The 5 Best YouTube Fitness Channels To Transform Your Body

I’ve had a gym membership for the past four or five years, but I stopped going consistently about three years ago. I got in a real rut concerning my physical health and I’ve just started to get it together in the past year. In spring 2020, I started Noom and focused on my relationship with food. This past fall, I got serious about moving. One of my favorite quarantine discoveries was YouTube fitness!

YouTubers really rose to the occasion of people being stuck at home on many levels, but there’s been a great outburst of at-home fitness options right at your fingertips. As a result of working out at home, in concert with eating better, I have shaved three inches all around my body and maintained a 16-lb weight loss so far. Here are five of my favorite YouTube fitness channels I’ve been using to transform my body.

1. Best Variety – PopSugar Fitness

In my quest to start back working out, I understood that I would not be consistent if my routine became monotonous. Enter PopSugar Fitness. This offshoot of the inspiration hub, PopSugar, offers a wonderful variety of workouts. They have everything from cardio to dance to belly dancing! Also, there are workouts for beginner to gym vets, so it was easy to reorient myself to exercise without intimidation. PopSugar also offers life workouts. PopSugar Fitness is definitely my first stop to find my flavor of the day.

*For the perfect balance of strength and stretch, check out this two week barre and yoga plan and playlist.

2. Best Circuit Training – Mr. and Mrs. Muscle

If you are serious about fitness and short on time, check out Mr. and Mrs. Muscle. Viv and Mike are certified trainers specializing in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and circuit training workouts. Their channel offers close to 600 videos organized according to focus (i.e., cardio, full body, upper body, lower body, etc.). They even have workouts like the one below that consider common physical challenges, like sensitive knees.

My favorite thing about this channel is how well-produced these videos are. There are onscreen countdown timers for each exercise, a diagram showing which muscle groups are being targeted, and the music is jammin’, just to name a few highlights.

*Be sure to check out the Mr. and Mrs. Muscle website for more cool tools like meal plans and special workout plans.

3. Best Yoga – Arianna Elizabeth

My line sister is a yoga instructor and introduced me to yoga a few years ago. I have had chronic issues with my back since college and I find that yoga is the perfect practice to improve my posture, flexibility, and relieve pain. However, I’ve noticed very few yoga teachers of colors on YouTube, so Arianna Elizabeth’s channel was a delightful find. Arianna offers a full menu of beginner and intermediate yoga classes for general practice and addressing specific needs like pain, flexibility, and energy. She also has flows for sculpting and meditation. My favorites videos are the morning and bedtime flows. So refreshing!

4. Best African-Inspired YouTube Fitness Channel – Afrifitness

My favorite fitness hobby is dancing, and I love a good jam. Afrifitness provides dance-based workouts to the tune of fun African beats. Rachael Okesola also incorporates resistance training and HIIT into her offering.

Check out the Afrifitness website for premium workouts and meal plans.

5. Best Pilates YouTube Fitness Channel- Blogilates

Having a fun, enthusiastic instructor can make all the difference. Helmed by Cassie Ho, certified Pilates and Fitness instructor, Blogilates offers short, challenging workouts for a variety of goals. Ho also periodically shares vlog-style videos of practical wellness advice on topics such as nutrition, body image, and fitness motivation. Ho’s attitude is infectious without being obnoxious, making it more palatable to press through difficult exercises.

For a full menu of wellness resources (workout programs, challenges, and planner printables!), visit Blogilates.com or download the Blogilates app.

Do you workout at home? Tell us your favorite routine in the comments below!