It’s almost February. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest month of the year always feels more like the longest as we anxiously await the arrival of spring. Did you set a goal to be more active this year? How’s it going? If you need a little motivation to get moving, today’s post has suggestions for free workouts for couch potatoes.

This post was originally published in January 2021 and updated in December 2023.

You don’t need a gym to keep fit

We spend a lot of money on gym memberships. Worldwide, the health club market is close to $100 billion a year. But if money is tight, or getting to the gym isn’t convenient, you can keep fit at home without spending a penny.

The easiest thing to do is get outside for a walk. Check out Physical and mental health benefits of walking to find out why you should make a daily walk part of your routine. 

But it’s winter and it’s cold outside! Not being a fan of winter myself, I get it.

Thanks to YouTube, the options for walking-based home workouts are endless. No matter your age, or fitness level, there is something for you. 

In addition to the physical and mental health benefits of just getting outside for a walk, home walking workouts challenge you in different ways. You can ramp up the intensity by adding higher impact moves. And light weights or resistance bands are a great way to add strength training to your cardio workouts. If you don’t have any weights, soup cans will do the trick!

I’ve never had a gym membership

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve never had a gym membership. When my girls were small, it was hard to get out of the house to do anything. I discovered that, in the time it would take me to get dressed and drive to the gym and back, I do my workout and get on with my day. So, I started getting up early in the morning and working out for 30 minutes before anyone else in the house was out of bed. 

Now that my girls are grown up, I still exercise at home because it works for me. I have a big selection of workout DVDs. And, I’ve invested in some hand weights and resistance bands.

Five walking-based home workouts to try

To prevent boredom, I’m always on the lookout for new workouts. When winter set in, I did a search on YouTube to change things up a bit. If you’re looking to get moving, here are five options for free home workouts you can find on YouTube.

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Brand Fitness

BRAND FITNESS – YouTube

If you’re a music lover and don’t like workouts with a lot of talking, Marion’s videos will be right up your alley. Targeted at women over 50, the moves are straightforward and low impact so they’re suitable for all fitness levels. 

She has an assortment of videos of different lengths with different styles of music. Marion gives visual cues with no talking so you can crank up the volume and enjoy the music.

Marion looks like she’s having so much fun in every video. She’s one of my favourites.

Rick Bhullar Fitness

https://youtube.com/c/RickBhullarFitness

When I searched “walking-based workouts” on YouTube, Rick’s channel came up. He’s a former professional dancer turned personal trainer who moved online because of the pandemic.

Rick seems like a really fun guy. His workouts are fun and not too strenuous although, like everything in life, you get out of it what you put in.

Although he doesn’t have as many videos as some of the others, his channel has something for everyone with routines ranging from 7 minutes to over an hour. The videos in his X,000 steps series are great for making sure you hit your step goal for the day. And, if you’ve got an hour, you can get all 10,000 steps in from one video.

Fabulous 50s

https://youtube.com/c/fabulous50s

Fabulous 50s is hosted by Schellea Fowler. Although the target audience is women over 50, I truly believe fitness has no age or gender limit. Everyone can benefit from her encouraging, positive style.

The workouts range in length from 5 to 30 minutes and they’re good for all fitness levels. In the longer videos, I’m able to spend most of the time in the cardio zone by upping the intensity of the moves.

Her longer videos alternate intervals of fast walking with toning exercises to keep things moving. Schellea promises 30 minutes will feel like 15 and she’s not wrong. There’s also a countdown timer to keep you motivated.

Schellea is positive and encouraging. And, she has the most amazing Australian accent that’s pretty easy to listen to.

Lucy Wyndham-Read

https://youtube.com/user/LWRFitnessChannel

Lucy is the queen of YouTube workouts with over 1,000 videos on her channel. With more than 1.6 million subscribers, she’s the most watched fitness YouTuber in the U.K.

During the pandemic, Lucy moved from the studio to her living room, recording videos on her phone including a beginner series for people new to exercise. You might even see one of her two cats Princess Sultana and Princess Raisin wandering through the frame during the workouts.

Again, Lucy has something to fit every schedule and fitness level. Most of her videos are short and can be done in less than 15 minutes. She offers everything from indoor walking videos to full-body toning and HIIT (high intensity interval training).

Grow With Jo

growwithjo – YouTube

If you’re ready to up the intensity of your workouts, Jo’s channel might be just what you’re looking for.

Her videos are higher intensity but mostly low impact. You will definitely work up a sweat.

Jo’s videos feature more contemporary music. She provides visual cues with no talking, but her workouts are easy to follow with no complicated choreography.  

Jo is positive and inspirational. In late 2023, she continued to make videos throughout her entire pregnancy, and was right back at it a couple of weeks after giving birth.

It’s time to get moving!

Between these five channels you could choose a different video every day for years. So, there really is no excuse. Get up off that couch and get moving. You’ll feel better, have more energy and even sleep better.

Have you found other YouTube Fitness channels? Tell me your recommendations below.