I want to preface this by stating that I am not a fitness fanatic. I’m pretty average in that I get busy with life, and have periods in which I’m not super motivated to workout, but know that I should for obvious reasons. I’ve also learned that if I have to leave the house and go somewhere in order to work out, the chances are much higher that it won’t happen, thus gym memberships are really not my thing.
I’ve also tried my hand at using home gym equipment like a spin bike and an elliptical, but they honestly got pretty boring. I’ve found that I like someone instructing me through a workout to keep me motivated and to teach me routines that are effective, but I don’t actually like being around other people while I’m in the process of working out, and that not leaving the house thing.
In order to increase my odds of actually working out, I knew I needed to figure something out that would be easy, not super time consuming, that didn’t require an expensive machine I’d probably never end up using, and that I could do at home. That’s when I discovered the fitness videos from PopSugar Fitness on YouTube. Total game changer.
The workouts I do, you could do anywhere with a little bit of space. All you need is a yoga mat, and a set of hand weights. I do my workouts in a sectioned off part of our basement that we turned into a gym, fit with a squishy floor, and a wall of mirrors so I can see just how awkward I look while working out.
I have no idea how many workout videos there are on the PopSugar channel, but there are a lot. They have videos for different fitness levels, lengths of time, workout styles, etc. I have a core set of routines that I rotate out during the week to keep things interesting, and every once in awhile I switch them out. Currently none of the workouts I do is longer than 30 minutes. My current rotation is:
Killer 30-Minute Cardio-Boxing and Core Workout (my personal favorite). This was the first PopSugar workout video I tried, and it took me a good month before I could do all the workouts because I was that out of shape, and let’s be real, I’m not very coordinated. I feel so good after doing this routine, and it’s a really good stress reliever because you get to punch and kick.
30-Minute Power Yoga Flow For Tight Abs and a Toned Butt. Before this video, I’d never done yoga before, and didn’t think it was an effective workout. This is a great beginner yoga workout, and I feel much more tone, and flexible after adding it into my home workout routine.
A 30-Minute Tabata Session to Burn Some Serious Calories. This is the newest video to my set. I love the energy of the host, and the style is fantastic because you work in short bursts of high intensity for 20 seconds, and then rest for 10 seconds. I love workouts that include resting.
After I finish the videos, I do a set of crunches & leg lifts, and then round out with some stretching. The entire process is usually done in 45 minutes – and without leaving the house. I’ve been doing this for about a year now (mostly consistently during the week), and the results have been really positive. It’s helped with stress, my overall fitness, and back pain I was having due to sitting all day at work.
Thus if you’re like me, and know you should work out, but don’t want to leave the house to do it, you should definitely check out the PopSugar Fitness channel on Youtube!