Maintaining social distancing doesn’t have to stop you from staying fit and healthy. All you need is some motivation, an internet connection, and some free space in your living room to get moving. Whether you’re looking for tricks on how to maximise your gains or just a focused way to get fit, we’ve narrowed down some great South African YouTube channels to start your journey.
Fitness coach Mpho Molopo is the brains behind this thriving fitness channel. Start your daily routine with the cardio boxing clips to get your pulse pumping, and their lower body routines are bound to leave you with legs for life. While on the shorter side, the videos are high energy yet effective and meant to follow along as you watch. Molopo is an authority in his field with over 8 years of experience in the fitness industry and the founder of a bootcamp fitness studio in Rustenburg of the same name. So you can rest assured that you are in good hands.
Yoga Works is one of Jozi’s top yoga studios known for its vibey live events and outdoor yoga experiences. But their YouTube channel is also a great resource for practicing yogis and complete beginners who are interested in increasing flexibility and building strength at home. Founder Steven Heyman continues to keep his shala ahead of the curve with mostly hour-long classes that really deepen your exercise. Heyman stays true to the traditional setup of his yoga class with clear demonstrations, continual guidance, and a dash of personality.
The ‘Shoulder Love’ session comes highly recommended to try at least once a week while you work from home. This module targets built-up tension around the shoulder area which may be due to stress or sitting for too long or around the shoulder area.
Durban fitness influencer Alinde Ngubane comes highly recommended for energetic workouts that require zero to little equipment, giving you no excuses to jump in right away. Sculpt, strengthen, and transform your body with easy to follow recommendations to help you reach your fitness goals. Some of the solid workouts that are covered in the library include direction on getting defined abs, how to grow strong legs and glutes, and actionable stretching tips to increase flexibility to take the burn up a notch.
This ultimate channel for local CrossFit experts and beginners alike is loaded with regular uploads and varied tips to keep your workout regime exciting yet functional. Motley Crew is a professional CrossFit collective based in Cape Town who share quality techniques to work on those gains while stripping fat. Most of the routines are fun, active, and easy for all people to follow with some cool tunes. The average running time of their videos clocks in under 5 minutes, giving you the perfect opportunity to combine a few for a playlist that will match your pace or squeeze in a quick sesh between working hours.
Our lineup wouldn’t be complete without Linda Kriel, arguably South Africa’s first bona fide fitness guru. Kriel got a head start to her career in the late 80s, from hosting short exercise segments on SABC 2 to her own 30-minute slot on KykNET. In addition, she had regular columns in popular women’s magazines, released a popular video series, and published her first book.
Her YouTube vlogs muscle in on signature DIY ethos to exercising. Think killer cardio and plank moves suited to any fitness level that will guarantee a toned bod, alongside buzzy videos to work your way to a flat belly and overall flexibility.
EVOLUTION MMA HEALTH & FITNESS
Whether you want to work towards a beach body transformation right at home or simply to build endurance, Evolution MMA Health & Fitness is another great channel to follow and the content is split into exercises for muscle definition and cardio tricks. Port Elizabeth’s Andrew Garai is often paired with a buddy giving you the perfect excuse to pull your better half, sibling, or mate into a session. Beginners can start with the older videos in his library first to build their fitness level and familiarise themselves with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fitness, while those who are fairly fit can jump right in and join his live workouts streamed daily.
As any seasoned yogi or dedicated athlete will maintain, meditation is one of the most rewarding fitness recovery techniques to try. A 5-10 minute session of silence after your workout not only helps with calming down your mind and heart rate but also relaxes your nervous system to boost healing, enhance mental clarity, and promises a good night’s sleep.
Pops Mohammed’s Healing Sounds from Mother Africa album on his channel is the perfect way to round out your workout routine with soothing south African instrumental tunes. The 14 tracks all transport and connect you to the spirit of Mother Nature and Khoisan people through a gentle variety of native instruments and rhythms.
