Gentle Workouts That Get You in Shape

I love finding at-home workouts that help me stay in shape and feel better. This is my newest list of gentle workouts that get you in shape.

Sitting at my desk all day can take a toll on my body so I am always looking for easy gentle, yet effective workouts to relax and restore my body.

I have always loved working out at home and have been doing this for 40+ years. I was a teenager when Jane Fonda put that first home workout out and I’ve been hooked ever since.

While I have tried workout classes in studios and gyms, these always feel stressful to me and I eventually always quit going.

Working out at home kept me fit through three pregnancies and helped me get back in shape after. Fast forward to my fifties and gentle workouts helped me lose weight and maintain that loss for eight years.

You don’t have to do intense painful workouts to stay in shape.

I’m 61 and I believe that being consistent and working out on a regular basis is one of the secrets of looking and feeling youthful.

10 Benefits to Working Out at Home

• You can go at your own speed and level of fitness
• You don’t have to wear special clothes
• It’s convenient; you don’t have to travel
• You don’t have to feel self conscious
• Progress at your speed
• You’re in control of the workout
• Lots of variety
• Free or low cost
• You can workout any time of day or on any day
• There’s no competition with other people; just you doing your best

What is a Gentle Workout?

Gentle is one of my main criteria for workouts. I don’t want high impact or to feel any burn. At 61, my body is in good shape and I don’t have any injuries.

I want to keep it that way!

But just because a workout is gentle doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging or effective. These workouts will help you stay functional, feel better, and move better. Plus you’ll strengthen your muscles.

So, gentle doesn’t mean easy or not effective. It means that they are safe for most women.

In evaluating workouts I love workouts that combine strength, cardio, and stretch as much as possible. These are the types of workouts that feel best to my body.

I use walking outside to compliment my workouts at home. Because these types of workouts are gentle on the body, I can do something almost every day and feel great.

How I Picked These Gentle Workouts

I’m really picky about my workouts and I do not mind paying for subscriptions. However, I also love some of the creators on YouTube.

Things I look for are:

• Clear and easy to follow instructions
• Movement that feels good but also challenges me
• Feels safe
• Instructor is motivating and fun to workout with
• Good video and audio
• Fun–not boring!

Depending on your fitness, you can find something that is a good fit or you can modify it. I always start with no or very little weight if the workout has hand weights. I like to get the moves down first.

Sometimes I will go slower if the speed is too fast for me. Take care of yourself and don’t push too hard.

One of the best things gentle workouts can do is help you relax after your day. Start slow, warm up, and enjoy!

My Favorite YouTube Gentle Workout Instructors

Here are my current five favorite workout instructors on YouTube. They have a huge variety of workouts available and I picked two from each to give you a sample.

I’m having so much fun trying out new workouts and already have some favorites. To enjoy!

Jessica Smith

I have fallen in love with the workouts from Jessica Smith TV. Her directions and speed are easy for me to follow and I always feel like I get a great full body workout. Here are two of my favorites. I especially like the ones I can do barefoot.

To date, I have liked every video of hers that I have tried.

Because this summer has been so hot, I’ve been doing more at-home walking. I do subscribe to Walk at Home but it’s been fun finding some variety.

These workouts are getting me through the summer!

Angie Fitness TV

Another creator I am enjoying is Angie Fitness TV on YouTube. She has so many workouts and many feature special equipment. She provides modifications throughout her videos.

Another thing I like about Angie’s videos is she does a thorough warm-up. Thank you Angie! After sitting most of the day, it takes a while for my body to warm up and be ready to do some exercise.

She also has a nice stretch at the end.

This is a favorite that I do a couple of times a week. The moves feel like they work my body head to toe but also feel easy to do.

I have been so curious about wall pilates and here is one you can try for free!

Fabulous 50’s

Another fun creator is Fabulous 50’s, also on YouTube. I’m really thrilled with the variety of my kind of exercise.

The following workout is a standing ab workout. I don’t like doing ab workouts on the floor and this workout really appealed to me. It’s 20 minutes and the exercises are doable. I’ll let you know how it works for me after I’ve done it a few times.

I do love walks and here’s another good indoor one.

Senior Shape Fitness

This is a new instructor for me, Lauren at Senior Shape Fitness. Her voice is relaxing and her workouts are geared towards beginners, seniors, and people with osteoporosis and osteopenia.

I’m not in any of those groups but here is what I appreciate about the workouts. The movements are slow and intentional. There aren’t very many reps and you really can feel the muscles you work.

The first time I did the barre workout below, I could really feel the work in my hips.

These kinds of workouts are really great for everyone. I am a huge believer that fitness should feel good.

And when my workouts feel good, I’m more likely to do them. In fact, I actually look forward to working out.

I’m a big fan of barre and this one was fun to do!

This is a no-impact cardio workout. It’s gentle, gets your heart rate up, and feels great as you work your entire body.

The Girl with the Pilates Mat

Here’s my final instructor for this post, The Girl with the Pilates Mat.

I did this workout right after work. When I get up from sitting at my desk for long periods of time, I feel really stiff. This 20-minute workout really got my body relaxed and loose. Then I went on to do a more vigorous workout.

The directions and cueing is great as well as how the instructor visually demonstrates the moves.

I really spend time taking care of my feet. It might sound weird if you don’t but I love foot exercises and they help me not have those bad cramps in my feet.

More Reasons to Workout at Home

Over the years I have tried workout classes at gyms or studios. These can be fun but I usually find them stressful and eventually I quit going.

Thank goodness, I always have great workouts I can do at home. Here are my top 10 reasons to workout at home.

• You can go at your own speed and level of fitness
• You don’t have to wear special clothes
• It’s convenient; you don’t have to travel
• You don’t have to feel self conscious
• Progress at your speed
• You’re in control of the workout
• Lots of variety
• Free or low cost
• You can workout any time of day or on any day
• There’s no competition with other people; just you doing your best

I hope you give working out at home a try!