How Periscope makes streaming workouts from home so much better

Every now and then, a new social media concept completely revolutionizes the way people interact and work (hello, Facebook!). If I were a betting woman, I’d put money on Periscope being the start of the next big revolution, both for general human interaction and the fitness world.

If you’re not familiar with Periscope, think Instagram meets YouTube. The app provides instant, live-streaming video content that enables immediate, personal interaction between the “scoper” (the term for the person creating the video) and the person watching.

Now don’t get me wrong, live-streaming video is nothing new. Heck, YouTube and Google+ offer it. What makes Periscope different is how incredibly easy and accessible it is to create content and interact with others.

It’s this ease-of-use (not to mention the app’s novelty) that’s bringing all the fitness buffs to the yard. Just two weeks ago when I joined Periscope, I was having a hard time finding quality workout routines. Now? They’re all over the place. And not just by “no name” scopers like myself (Follow me! @girlsgonesporty), but by household names like Shaun T (from the Insanity workouts, @shauntfitness) and Chalene Johnson (from Turbo Kick, @ChaleneJohnson).

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Therein lies the beauty of Periscope. Other social networks make it possible for “plebs” to interact with trainers and fitness stars from a distance. Periscope enables and encourages real-time, vocal interaction.

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Let me put it this way: When Shaun T creates a live Periscope workout, he’s actually doing the workout right then. He’s also reading the comments coming through to him in real time, often giving shout-outs and answers to those participating. Suddenly, the average “every woman” has instant access to the great wide world of high-end training and nutrition services. You can ask questions and get answers without paying a dime.

I’m clearly a believer, and I hope to make a convert out of you — but I will admit it’s still a little tricky to find workouts on Periscope. They’re there — and more are popping up every day — but it takes some finesse to hunt them down. Here’s how to get started:

1. Connect your Periscope account to Twitter and find the fitness gurus you’re following on Twitter through the app’s people finder icon. Chances are, at least some of them are offering workouts through Periscope. (I connected with @SaraHaleyFit this way.)
2. Use Twitter to search for workouts. Login to Twitter and search the hashtags #periscope and #workout, or possibly #fitscope or #healthscope. Look for tweets that say, “Live on Periscope,” then click through to find the user and follow them.
3. Use the world icon on Periscope to search for live scopes taking place in real time. I’ve found a couple of great workout scopes this way (@LevelSportsApp and @AndiMcKinley are two of ’em).

Once you’ve subscribed to the trainers of your choosing, the rest is easy. You’ll receive a notification whenever one of them is going live, and you can opt to hop in and do the workout with them then, or you can watch the replay and do the workout on your own time. Each video is available for 24 hours, so you have up to a day to take advantage of any individual routine.

Seriously, go sign up for Periscope now and start playing with the app (it’s available on iPhone and Android). And if you want, follow me — I offer random, one-minute workouts every day, plus longer fitness series that run Monday through Friday. Can’t wait to have you join!