When I start to get too in my head and into a funk, the best way to get out of that, for me, is to move my body! As someone who does a lot of sitting these days, I especially know the importance of getting up and moving around. There are days when I seriously feel like my butt has widened from sitting for too long. And how ironic that Matt now makes chairs for a living and yet is adamant about not sitting in one for too long because of the adverse health effects.
Since I was a young girl, I’ve always enjoyed exercising at home, probably because it suited my introverted personality more than being in an external group environment. My mom tried signing me up for ballet classes when I was six, but I think I only made it through one class because I was too shy to continue. Sometimes I wish I had persevered, but my love for dancing and moving my body has never faltered.
Before the age of VHS workout tapes, my mom bought this Barbie Allen Dancerise record and I used to work out to it even though there was no video to watch. Instead, there was an accompanying instruction booklet that I eventually memorized.
From there, I started watching exercise programs on television and working out in my parents’ family room every now and then. I’m pretty sure I didn’t do it for my mental health back then, but more so for my external appearance. As more and more emphasis was put on both the spiritual and physical health benefits, I made exercise a regular part of my life. And as I became braver, I joined various sports teams inside and outside of school, and even started taking dance classes again.
But in the nearly five decades of moving my body, I’m still mostly drawn to doing it on my own, at home, whether it’s dancing in our living room or following a fitness expert on YouTube. I know that this form of moving your body is not for everyone – Matt prefers badminton – but whatever helps you get out of your funk and get funky, the important thing is to get up and move!
My Favourite YouTube Exercise Channels
I try my best to move my body at least three times a week and most of those times, it is at home. Last summer, our family purchased a pass to be able to exercise at the various recreation centres in Saskatoon, and we got into badminton. However, it is hard to play when you’re a family of five and there are varying skill levels amongst you. So now, badminton is mainly a father and eldest daughter sport and I fit my workouts in at home once the kids are at school, or else the younger two and I will go on the machines or walk/run around the track.
When I work out at home, I have about five different channels that I follow and change up depending on how my body is feeling that day. Some mornings when I’m feeling too stiff and sore, I will do a gentler workout, so will choose to do yoga.
MADY MORRISON‘s channel is my go-to for this. Her videos are visually and audibly pleasing, easy to follow and help get my kinks out. Even though some of her videos are in German, I just choose to watch the English ones.
What I like about her videos is how she shows what exercise is coming up next before the timer for that starts. Even though there are no verbal instructions in English, the video is pretty informative so you can prepare yourself for the movement. I like that lead up time to get myself ready instead of going into the next thing blindly.
HEATHER ROBERTSON is another fitness influencer who puts out really professional and enjoyable videos. When I want to sweat a lot more, I will choose to do one of her 30-40 minute workouts. She has a multitude of videos to choose from and sometimes if I want a shorter workout, I’ll choose one of the 10 minute ones. Or I’ll combine a few of them.
I appreciate that she is a fellow Canadian and also someone who is a bit older than other fitness YouTubers, so provides modifications for similarly aged women (and men). She definitely puts me to shame in the push-ups department though and makes them look so easy! At my age, I am supposed to be able to do 11-14 regular push-ups. I can manage, just barely. Strength training is so important as we get older, so I will include at least one workout with weights per week.
FITBYMIK is another Canadian fitness instructor and personal trainer who has fun and informative videos. Since she has a background in dance and performing, her workouts incorporate some dance elements. She also makes lifting ten pound weights look very easy, despite being pregnant with twins.
In her most recent videos, she has a friend joining in who does the more advanced version of the exercise in her videos, while she does the modification. I tend to do the modified movement since there’s usually too much jumping and bouncing to my liking.
HOLLY DOLKE is someone I discovered a few years ago, when I started getting into watching YouTube. My personal trouble areas are my arms – what older woman doesn’t worry about arm flab? – so I think one of the first videos I found and did was this one. I think it’s probably her most popular video, with 31 million views! And keeping your arms up for about seven, not eight minutes is not as easy as it seems!
She is a mom to two young children and I find her videos have perhaps gone down a bit in production because of this, but I still like doing her workouts every so often. When I want something not as cardio intensive but still conditioning for the whole body, I like this walking workout.
MIZI is a Korean fitness YouTuber who makes some very aesthetic videos. I have done several of her most popular workouts after doing a search for “how to tone my arms”, or “get rid of back fat”.
There is no speaking in her videos, at least not the ones I’ve seen and I find she tends to just go into the next movement without prepping you, so out of all these channels, hers is probably the least favourite in terms of instruction. But I find the exercises fairly hard and helpful, so I will continue to do them.
