Women be buff and fit 2021
Following this excellent post I decided to share the youtube workout channels I’ve been using to get fit. They’re all woman-run, use little to no objectifying body language (aka “get a juicy ass” or “love handle killer” type of BS), and above all feature beginner-friendly workouts with no equipment. These won’t make you into Xena the Warrior Princess overnight (sadly) but are a great starting point to start getting fit and a little more independent.
She has a lot of 10 to 30 minute full body workouts to chose from. Pilates is a really good start if you want to build core strength and body awareness, which will help you have good form and minimize injury risk if you then progress to more strenuous workouts. She has lots of infectious energy, she’s chatty but without being distracting. Also she’s from Togo so you’re supporting a Black woman content creator while getting stronger, win-win!
Move with Nicole - Pilates
Also pilates. I do find her mellow good vibes youtuber voice pretty irritating at times but her cues are clear and I find her workouts pretty calming and enjoyable so.
Yoga with Kassandra - Yoga
I mainly use her videos to stretch in the morning or before bed but she also has longer and more demanding videos for strength and balance. She has a lot of restorative, slow, yin yoga if you just want to stretch and relax. I think yoga is underrated when it comes to starting to get fit, it won’t make you super strong but it can be a great start if you’re out of shape, or ill and it’s super low impact. It’s also a great way to care for your body on rest/recovery days.
She can be too bubbly and chatty for my liking but credit where credit is due, she’s the one who got me into the habit of daily yoga and it’s done wonders for my mental health. It’s overall a great start for beginners, her comment section is filled with people thanking her for finally making them move their body in a way that feels good.
I was really hesitant to include her because she does title a minority of her videos “sculpt”, “lose fat” and “flat stomach”, even though she usually puts more emphasis on strength than on looks. I still decided to share because my primary focus when starting this fitness journey was to gain arm strength and this workout has done wonders in that regard. Last week I was able to carry a 40kg (88 pounds) bag of dirt home. I would have been barely able to lift it only three months ago! My self-esteem was through the roof but still, be aware of your potential triggers concerning body image if you do decide to browse her videos.
As you can see this list severely lacks fitness youtubers with a strong focus on strength and actually Indian yogis so please feel free to add more options if you know any!
Beware of the youtube algorithm, it will absolutely try to give you an ED if it catches you watching workout videos. I advise you to use a private navigation tab for them, just so your suggestions won’t immediately be filled with diet culture stuff.
Also, shout out to @istanjoanne whose pinned female centered fitness post helped me know what to look for in a workout. If unlike me you’re able to structure a workout without following a vid, her docs may be enough for you to build your own practice!
