Although hiking on flat ground can be done by anyone of any fitness level, ascending strenuous mountains does require a good amount of strength.
Sheldon is a long-distance runner while I prefer a variety of exercises anywhere from HIIT to cardio kickboxing to weightlifting to yoga and to Pilates.
As a Jamaican, Sheldon was born with running genes. He completed a few half marathons in the top 10% and enjoys running from 4 – 10 miles several times a week. One of his favorite places to run is in Bear Mountain, which poses an extra challenge as it is very hilly.
I did a lot of running myself in my 20s but, unfortunately, ended up with two bunionectomies as well as two torn meniscuses. I do some running with Sheldon but not more than 4 – 5 miles on flat ground and only once a week or so.
I am a big fan of Iyengar Yoga, which helped me in every other form of fitness as it taught me body alignment and awareness. My workouts vary in nature and depend on what my body and mind are in the mood for on the particular day. I love anything form HIIT (high impact interval training) to body sculpting to toning to barre to Pilates to yoga and a mix of everything.
Before kids, I loved going to group fitness classes. After kids and the popularity of YouTube, I stay fit by exercising either on my balcony (if weather is above 40) or in my living room or bedroom. I also love walking and ensure I get a minimum of 10,000 steps every day in addition to my daily hourly workouts.
I have a full time job so I wake up at 5 AM on weekdays, which means I have a strict bed time of 9 PM. There is no excuse for not working out. You can exercise in small spaces and with no equipment aside from a mat and a pair of sneakers. Below, are the links to my favorite fitness YouTubers. I gave short explanations to some of the channels that I prefer and tend to do more often.
Tracy Steen – no nonsense workouts geared toward a more advanced crowd – lots of HIIT, weights, intense workouts. I love Tracy’s workouts as she is close to me in age and looks realistic not like a model whose body type is impossible to attain for the average person. She also has lots of fitness tips and recipes on her channel.
Sydney Cummings – geared toward a mix of beginner to advanced crowd. Sydney offers a variety of workouts but most of them tend to use heavier weights and are HIIT style. She also has some Pilates and yoga videos. She is very sweet, connects with her audience, and provides great explanations.
HASfit – Coach Joshua Kozack, a former MMA fighter, and his wife, Claudia, team up to provide a mix of weights, cardio, and martial arts.
Heather Robertson – excellent workouts geared toward a more advanced crowd. Very little talking, so perfect for people who know what they are doing.
Penny Barnshaw – advanced fitness with and without weights. Not too much talking or instructions. Penny is very buff and looks like a bodybuilder. However, don’t worry, you will not buff up so easily, if that is your fear. You will look great doing her workouts.
Popsugar Fitness – Provides a variety of workouts from beginner to advanced. There are many different trainers for variety. Usually, includes 3 or more people in video. The videos are more geared toward women and tend to use lighter weights. There are also nutrition tips and recipe videos on the channel.
Healthy Fit with Ty – advanced fitness – cardio, weights, kickboxing, dancing – very little instructions – great workouts
BodyFit by Amy – Great workouts for all fitness levels. Amy is very sweet and talks you through the workouts. She tends to use lighter weights but has some with heavy weights.
Caroline Girvan – advanced workouts
Jordan Yeoh Fitness – Advanced bodyweight workouts – very little talking. This is Sheldon’s favorite fitness channel.
Growingannanas – Advanced mostly bodyweight little talking
Nourish Move Love NML – great advanced workouts with talking
Trainer Hub – Advanced videos from different trainers
CDornerFitness – advanced workouts
Nobadaddiction – advanced workouts
Millionaire Hoy – extremely advanced and lots of cardio
Tabitha Gomes – great workouts – is a mom and works out with her kids during COVID
Barlates Body Blitz – excellent barre and pilates mix with the use of bands, small and large pilates balls, and small weights. You will do lots of small movements, which will burn. Very sweet trainer Linda Wooldridge will explain in detail and has adorable Australian accent.
Gymra – overall, a variety of good workouts for all levels but done by fitness models, which is annoying for me personally. Sometimes, it makes you wonder whether the purpose of the videos is to guide you through a workout or show off the models’ bodies. The models always have perfect makeup and hair. The female trainers never wear enough support on top but dress to look pretty. The videos zoom into body parts. I prefer instructors who have realistically attainable bodies as the ones above and do not work out just to look pretty. However, for variety sake, I work out to the videos on this channel from time to time.
Coach Ali – fantastic workouts as long as you don’t mind a bitt too much showing off – similar to Gymra in terms of model looking bodies.
Bob Harper – from the biggest looser. He does not have a channel but if you put “Bob Harper workouts” in the YouTube search, you will come upon a number of excellent advanced workouts.
FitnessBlender – Husband and wife team, Daniel and Kelli – geared more toward beginner – lots of stretching and instructions
Workout Hotel with Karen Vizueta – variety of different workouts
Fit by Larie – variety of workouts
Evolve Functional Fitness Workouts – Advanced workouts
Michelle Briehler – workouts filmed outside group exercise
Body Project – Lots of talking – encouraging for beginners. Usually, two or three people in video
Sean Vigue Fitness – Advertises himself as yoga and Pilates for men but is excellent for women too. He does a lot of chit chat to make his videos a bit different and funny. You may hear him throw in some German words. Overall, he provides an excellent intense core and full body workout on the mat.
Lily Sabri – low impact, lots of mat work intense toning
Dansique Fitness – Taught by Desiree a former ballerina. Mostly pilates and barre with a bit of HIIT.
FitLara – Taught by Lara Maurermeier, a gymnast. Lots of barre, pilates, and HIIT.
Isa Welly – Pilates videos by dancer, Isa Welly
Coach Kel – body sculpting and barre
tuck barre & yoga – excellent sculpting and barre
Action Jacquelyn – body sculpting and barre
Amy’s Beach Fitness – mostly sculpting and barre
Muscle And Mat – lots of abs and strength
Pamela Reif – sculpting focus
Pilates on Demand – Lindsay Rosebush from GymRa
Travis Eliot – one of my favorite power yoga channels.
Lauren Eckstrom – wife of Travis Eliot – so great power yoga in similar style to her husband
Ali Kamenova Yoga – lots of power and HIIT yoga also some beginner videos
Cat Meffan – lots of power yoga
Yoga with Tim – a mix of beginner low impact exercises, Iyengar yoga, and Vinyasa sequences
Heart Alchemy Yoga with Michelle Goldstein –
Yoga with Adriene – from beginner to more advanced flows. Geared toward college students. Very sweet girl
Five Parks Yoga w/ Erin Sampson
Essence of Living TV – taught by Michelle Merrifield
Boho Beautiful Yoga – couple traveling in Costa Rica
Kaylie Daniels – mostly yoga with some barre and sculpting
PsycheTruth – Lots of self-help videos, massage techniques, mixed in with various workout workouts, mostly on beginner level
Emi Wong – mostly bodyweight sculpting and toning geared toward younger crowd
Hana Milly – mostly bodyweight sculpting and toning geared toward younger crowd
Chloe Ting – mostly bodyweight sculpting and toning geared toward younger crowd
Getfitbyivana – mostly bodyweight sculpting and toning geared toward younger crowd
Taylor Toned – Barre and pilates
Moving Mango – Pilates with Hannah
Tuyet Aerobics – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Zumba Class – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Emma Fitness – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Mira Pham – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Aerobics VN – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Thuy Duong Aerobics – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Eva Fitness – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Aerobic Inc – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Inc Dance Fit – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Hai Anh Aerobics – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Dance Fitness – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
FiT Aerobic – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Amg Fitness – Asian Zumba – mostly upper body movements. Instructors look like porcelain dolls. Great waist workout. Great workout when you feel like doing something different.
Dare to be active with Dr. La Thoma Gusta
Stephanie Tencer Align With Joy
