8 Tips for recording better workout videos
Great video content is the key to engaging your online audience, whether it’s on Instagram or in your own workout app. Use these tips to make sure you’re creating high-quality, highly engaging videos, and not missing out on making the best impression with your video content.
1. Ensure you have good lighting.
Not everyone has access to a professional lighting kit, so natural light is a great option for authentic-looking video content. To avoid harsh shadows, soft diffused light is best. So if you’re using natural light then either position yourself next to a window with a sheer curtain or blind, or record your workout video outside when the sun is behind clouds.
2. Check your mic is on!
This seems like a no-brainer, and luckily your microphone should automatically be on if you’re recording with your phone. But if you’re recording with a camera or external microphone, always double-check so you don’t record the perfect video with no sound! It’s also a great idea to do a test run to check for background noise that you might not have noticed.
3. Make sure your phone or camera is on a stable surface.
This is especially important if you’re recording a workout video when you’ll be moving a lot in the video! Check that your phone or camera isn’t on a surface that will be disturbed by your movements, and that it’s away from moving arms, legs, and equipment.
4. Check your background music is at a good level.
If you’re playing background music in your video while speaking, you don’t want the music to overpower your voice. At the same time, if the background music is too soft and can barely be heard, it’s an unnecessary element that could be equally as distracting for the viewer. If your video is only going to have music, it’s best to replace the video’s original audio with a music track after recording for a cleaner sound.
5. Have a clean and minimal background.
Your background shouldn’t distract the viewer because after all, you’re the star of your content! It’s ok to have a few styled elements at the sides of your background like plants or simple artwork, but edit anything that looks too busy or messy. If you’re recording at the gym, try to find a spot or an angle that isn’t too busy in the background, or try to be further away from what’s in your background so it becomes slightly blurred.
6. Know your frame boundaries.
You don’t want to get cropped out of the shot! If you’re recording workouts for your audience to follow, it’s important that they can see you clearly. For full-body exercises, you’ll want to make sure your whole body is within the frame boundaries even when moving around. For targeted exercises like upper body, it’s ok to crop in closer to your body as long as the full range of motion still stays within the framed area.
7. Check the preferred orientation of your video.
It’s best to know where you’re using your videos before you record them so you can choose an orientation that is best for that platform. Landscape is best for YouTube and accomodating more screen sizes. Portrait is best for Instagram (and most social media), and if you’re optimising for mobile usage with your Movement app–although both orientations can be viewed in-app!
8. Show some personality!
Our top tip for creating workout videos? Show some personality, and don’t overthink it! Your audience is here for you just as much as they’re here for your workouts, so be authentic and you’ll thrive.
Ready to give your videos a bigger audience?
Deliver your workout videos to anyone, anywhere with your own branded fitness app, created with Movement! It’s free to sign up and start creating. Check it out here.
What is Movement? Movement.so is a multi-purpose health and fitness platform that enables trainers, gyms and influencers to create and deliver workouts, programs and nutritional content to anyone, anywhere. Movement provides a platform for users to create and distribute their content via their own feature-rich, self-branded web app.
Find out more or sign up for a free account here.
