April 15, 2020

The Explainer: Workout At Home

What it is: With a global population confined to their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, people are turning to YouTube to fulfill a number of needs previously satisfied by other means. That shift can be seen in increased consumption of videos that focus on workouts that can be done in the home.

The large majority of the top 100-most viewed “workout at home" videos focus on functional fitness movements and exercises geared toward specific muscle groups, including, primarily: chest, abs, glutes, and full body.

Where it is: Worldwide.

Facts & Figures:

  • Global average daily views of videos with "workout at home" in the title have increased by over 200% since March 15 compared to their average views for the rest of the year.
  • Six of the year's top 20 biggest live streams, based on peak concurrent viewership, have been PE With Joe live streams.

Look out for:

Senior (and beginner)-friendly workouts: While not in the majority, multiple videos in the top 100 most-viewed “workout at home" videos feature content that is more likely to appeal to an older audience, including walking (at home) workouts, Zumba, and workouts specifically including a title match for “senior." It is expected that Gen Z and millennials would turn to YouTube for workouts, but so too is an older, high-risk population of individuals who are confined to their homes.

Workouts for families: Multiple videos within the trend serve the niche need of parents looking to keep their kids active. Many larger fitness channels are offering select workouts geared toward kids, and in the U.K., PE With Joe has offered a regular phys-ed livestream that routinely has hundreds of thousands of viewers watching and participating together.

Key Videos & Creators:

  • Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone (1.8M subs) - The U.S. creator of the “original walking workout" is uniquely well suited to the current climate (her content was always geared toward “at home") and speaks to an older audience stuck indoors.
  • Roberta’s Gym (1.5M subs) - A channel geared more toward weight/fat burn that has created at-home workout content since 2015
  • MadFit (2.7M subs) - The CA creator has multiple videos in the top 100 thanks to her large library of workout content requiring no more than a mat and dumbbells, if that.
  • HASFit (1.3M subs) - Led by a personal trainer, Heart and Soul has offered full-length, at-home workouts since 2007.
  • Chloe Ting (4.6M subs) - The popular AU creator has created timely, at-home content in recent days, but it’s her older full body and booty/toned legs workouts that have received the most views.

For more reading, check out our fitness community overview.