How To Start a Fitness YouTube Channel [In 5 Simple Steps]

Interested in how to start a fitness YouTube channel for yourself? Perhaps you’ve been inspired by other fitness vloggers or want to give your gym’s marketing a boost. Video content is increasingly popular so it’s the perfect time to get involved…

In this article – we explain how to start a YouTube fitness channel or vlog (even if you have zero video knowledge or equipment).

Why Start a Fitness Channel?

If you want to help people with their fitness, then creating videos is an effective way to do it. It’s easier to follow the correct technique when watching someone performing the movement (compared with following a written article or still photos). People can even pause and rewind movements if they aren’t clear.

Here are a few other reasons to start a fitness YouTube channel…

Video content is hugely popular – it’s estimated that on average people spend 100 minutes a day watching online videos. Videos are shared 1200% more on social media than images or text, with 93% of businesses earning new customers from them. So, it’s the perfect time to tap into the power of video content.

Social Media Engagement Guide

Is a Vlog Right For Me?

Starting a fitness YouTube channel or vlog takes time and effort, so it’s important to think it through first.

Not everyone is comfortable with creating videos. Some prefer to write blog posts or prepare audio content shared via podcasts. You might also prefer to use Instagram Reels or Facebook Live as an alternative to YouTube.

How To Make YouTube Work For You

Starting a vlog is something many people try as a hobby. But if you want to make your channel successful, you’ll need to align it with your business goals. Think carefully about your objectives for the channel and then create content that supports them. 

You might want to make it part of your sales funnel to drive leads to your website. Or build video into your marketing strategy for boosting credibility or brand awareness. Fitness channels that focus on a clear goal are much more likely to be successful.

Making Money from YouTube

If you’re looking to earn an income from your fitness channel, then there are several routes you can take. Here are some of the most popular ways to make money from YouTube…

• Sponsored content – brands pay you to create videos promoting their products or services.
• Adverts – YouTube inserts ads into your videos and pays you based on the number of people who view them. 
• Reviews – you create video reviews and direct people to affiliate links, so you earn a commission when people purchase.
• Lead generation – you promote your own products or services and drive them to your website to purchase.

Many fitness vloggers use a combination of these methods to create a diversified income. 

How To Start a Fitness Youtube Channel In 5 Steps

So, now you know why YouTube is such a powerful platform, it’s time to create your channel. Here are 5 simple steps to starting a fitness vlog or channel on YouTube…

1. Validate your idea
2. Set up the channel
3. Create video content
4. Upload and promote your videos
5. Rinse and repeat

Now let’s dive into each of these in more detail…

#1 – Validate Your Idea

Before you spend time and effort starting a channel, you need to validate your idea. Is there a demand for what you’ll be offering?

If you have an existing audience, then are they asking for this? Is it something your competitors are doing successfully but you could do better?

You might have identified a potential gap in the market. Use keyword research to validate whether people are searching for things related to your idea. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Moz will tell you exactly how many people are looking for certain phrases (e.g. surf yoga videos).

It’s also important to assess whether the channel has long-term potential. Are you likely to run out of video ideas after a month?

The best way to validate this is to try brainstorming 50 video ideas. This helps you to plan your video content and also ensures that you won’t run out of ideas.

If you can’t manage to come up with 50, then it’s a red flag that this isn’t the right idea for you. The process of brainstorming can also spark different channel ideas, such as focusing on one specific area of fitness.

#2 – Set Up the Channel

Setting up a channel is really easy. If you don’t already have a YouTube account, start by creating one. Then follow the prompts in the top right menu to create your own channel. If you want to give other people access as managers or uploaders, then you’ll need to select the business channel option.

Upload your logo, header image, and complete a short bio that summarises what your fitness channel is about. Structure it in a similar way to an Instagram bio, keeping it concise while including keywords.

Your YouTube url address (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/@wellnesscreatives) will be based on your username handle (you don’t need to have 100 subscribers for a custom url anymore) So, bear this in mind when it first set up your account as it can be tricky to change afterwards.

Fitness Marketing Ideas Ebook

#3 – Create Video Content

Review the keyword research and video ideas from step 1. What are people searching for on YouTube? How can you improve on existing videos by others?

Then come up with ideas for videos that could address these needs…

• Workouts
• Exercise techniques
• Product reviews
• Healthy recipes
• Top-10 compilations
• Interviews
• Fitness challenges
• Q&As
• Repurposed live videos from Facebook or Instagram

Record your video using a smartphone and a stable supporting surface. You don’t need fancy equipment to start with. You can level up and invest in better kit once the channel is paying its way. Even then, a simple kit such as a tripod, ring light, and microphone are all you’re likely to need.

You might also like… How To Teach Engaging Fitness Classes Online

Use a plain and simple backdrop for your videos. You don’t want anything distracting in the shot – the focus should be you. Ensure the space is well lit by filming outdoors, near a window, or with all the lights on.

If you need to edit the video, you can use a free app like iMovie (iPhone) or InShot (Android or iPhone). You don’t need any fancy software to start with.

Top Tip – It can be helpful to create content in batches instead of individually. It saves set-up time as you don’t need to put away the kit and get it back out (which can be a faff). Recording 3-5 videos at a time can be a lot more efficient.

#4 – Upload & Promote Your Video

The next step is to upload the video to YouTube along with a title and thumbnail image. Creating enticing titles and thumbnails is crucial to a video’s success.

People decide whether to watch your video based on these two things. Without a compelling title and thumbnail, your video might not get any views. It doesn’t matter how good your video is – if these two elements don’t grab the audience’s attention then people won’t click on it.

The work doesn’t stop once your video is uploaded – now you need to promote it!

• Share it with your existing audiences such as email subscribers and social media followers.
• Embed it on your blog so visitors can watch it too.
• Share it on YouTube community boards to reach new viewers.

The faster you can get views on your video, the more likely it is to rank highly in YouTube results. The algorithm rewards videos that get lots of views quickly.

#5 – Rinse & Repeat

To build a successful fitness channel on YouTube, you’ll need to upload videos regularly. Post at least one video each week at a consistent day and time.

Track the results from your videos to identify what is working, then scale those things. Measure what’s relevant to your goals, whether that’s the number of views, watch time, or actions taken as a result.

For example, if your goal is to drive website leads then track the quality and volume of those. In this situation, views won’t matter if they’re not converting into website purchasers.

If something isn’t working, then dig into why that might be. Adapt and improve your videos to address these elements. 

Over time, this will ensure that your YouTube channel is consistently improving. It will put you on the right track to growing an engaged YouTube audience and ensure videos are contributing to your wider business objectives.

Starting a YouTube Fitness Channel – Summary

So, now you know exactly how to start a fitness vlog and make it successful. The popularity of video only looks set to grow, so take full advantage in your business marketing.

YouTube can be used to support other business objectives (like lead generation and brand awareness) or generate revenue directly (through ads and affiliate commission). Following the 5-step process will ensure you’re creating content that viewers want and help your channel become a success.

Fitness Business Templates & More

Our ready-made templates make it quicker, cheaper, and easier to promote your fitness business. They can improve the effectiveness of your sales and marketing campaigns. If you aren’t an experienced marketer, then templates also provide a useful guide for you to follow.

Fitness Business Templates

Whether you run a gym club, fitness studio, or personal training business, these templates will save you time and effort. They’ll help you to plan and organize your promotional activities so that you generate more revenue. You’ll get 40+ templates covering sales, marketing, and business start-up resources.