How are your fitness goals going? Are you sticking to your plan or do you need a little motivation? If you could use a little boost and ideas to stay active during the winter months, you’re in the right place. Today’s post is a roundup of some of my favourite 30-minute YouTube workouts to help you crush your goals.

This post was originally published in February 2022 and updated in February 2025.

To me, 30 minutes is the perfect length for a home workout. It’s long enough to feel like you’ve done a decent amount of exercise, but short enough to fit into even the busiest of days. In the days before YouTube, I accumulated a large collection of fitness DVDs—30 minutes was one of the criteria I always searched for.

Getting back on track

I’m so happy that I’m finally able to do 30-minute workouts again. For a while, I was having trouble with my hip, so I really had to scale back my workouts. I knew I needed to keep moving so I kept up with my daily walks and started slowly with daily workouts—gradually working my way up from 10 minutes, to 15, 20 and now 30.

If you’re not ready for a full 30 minutes, no worries. Check out these posts for some shorter options:  

• 15-minute YouTube workouts to keep you fit all year round
• It’s easy to keep fit at home with these 22-minute workouts

Fabulous 30-minute YouTube workouts

I chose these workouts for a few reasons. They’re suitable for all ages, can be done in a small space, and most of them don’t require any equipment. I also tried to include a good mix of cardio, and strength training. And, if you do one of these videos five days a week, you’ll meet the government guidelines for physical activity.

There really are no excuses so let’s get moving!

30-Minute Get FIT Indoor Walking Workout for Women Over 50 – Fabulous 50s

If you’ve been away from exercise for a while, or just want to get started, this is a great place to begin. Schellea alternates 30 seconds of fast walking with 30 seconds of full body movement. And if you want, you can easily up the intensity with light jogging instead of walking. No equipment needed—just your smile!

30-Minute Weight Loss Walking Workout for Women Over 50 – Fabulous 50s

Schellea added this new workout in January. It alternates bursts of 40 seconds of full body movement with 20 seconds of fast walking. I found the time flew by and it really got my heart rate up. Again, you won’t need any equipment. Just bring your energy!

Full Body Workout | 20 Calorie-Burning Moves – Lucy Wyndham-Read

Lucy is the queen of short workout videos, but she does have some longer workouts on her channel that I wanted to share. This full-body workout designed to work abs, arms, thighs and glutes contains the favourite exercises voted by Lucy’s two million followers. Each move is done for 60 seconds with a 15-second preview in between. Like all of Lucy’s workouts, no equipment is needed.

Walking At Home & Full Body Workout – Lucy-Wyndham Read

When the pandemic started, Lucy quickly switched to shooting her videos at home. This was one of the first of her pandemic-style videos and it’s still a favourite of mine. It alternates one minute of walking with one minute of toning exercises. A great workout for a small space.

80s Walking Workout | 3500 steps in 30 Minutes – Brand Fitness

This was the video that introduced me to Marion late last year. As soon as I heard Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”, I was hooked. As a child of the 80s, I absolutely love this workout. Marion’s workouts have the best music, and I love that most of them have no talking so you can groove to the music. 

Rockin’ 80s Speed Walk – Brand Fitness

Another no-talking 80s workout from Marion. This one is low impact and features some terrific 80s rock to make the time fly by!

Workout to ABBA | Mamma Mia Walking Workout – Improved Health

I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music and this was just so much fun I had to put it on this list. It’s a good cardio workout with no talking so you can enjoy the music. If you’re an ABBA fun, you’ll want to check this one out.

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Zumba 30 min Dance Workout – Get Fit With Rick

I love Rick’s workouts, and this is one of my favourites. You’ll groove to the music and get a sweat on. The routines are so much fun that the time flies by. And he films outdoors in Dubai which is a nice change of scenery. No equipment needed…just your dancing shoes!

Leg Workout At Home | 30 Minute Exercise to 80s Rock – Brand Fitness

This is a full-body workout using dumbbells with an extra focus on leg exercises. If you like the idea of feeling the burn to classic hits from 80s acts like Bon Jovi, Journey, AC/DC and Van Halen, this is the workout for you. It’s one of the videos Marion filmed in her living room during the pandemic, so it’s a nice change from those set in her fitness studio.

And, if you don’t have dumbbells, no worries. Grab some soup cans, or water bottles, or just use your body weight!

30-Minute Stepping Strength Full Body Workout With Dumbbells – Jessica Smith TV

If you’re looking for a full-body strength workout using dumbbells that has no floor work, look no further. This one will really get your heart rate up and uses every muscle group. I use five- and seven-pound dumbbells, but you can adjust for your fitness level.

30-Minute Total Body Standing Strength Workout (Prenatal Approved) – Jessica Smith TV

This workout is labelled “Prenatal Approved” (and no I’m definitely not pregnant) so it really is suitable for all fitness levels. It’s a total-body strength training workout with no floor work or twisting motions. You’ll use a set of light dumbbells. Jessica uses seven-pound weights. I used five-pound weights and will probably increase to seven after a couple of run throughs.

Walk to the Beat #8 – Fun 80s Mix – Kat Gates-Buettner

Here’s a new workout channel that I’ve discovered. It features Kat and her twin sister Tris working out in an outdoor setting which is a nice change from studio videos. I always find their workouts to be fun and they really get my heart rate up.

The Secrets to Longevity – Improved Health

If you’re looking for a workout that covers all aspects of fitness in 30 minutes, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s one of Jules’ all-in-one routines including cardio, strength, balance and flexibility.

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Finally, if you need even more motivation to get off the couch and get in shape, spring is on the way. If you start today, you can get a head-start on shorts and beach season with these 30-minute YouTube workouts!

Do you have any favourite 30-minute YouTube workouts? I’m always looking for suggestions, so I’d love to hear about them below.