How to get back into working out - the easy way

I have to admit that I have been really inconsistent with my workouts during my pregnancy. By inconsistent, I mean, I haven't worked out at all.. I have now promised myself that as soon as I am able to, I will have to start my fitness routine again.

Since I haven't really worked out in, oh, about 9 months, I am extremely out of shape. I don't know if any of you are like me, but I don't like to get into a gym or other workout classes with other human beings when I'm that out of shape - I feel really self conscious and pretty much end up not doing much, paying too much attention to what others are looking at. I find that for me, working out at home first is the best way to kick start a routine and be a little bit less out of shape. For this, I normally go on YouTube and find some videos I want to do.  Here are my top 5 YouTubers with the best workout videos in my opinion, in no particular order.

Tone It Up

The girls at Tone it Up are amazing! They have several programs you can follow such as the Bikini Series, which gets updated regularly and the Love Your Body series. I love that their videos target a specific area of the body, such as your booty, your abs or arms, but they also have full body workouts. You should definitely check out their website which also has so much more information such as nutrition plans, recipes, workout schedules and a list of their workout videos.

Blogilates

Cassey Ho, of Blogilates is another YouTuber with amazing workout videos. Her style of workout is different  to Karena and Katrina of Tone it Up as she does what is now known as Pop Pilates - classical pilates set to pop music. Cassey also has videos that target specific areas of the body and full body workouts, but my favourite videos are her song challenge ones - you do one move for the length of one song. These are so so hard, but as they only last a few minutes, you want to stick it out as much as you can! Cassey also has a website and if you register, you receive a monthly calendar of what exercises and routines you should be doing everyday. Definitely check out her website as there is so much information on there!

Fitness Blender

Fitness Blender is another YouTube channel that I love. This husband and wife team are like your typical personal trainer and the exercises they feature are your regular lunges and all that. I love it! One of the best thing with this channel is also the countdown timer that they have for each exercise. It makes it so much easier to keep going when you know how long you have left! Again, they have videos that target specific areas of the body and full body workouts as well. My husband is a huge fan of theirs! As the other YouTubers, they also have a website which contains loads of information and workout routines that you can follow. I highly recommend checking it out.

Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles is the first yoga guru I discovered on YouTube and I've been following her ever since. I've never been on the flexible side, so I try to do some yoga everyday to remedy that. I find that mixing some yoga with my everyday workout is the best way for me to get the most out of my workout routine. Tara also has a website where you can find loads of healthy recipes.

Yoga with Adriene

I love Adriene's videos  - they are so easy to follow and she has different series that run one after the other, which helps keep you interested and motivated. My favourite video of hers has to be Yoga for Complete Beginners - 20 minute home yoga workout. I find it to be the perfect length of time when you're just starting out and also to mix in with any other workout you might be doing. This is probably the video I will be following once I get back to working out - after doing this a few times, I should then be able to follow one of the other series such as Yoga for Weight Loss or 20 - 25 Min Yoga Practices. Adrienne's website is also worth checking out as she has a lot of info on there.

Kayla Itsines

Kayla Itsines.. Where to start? Unlike the others featured in this post, Kayla isn't on YouTube. But I'm sure you've heard of her, right? She is the Australian who has taken the fitness world by storm with her Bikini Body Guide, going all over the world to demonstrate what it can do. I couldn't write a post about home workouts without including her as her guides can be done anywhere. Unfortunately, unlike the Youtube videos, her guide isn't free, but many would say that it is well worth it's price.

I have to say, writing this post has got me quite excited to start working out again. And the way I like to do it is to mix up my workouts by doing some from each of the fitness gurus I have spoken about above - it really keeps things interesting and keeps me motivated as no 2 days are the same, and you can workout for as much or as little as you want, plus you can do all of these whenever it suits you - no need to rush to make a class!

How do you get motivated to work out and what's your favourite workout?