According to The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise being active has been linked not only to improving physical health, but more importantly mental health. The main focus of this article was the benefits that anyone can get from doing minimal exercise that could improve their mental health. This article provides proof that exercise has been linked to sharper memory, higher self-esteem, better sleep, and more energy. It can also help alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression, shown in a study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Working out was a part of many people’s daily routines before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and places like gyms and yoga studios started to close meaning people had to find new ways of working out. While people were not able to go out to their normal places to work out, the quarantine gave us both a place and time to work out: our homes. Now that people had their homes and extra time to work out, the only thing left to figure out was how they would work out at home effectively.
Dumbbells on a yoga mat in Villiger Hall dorm room. Picture taken by Hannah Beeler
A free and useful tool that many people sought out was YouTube. YouTube has many different styles of workout routines that can cater to all. Three different YouTube creators that I have found with short workout tutorials are Chloe Ting, MadFit, and Chris Heria. They each have their own type of at home workouts, all of which are perfect places to start.
1. Chloe Ting
Chloe Ting is a very popular YouTuber who posts workout videos that can help get your body in shape- not only to look good, but also to feel good. Chloe Ting’s videos are mostly short (starting at 5 minutes) that use your own body weight. Therefore, her videos can be simple to implement into your daily routine. She has videos for all different fitness levels as well- whether you are a beginner or more advanced, you can find workouts for abs, legs, arms, and cardio.
Chloe Ting at-home workout. Picture taken by Brooke Neal
2: MadFit
MadFit is a similar YouTuber to Chloe Ting, but she has a specific part of her channel dedicated to yoga. If this is your thing or you are looking to learn more about it, this is the perfect channel for you. She has a whole playlist of Apartment Friendly Workouts that is a perfect way for people to do yoga in the comfort of your own home. Most of her classes are about 15 minutes long. Some are specific to relieving stress and anxiety, some are for gaining flexibility, and others are for toning the body.
3: Chris Heria
Chris Heria posts videos on weight lifting and what you should eat to gain weight for muscle. He has videos ranging from working on your arms to core workouts, and even a few on hand to hand combat. He is passionate about using exercise as a way to improve mental and physical wellbeing, and using his platform to help others develop the same passion. All of these workouts can be done at home, Chris Heria offers both body weight exercises and workouts with only dumbbells.
Whatever your preference of exercise is, you can be sure that you can find a free workout class on YouTube. The 3 channels above are a great start to a workout routine that you can start today, but there are plenty of channels that you can browse through to get your ideal home workout routine. To improve your mental and physical health, check out these videos, get a routine started, and stay active!
