Health Disclaimer: Any fitness activity can pose some potential risks to your health. To reduce and avoid injury, consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program. Be sure that the area within which you will exercise is appropriate for physical exertion. When you use these videos, you are performing the exercises at your own risk. Video talent will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of your participation. If you experience any nausea, shortness of breath, feeling of lightheadedness, irregular heartbeat or other health concerns, cease exercise immediately and seek assistance from a doctor.
Get moving in 20 minutes or less!
ParticipACTION has partnered with the YMCA on a new series of fun, motivating and expert-led exercise videos to help people living in Canada to get moving! At 20 minutes or less, these workouts can fit into your busy day. Modifications and a variety of movement options mean you can join in, no matter your age or ability.
Check out the playlist here or download the free ParticipACTION app to get started!
Yoga
Cardio Boxing-inspired Workout
High intensity interval workout
Peripheral Heart Action Workout
Functional Fitness
Boxing-inspired Workout
Better Balance Workout
Dance-inspired Workout
YMCA Playlist
Better Balance Workout – Length: 22:12 mins
Strengthen your joints while you lengthen your muscles. This impact-free workout challenges your balance and enhances your posture through exercises that you can perform while seated, with wall support or freestanding.
Dance-Inspired Workout – Length: 18:41 mins
Groove to the music, even from the comfort of your chair! Rhythmic movements and choreographed dance moves make for a fun and dynamic workout.
Boxing-Inspired Workout – Length: 16:00 mins
Experience the benefits of a higher-intensity workout, no matter your age or ability, with this heart-pumping, interval boxing-style workout that you can do standing or seated.
Functional Training – Length: 21:50 mins
This impact-free workout is designed to improve your joints’ range of motion. Safely move and contract your muscles while increasing your muscular strength and endurance. This standing or seated workout will also help you restore and rejuvenate.
Peripheral Heart Action Workout – Length: 22:18 mins
Performed seated or standing, this interval-style workout switches between upper and lower body exercises, which help you recover and can enhance your circulation.
HIIT Workout – Length: 21:04 mins
A heart-pumping, interval-style workout that you can do using resistance or your own body weight, this higher-intensity exercise routine is suitable for all ages and abilities.
Cardio Boxing-Inspired Workout – Length: 20:13 mins
This high-energy, action-packed, boxing-inspired workout makes cardio enjoyable and accessible for everyone.
Yoga – Length: 25:03 mins
This series of slow, deep stretches promotes nimble joints while creating a deeper connection to your breath so that you can relax and unwind
Dance like no one’s watching!
For centuries, dance has been part of human culture and is still a popular form of artistic expression (and physical activity!). Created in partnership with Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), these fun and easy-to-follow videos are suitable for people of all ages and abilities. Dance at your own pace as you explore the playlist!
Check out the playlist here or download the free ParticipACTION app to start dancing!
Hip Hop Rocks
Hip Hop Social
Introduction to Adult Ballet: Plié Movements
Introduction to Adult Ballet: Tendu Movements
Creativity Through Dance
Energy Through Dance
Dance for Healthy Joints
Canada’s National Ballet School Playlist
Hip Hop Rocks
Join Cherise from Canada’s National Ballet School in this energetic hip hop lesson. Starting with a full-body warm-up, this 20-minute class will take you on a tour of New York City, teaching you the Bronx Rock, Brooklyn Rock and Queens Rock. Standing and seated demonstrations are provided.
Hip Hop Social
Join Cherise from Canada’s National Ballet School on a journey in hip hop. Starting with a full-body warm-up, this 20-minute class will teach you four of the social party dances that are part of the foundations of hip hop, finishing off by putting them together in a brief choreography. Standing and seated demonstrations are provided.
Introduction to Adult Ballet: Plié Movements
Meet us at the barre! Join Philip from Canada’s National Ballet School in an introduction to adult ballet. This first of two gentle 25-minute classes will take you from the barre to the centre, teaching you ballet fundamentals with a focus on plié. A chair or countertop can serve as your ballet barre, and standing and seated demonstrations are provided.
Introduction to Adult Ballet: Tendu Movements
Meet us at the barre! Join Philip from Canada’s National Ballet School in an introduction to adult ballet. This second of two gentle 25-minute classes will take you from the barre to the centre, teaching you ballet fundamentals with a focus on tendu movements. A chair or countertop can serve as your ballet barre, and standing and seated demonstrations are provided.
Creativity Through Dance
Dance with Nancy as she leads you through movements to make a delicious pizza. This activity will warm up your body and imagination. Invite friends and family to get creative and dance along.
Energy Through Dance
Energize your day with Megan! This activity will guide you through choreography and take you to the beach. Explore your range of motion and get ready to make waves.
Dance for Healthy Joints
Move with Phillip as he teaches you how to take care of your joints. Healthy joints are integral to preventing injury and moving better. Follow along to learn about your body with fun movements and simple choreography.
Exercises for your heart & mind
Did you know that people of all ages and abilities who include short, daily bursts of higher intensity physical activity in their lives report increased cardiovascular and muscle strength, clearer thinking and a better quality of life?
We’ve partnered with the YMCA to create five new moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise videos suitable for anyone, regardless of ability. Join the YMCA team as they lead you through safe, effective and fun exercises designed to benefit the health of your heart, mind and more!
Check out three of the videos in the playlist here and download the free ParticipACTION app to see the rest!
High-Intensity Strength Workout
Variable Intensity Interval Training Workout
Moderate-Intensity Cardio Workout
YMCA Playlist
High-Intensity Strength Workout – Length: 26:39 mins
Want to get your heart rate up while challenging your muscular strength and endurance? Then this workout is ideal for you! Join the YMCA team as they guide you through fast-paced exercises that you can perform seated or standing and with or without weights. They’ll challenge your technique while increasing your cardiovascular strength.
Variable Intensity Interval Training Workout – Length: 19:37 mins
Follow along with the YMCA team as they lead you through a series of varying-intensity body weight exercises. You can do them seated or standing, using your upper and/or lower body to help strengthen your heart and lungs, leading to a better day!
Moderate-Intensity Cardio Workout – Length: 23:36 mins
When performed at moderate intensity, cardio-focused workouts can benefit your heart, lungs, muscles and mood! Join the YMCA team as they demonstrate cardio-focused, body weight exercises that can be done seated or standing. They’ll be sure to give your body and mind the pick-me-up it deserves!
The perfect start to a fitness journey
Are you thinking of starting a new fitness routine or getting back into one after an injury or a long period of being inactive? Does the thought of doing uncomfortable workouts that leave you sweaty and sore hold you back from wanting to get active? Believe it or not, exercise doesn’t have to be that way to be beneficial!
In partnership with the YMCA, we’ve created three new low-intensity exercise videos suitable for anyone, no matter where you are in your physical activity journey. Join the YMCA team as they lead you through safe and effective (not to mention fun!) exercises with modifications for all abilities to help improve your strength, mobility and mood.
Gentle Strength Workout
Low Intensity Strength
Low Intensity Strength
Low Intensity Stretch
YMCA Playlist
Low-Intensity Strength – Length: 24:21 mins
This strength training workout is gentle on your joints and effectively challenges your strength and endurance. Whether you’re getting back into a fitness routine, returning to exercise after injury or just starting out, choose the best variation demonstrated and get started today!
Low-Intensity Stretch – Length: 18:07 mins
This workout benefits both mental and physical health. Completing a stretch workout first thing in the morning, following a bout of physical activity or after being sedentary can help increase blood flow to soft tissues, leaving you feeling invigorated yet relaxed!
Gentle Strength Workout – Length: 25:26 mins
This no-impact workout is designed to improve the range of motion around your joints. All the exercises in this video will have you safely moving, contracting and relaxing your muscles through a complete range of motion to increase fluid movement, strength and endurance. Whether performed seated or standing, this workout can help you restore, rejuvenate and grow so that you can live a better day!
Rejuvenating Yoga
This video incorporates gentle muscle-building and bone-strengthening activities with a focus on major muscle groups like your legs, core and back to safely build strength and prevent falls. A seated and standing yoga practice with chair support, this video is ideal for those with limited mobility, or for those just starting out.
Creativity Through Dance
Dance with Nancy as she leads you through movements to make a delicious pizza. This activity will warm up your body and imagination. Invite friends and family to get creative and dance along.
Fit Break Exercise Videos
There are many benefits to sneaking active breaks into your day. Even a ten-minute burst of heart pumping movement can help reduce stress, increase focus, and just make you boost your mood. These workouts can be done from the comfort of your home, and you can even get the whole family involved!
Fit_Break_Cardio_Blast
Fit Break Playlist
Body Weight Interval – Length: 14:39 mins
This high-energy, body weight interval training session includes five different body weighted exercises, performed twice for 40 seconds each. Designed to get your heart pumping as you strengthen your muscles, it includes variations for intensity and ability.
Cardio Core – Length: 15:23 mins
Looking to increase balance and strength while getting some heart-pumping activity in? This is a fun cardio core combo of standing cardio and strength-focused core exercises, with variations to increase or decrease intensity as you go.
Hip Hop – Length: 14:44 mins
Take a trip-down-memory-lane with this late 90s- and early 2000s-inspired Fit Break that features a series of easy-to-follow, dance-inspired cardio moves designed to get your body moving and heart pumping!
Mash Up – Length: 14:43 mins
This Mash Up of easy-to-execute, low-impact exercises partnered with complementary pulsed alignment-focused exercises to improve posture, alignment and movement quality.
Mash Up 2 – Length: 12:46 mins
This Fit Break mashes together 30-second intervals of body weighted exercises to challenge your heart, lungs and muscles, guaranteed to keep you engaged and entertained!
Yoga-Inspired – Length: 14:59 mins
This relaxed yoga-inspired Fit Break focuses on connecting your breath to gentle sustained standing and seated yoga-inspired stretches, leaving you revived, refreshed and ready for what may lie ahead!
Cardio Blast – Length: 11:51 mins
This heart pumping interval-style Fit Break offers intensity and complexity options for all, helping you improve your overall cardiovascular strength!
Kickstarter Workout Videos
This two-minute instructional workout series introduces fundamental exercises to help you seamlessly integrate physical activity into your day!
Break from Busy
Get Fit as You Sit
Get Fit as You Sit
Family First
Binge-watch Break
Mom and Me
Kickstarter Playlist
Get Fit as You Sit – Length: 4:08 mins
This is a simple workout you can do while sitting at work or at home, and it’s a quick way to add a little physical activity to your day. Move more today for a healthier tomorrow.
Family First – Length: 4:07 mins
If you’ve got little kids, you don’t have to divide your time between them and getting active. Do this fun, recess-inspired workout together and you’ll find it’s a bonding experience.
Break from Busy – Length: 4:36 mins
No matter how busy you are, squeeze in this workout at home, while cooking or doing laundry. Physical activity increases endorphins that leave you refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day so that later you can chill and de-stress.
Binge-Watch Break – Length: 4:30 mins
Squeeze in this quick two-minute workout with your main squeeze while binge-watching!
Mom and Me – Length: 4:32 mins
There are many benefits to getting active with your child. The time you spend fitting in this quick core-focused workout will not only help YOU sneak more physical activity into your day but will also help your child form good habits.