than Emi’s, with chill music instead of a pump-up playlist. They are more lowkey, but that does not mean that they do not work! You will certainly be sweating by the end of them. April also includes a warm up or a cool down with all of her videos, which is important to any workout. My favorites are her 7 Days HIIT Challenge (is anyone sensing a theme?) and her Lower Abs video.
This will expose me a little bit, but my other favorite workouts are dance workouts. There are a variety of dance workouts to chose from, but the ones I use the most are K-pop workouts. The songs are just so upbeat and fast-paced, they make for good, quick workouts. Literally three or four minutes of a hard workout to a fun song will pick you up like nothing else. I like the channel K-pop Fitness, specifically Hyuna’s workouts. The songs make you feel like a bad b*tch, which makes the workouts all the more fun.
The main takeaway is that working out can be fun, especially if you don’t take it too seriously. Online workouts are the best because you can go at your own pace and do whatever is best for you, not whatever the new fad is. Everyone is at different levels when it comes to working out. For me, the secret is to not take it too seriously. I never weighed myself, counted calories, or any of that. I measured success by how I looked and how I felt and honestly, that made all the difference.