The recent implementation of Phase 2 restrictions in Singapore means most gyms and fitness studios are shut down until the end of May. For those worried about losing your gains, we’ve rounded up the best YouTube fitness channels that can help keep both your body and mind sharp even at home. The thousands of positive comments and millions of views on these videos testify to their immense success—get your workout clothes on because it’s time to work up a sweat at home.
HIIT: Heather Robertson
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) alternates bursts of all-out anaerobic movements with timely lower-intensity recovery periods. It will push you to your limits, but in an endorphin-boosting way that makes you want to come back for more. Heather Robertson’s channel offers a diverse spread of HIIT workouts with varying levels of intensity and duration—there’s something for every person at every possible fitness level. With the upbeat music and thoughtful line-up of moves, the workout will zoom by in the blink of an eye.
Yoga: Yoga With Adriene
Every form of exercise offers not just physical benefits, but also mental ones. However, yoga is especially famous for its mind-cleansing and emotional-detoxing qualities—just what we need amid a global pandemic and for some of us, not being able to see family in the near future. Thanks to her soothing voice, calm demeanour, and bright and airy workout space, every Adriene Mishler video feels like a warm, comforting hug. So whip out your yoga mat, pull up the cheeky Yoga for when you feel dead inside video, and downward-dog your way to mental clarity.
Strength training: HASfit
For those who think you can’t do strength training without a full gym set-up, YouTube channel HASfit is here to dispel that misconception. HASfit, which stands for Heart and Soul fit, has an entire range of at home videos for both beginners and veterans. Most of their strength training workouts require only basic gear like dumbbells and/or resistance bands, but you can always just use your bodyweight instead. Even without gym access, you can still maintain your muscles if you put your heart and soul into every workout.
Aerobic dance: Live Love Party
Incporating dance into your exercise can make it feel less like a chore and more like just letting loose and having fun. Live Love Party choreographs funky dance routines to trendy hits from artistes like Blackpink, Jason Derulo and Dua Lipa. Their moves are energetic, but also easy to follow. Pro tip: even though Singapore’s nightlife is on a pause, if you switch off the lights, put on your favourite clubbing outfit, and pull up one of Live Love Party’s high-tempo Zumba videos, you can—with a little imagination—pretend you’re grooving out at a nightclub and not at home.
Pilates: Blogilates
Cassey Ho, the woman behind the hit channel Blogilates, is a long-time stalwart within the Pilates realm. Her workouts come with clear instructions, a well-paced mix of high- and low-intensity moves, and pop-style music that will make you forget the burn in your abs. In particular, her POP Pilates programme has won her a legion of diehard fans who gush about how the famously bubbly Ho makes working out feel more like having fun with a friend.
Walking: Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone
Some people don’t think walking qualifies as a workout, but the abundance of positive comments beneath a Walk at Home YouTube video say otherwise. Walking is quite possibly the most underrated exercise ever. Although it might not be the most effective choice for certain fitness goals like fat burning, it can be the best option for some people, such as those with physical ailments or who prefer a more low-intensity workout. Leslie Sansone is a master of livening things up so that even a simple walk is transformed into a fun fitness programme.
Boxing: NateBowerFitness
Boxing is a great cardio workout, so no wonder celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Adriana Lima are fans of this high-powered exercise. Nate Bower, the boxing afficionado and personal trainer behind the hit YouTube channel NateBowerFitness, has made a name for himself with his at-home boxing videos that can be done without any equipment. Feeling frustrated about being put through yet another meeting that could just be an email? Get into a boxing stance and punch it out.
5-minute workouts: FitnessBlender
Have back-to-back-to-back Zoom meetings all day? You can still squeeze in a quick sweat session with Fitness Blender’s repertoire of short and easy YouTube workouts. There are 5-minute videos that target abs and obliques, others that focus on glutes and thigh, and more general cardio and HIIT ones. Don’t underestimate the power of shaking it out for even just a few minutes—those minutes add up! It’s also a good chance to rest your eyes for a bit, snap out of your Zoom funk, and recharge yourself for another deluge of meetings.
