The Best Exercise Routines On YouTube for Women

What’s Working For Me

My weight has always been an ever — present struggle for me during my adult years. After having children, I gained weight all over. Then life happened. Between busy schedules, lack of sleep, and emotional spirals; I lost motivation for years to do anything about it.

I thought I was making a noble sacrifice. I always put my family first. My needs came last. Now, I see the problem for what it was. I was making excuses to avoid doing something hard. Even if that meant self care.

Whether it was depression or lack of motivation, I was always tired. I made food a source of comfort. I just wasn’t nice to my body. Eventually, over the years I became someone I didn’t recognize.

My family always made remarks during holiday dinners or while thumbing through family pictures. I shrugged it off and always replied, “I’m fat but happy.”

But. Looking in the mirror, I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I just didn’t feel healthy, and I didn’t look happy.

The reality of how much I had neglected my body didn’t sink in until my husband and I planned a family vacation — a week on the beach. Having not worn a bathing suit since before I had children, this became a source of anxiety for me. I put off shopping for myself as long as I could. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

So, what did I do?

First, I purchased a gym membership. I emptied my pockets of $88 dollars a month and a hefty deposit fee to only go twice. The children, my anxiety, exhaustion — I have given myself every excuse in the book. It just wasn’t happening so I canceled the gym.

Then, I purchased an expensive workout DVD set. This did work for a while, until it became a boring and monotonous activity I dreaded. I wasn’t seeing the results I hoped to see; at least not as quickly as I wanted to. Discouraged, eventually I quit doing them, and tucked them into a drawer and forgot about them.

Scrolling through YouTube one morning, I discovered workout videos. A lot of them. Briefly skimming through the content, I discovered moves I was already using, and some I hadn’t seen before. I saved a whole bunch in my “Watch Later” section. The best part, I didn’t have to pay for a pricey subscription.

After laying the kids down for a nap, I became excited to start my new routine. I have heard about others turning to YouTube to meet their fitness needs, but I was curious if it actually worked.

The next day, I definitely felt it working. While my legs were recovering, I decided to choose a video working out a different part of my body.

This became my new routine. When the kids napped, mommy worked out. I looked forward to choosing what I wanted to do each day, instead of dreading a work out plan that eventually became boring or non-productive.

Also, I fell in love with the trainers I subscribed to. Watching their channels, it felt more like working out with an encouraging friend instead of an in-your-face coach.

Here are some of the YouTube work out videos and trainers I swear by!

Before starting any exercise or diet routine, contact your doctor if you have questions, concerns, or existing health problems. This is not medical advice.

Fat Burn

While all exercise routines have common goals (working up an exercise tolerance), different work outs have different places they target. To burn fat in stubborn places, I recommend the following workouts. These routines are a couple of my favorites because 1) They work the full body 2) They involve no high endurance jumping. 3) They burn fat.

I recommend seeing the result reaction videos of the video below by Chloe Ting. They motivated me throughout my journey, and the progress of others will blow you away!

You don’t have to commit to a whole hour at the gym to get your body moving. And, you don’t need equipment to achieve a full body workout. Below is one of my favorite 20 minute full body work out!

Booty Sculpting

My body shape is very “pear-ish.” I hold a lot of weight on my thighs and butt. I like to add a short routine to the end of my daily workout, exercising my back side. Here are a couple of my favorite booty sculpting videos that are short enough to add to your daily routine.

The below video is beginner friendly!

Upper Body

If you don’t have the time to attend classes or trainers who work with your schedule, you can find so many different workout routines on YouTube! I personally go through my routines in YouTube over and over again. Sometimes I add in new moves, sometimes I’ll switch up my usual routine. Below are my favorite upper body work out routines!

Upper body exercises are the hardest for me. Before working out, I couldn’t even complete a push up. However, after six months of incorporating upper body exercises into my daily routine, I have noticed the workouts have gotten easier to get through, and I have become stronger each day.

Legs

I definitely feel leg day with these below exercises! I suggest purchasing dumbbells for more intense results in your routine. Using dumbbells have many health benefits. They have been proven to improve muscle strength and flexibility, and they can easily be added to many different exercises.

I highly suggest following Emi Wong on YouTube. She has tons of helpful videos to choose from and to add to your library! I also love that there is no jumping required in this video, and you still get a great leg work out.

My Results

Size XL To M

Although I am still reaching for my goals, over the last few months of my YouTube routine, I have went from a size Xtra-Large to a Medium. Steadily losing 28 lbs., I am proud of myself and looking forward to what the next few months may bring.

Improved Digestion

Before exercising, I struggled with unexplainable acid reflux and other digestive issues. I had no idea my weight and activity level played such a drastic role in my digestive health. My digestive issues have improved, tremendously! I am also more inclined to make better decisions regarding my diet choices.

More Energy

My energy levels have sky rocketed! I have noticed more energy to keep up with the kiddos, be more productive throughout the day, and easier to sleep throughout the night.

More Confident

I am more confident, not just in my outward appearance, but also in my physical abilities. I have made so much progress since day one, and have found strength that I never knew I could have. Overall, my YouTube routine has made me feel better, physically and mentally.

Conclusion

By the end of this article, I hope you feel excited to get started with some of these YouTube workouts and on your own exercise journey. It’s a known fact that exercise is good for you, no matter what your goal is. It can help you lose weight, reduce stress, fight depression, improve your mood, and much much more. However, it can be hard to find the motivation to actually start exercising. That’s where YouTube comes in! With so many different kinds of videos out there, finding a routine that suits your needs and goals is exciting and never gets boring!

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