Online Workout Videos: Navigating YouTube Successfully
Online Workout Videos: Navigating YouTube Successfully
Navigating YouTube successfully can be a huge asset to your self-directed, self-initiated healthy habits routine.
There are billions of videos on YouTube, which is great and means the right video for you is definitely in there somewhere. But, how do you find it?
Navigating the YouTube universe can be overwhelming, especially for those who are only starting to explore the internet’s vast health, wellness, and fitness resources.
Now, you can always start surfing and learn as you go, but if you are looking for some pointers, we’ve got you covered.
Ask yourself, “What am I looking for? Am I a seasoned exerciser or still starting out? Do I want to try something new? Am I ready for a challenge?”
If you go into your search with defined goals, it will be much easier to know when you’ve found what you are looking for. So, before jumping into your search, decide what you’re looking for and how much time you have scheduled for this activity.
Whenever you are looking to try something for the first time, add the term “for beginners” to your search to weed out more advanced results.
Beginners videos will be shorter, focus on the basics, and help you build a foundation you can work your way up from. Having a mirror around also goes a long way in helping you refine your technique.
Other good information to include in your search is the duration and anything that specifies your particular needs or desires. For example, “20 minute low-impact HIIT workout.”
Don’t start your activity until you have cleared enough space for whatever lies ahead. Qualified instructors will often specify at the beginning of their videos how much space is required or ideal for the session.
You can ruin the flow of your workout if you need to stop and rearrange the room to keep going. And, any obstacles increase your chance of injury.
Look at the instructor’s bio. Are they certified?
Anyone can put a video on YouTube. Just because it’s on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s of high quality. So, take a minute or two to check out the channel whose video you’re about to watch. Is it affiliated with an organization? How does their website look?
People who are certified provide safer experiences; they will explain proper technique and show modifications for people of different ability levels.
Watch out for false advertisements
“Burn 500 calories in this workout” - false advertisement. Everyone burns calories at a different rate based on gender, age, fitness level, effort, etc.
“Abs in a week” - false advertisement. This isn’t how the body works.
There is no way to hack a healthy lifestyle because, well, it’s a lifestyle, not something you can do in 30 minutes a week with a secret technique. Stay away from anything that advertises quick results.
Getting fit takes time, proper nutrition, good sleep hygiene, and manageable stress levels. You may not be able to achieve all these at once, but that’s what incremental gains are for!
“If you gain muscle but do not shed fat, this may be why you feel “bulky.” Your overall body composition will change once this excess fat begins to shed. However, this change will not occur If you are not dialled in with proper nutrition. Of course there are other factors, including stress, fluid retention, blood volume, hormones, etc, that come into play. But, generally, the only way your body will increase in size is if you are eating a surplus of calories and vice versa. You will not gain muscle by exercising and you will not lose weight or shed fat if you are not burning more energy (calories) than you are consuming. I’m sure you’ve all heard it before but you can not out-train a bad diet.” - Heather Roberston, certified personal trainer and nutrition coach.
If you are looking for some recommendations, we have a few channels you can start with:
Caroline Girvan - weights and HIIT
Move with Nicole - pilates and yoga
Heather Roberston - variety: HIIT, pilates, weights, no impact
BodyFit By Amy - variety: HIIT, pilates, weights, kettlebells
Breathe and Flow - yoga
There are also some excellent recommendations in Glamour’s 21 Best YouTube workouts for 2021 and some tips on what to avoid from LiveStrong.