10 best Youtube channels to get you motivated and fit #RunningWeek

We all know how hard it can be to actually take that first step to actually leave your house, get outside and run or exercise generally. The gym can often feel so far away, and it’s easy to lack motivation, especially on a cold, wet day, when all you want to do is curl up with your duvet and watch Netflix. With the gym or any exercise classes, lack of money is always a very easy excuse too.

NO MORE EXCUSES! There are actually so many completely free workouts available on Youtube, that you can do from the comfort of your own home. The YouTube channels all also have tips for exercising and running outside, so you can get motivated, as well as tips on diet too. If anything, the abs on these women will force you into doing more exercise!

1) Runtastic

Runtastic posts weekly videos with tips on running outdoors, workouts for the gym, home workouts, including Backyard Booty Workout, and how to fit in some walking while you’re travelling. Some of the videos do require equipment – for example, the Road Warrior Workout requires a resistance band – however there are plenty, such as Abs of Steel Workout (which only takes three minutes FYI), that just require you.

2) LiveStrongWoman

This Youtube channel has everything, from abs workouts to yoga to healthy eating tips. All the videos are short and sweet (read painful) and specifically made for women on the go, so you don’t need to put aside much time for your exercise. Our favourite part of the LiveStrongWoman channel is that it incorporates loads of different fitness instructors who use different techniques, so you can choose your favourites – just like you would choose an instructor in real life.

3) FitnessBlender

With hundreds of free hour-long workouts available on FitnessBlender, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with choice, however the five day challenge on this channel is perfect to get you motivated at the beginning. From then on, you can choose to do whatever you want

4) Runner’s World TV

The Youtube channel to go alongside the magazine, Runner’s World TV hasn’t got any workout videos, but it has three videos giving you extremely helpful tips on running, including how to avoid injuries and running uphill.

5) Exercise Routine

If you’re having trouble deciding between doing Pilates, a workout for a beach body or increasing your endurance, this channel has all three, giving you the chance to mix and match, depending on what you feel like doing that day.

6) Turbulence Training

Want something a bit more hardcore? Turbulence Training has all the total body workouts you could ever want or need, many of which don’t require equipment. There are also some videos with exercises you can do outside, which is fine if you live in the USA, but doesn’t sound quite as tempting here in the UK.

7) BeFit

This channel is one of our favourites, even if it is totally Americanised. BeFit uploads a new workout every single day, from some of the top fitness trainers, including Jane Fonda and Jillian Michaels. There are so many different workouts available, including boot camps, abs workouts and arm workouts, but our favourite is Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, which claims to get you losing a lot of weight and toning up with just one 20 minute workout everyday for 30 days. As we only got to day 11, we can’t confirm whether this works or not.

8) Blogilates

We love this very girly exercise channel, which has tons of workouts, for the bum, the arms and all-round cardio. As all the workouts have fun names like the Bold and the Bootiful Workout and the Gangnam Style Call Me Maybe Mash Up Squat Challenge (Yes, that is exactly what you think it is!), it feels less like exercise, and more like fun.

9) Tone it Up

Karena and Katrina, who run Tone It Up, have two of the most envious figures, and, yes, they do do all their workout videos on the beach in bikinis, just to get you trying that bit harder. The channel includes toning workouts and routines, uploaded every Tuesday for Tone It Up Tuesdays, advice on how to tone up with diet and exercise and recipes for the girls’ diet plan every Friday.

10) PopSugar Fitness

Not only does the PopSugar Fitness channel have loads of workout videos, including Victoria’s Secret model workouts, so we can all have the figure of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, it also has recipes for healthy eating, as well as tips on what to eat for things like stress and dry skin. What we love about the exercise videos on this channel is that they’re quick and easy to fit in around our busy lifestyles.