I’m often asked what exercise and diet routines I’m into. It seems that this is a perennially favorite topic (it’s certainly something I’m always interested in), but it especially pops up at the start of a new year when we’re trying to begin and stick to new, healthier habits. And let’s face it – it can be difficult to work in exercise every day, and forgo that extra slice of pizza (or cookie, or potato chip – whatever is your temptation), and it becomes even more so after you enter your 50’s. Those 5 pounds we used to be able to drop just by cutting back for a couple of days, just doesn’t happen anymore. They hang around a lot longer than we want them to, in places we don’t want them to (ahem…stomach, hips) and create just a bit of extra bulge (muffin top sound familiar?) that makes our clothes not fit the way we want them to.

After having acknowledged that I really won’t take an hour a day to exercise anymore (and facing that fact square on was such a relief), I’ve collected a number of websites that offer great 20-30 minute videos that address various body parts, cardio, interval training, and yoga that do meet my exercise needs on a daily basis. I get variety and can do them on my schedule, although I’ve found that exercising the same time every day and putting it on my schedule works best – for me, that means early in the day rather than putting it off until later. I invariably get derailed by the demands of the day if I wait and end up not exercising at all. The important thing is to do what works with your schedule and lifestyle.

One other tip is to not be afraid to modify the exercises to suit your capability on any given day. Some days we’re just stronger, more flexible, or have more energy than others. These videos are typically led by younger women who are in great condition so, while they are good role models, don’t feel that you have to keep up with them if your body just isn’t up for it.

So, my favorite exercise sites are (drum roll…):

PopSugar Fitness: They have tons (900+) videos to choose from; they’re well organized into length, which body part you want to work on, cardio and so on. I recommend subscribing to the channel and you’ll get a notice whenever a new one is released. It’s an easy way to mix up your routine so you don’t get bored. When I find ones I particularly like, I save the link in a notebook (file) in Evernote (which is a great on-line filing system – highly recommend.) Here’s one of my favorite PopSugar routines to get you started:

For yoga lovers, Brett Larkin has great on-line videos in the 20 to 30 minute range, for beginners as well as more advanced practitioners. Again, I subscribe to her channel and get an email every time she uploads a new video. Here’s one for you to try out:

I also love Jessica Smith TV – she’s got a variety of workouts – cardio, walking, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and most are in the 20-30 minute range. Try this one to see how you like her style. (Her cute little dog often comes in during the routines – I love it because my dog does the same thing!)

An all-time favorite of mine is The Bar Method, which is great for sculpting long-lean muscle. I recommend you take some of their classes in person before subscribing to their on-line videos, because you do want/need to use good form in order to avoid injury. But once you’ve got the basics down, you might want to subscribe to their on-line video program – they have some 20-minute ones that fit in with my current philosophy (as opposed to the hour-long videos, which resemble the full class routine.) You can also search “barre exercise” on YouTube and find a number of free videos, but again, I recommend taking some in-person classes first to set up your proper form.

I also subscribe to a fitness newsletter, The Greatist, which comes to my email every day. They have articles on all kinds of topics that are fitness-related, including healthy eating (we’ve tried a lot of the Whole 30 recipes and they’re great) as well as exercise. I’ve found many new exercise videos through this newsletter – some of which I love (and keep in my Evernote file) and some of which I just do once and then move on. It’s really great for battling exercise boredom.

So far these are my favorites for 2017 – I’d love to hear about yours. Please do share. Happy exercising and thanks for reading!

Adena