How To Find Instagram Live Videos For Workouts, Concerts, Cooking Tips, & More

As the country settles into new lockdown restrictions and focuses on social distancing, social media remains a saving grace for connectivity, entertainment, and engagement. Knowing how to find live Instagram videos that you actually want to watch will be a great utility during these trying times. Watching a video in real time is essentially as close to human connection as is advised right now, so why not take advantage of the feature and tune into the kind of content you want to see?

You might have noticed that going Live on Instagram has become more popular, lately. Instagram's Live feature is typically used by businesses, influencers and artists, for Q&A's, concerts, lessons, and presentations, but it's now it seems like all users are getting in on the fun. From actors checking in with their followers, to that classmate from college sharing her skin care routine with her friends, there's almost always a Live video in the Story dock these days. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed to Bustle, “We’re seeing a significant increase in both IG Live and Facebook Live usage, especially as more and more celebrities and musicians are turning to these channels to stay connected with their fans.”

If the current Instagram Live videos featured in your Story tray are not exactly enticing you to hit that "watch now" button, don't give up just yet. Personally, I'm happy to watch an ex-classmate walk me through her moisturizers and serums, but if you're in the mood for something a little more finely tuned to your interests, there's a way to find it. What's more, Instagram has released some official Live video programming, created with coronavirus quarantine and social distancing in mind. Here are a few of the easiest ways to find Instagram Live videos:

Tune Into Official Instagram Live Programming

Instagram is promoting a lot of official Live programming, which means that you can really count on these Stories to show up in your feed when they're scheduled to. Here are a few highlights from the wide range of Lives they have scheduled.

• Barry's: Every day at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., Barry's will be hosting an interval training sweat session.
• Yoga Vida: On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 6 p.m., Yoga Vida is streaming a Vinyasa Flow.
• Rumble: At different times every day, Rumble is streaming a boxing lesson.
• 305 Fitness: At 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., daily, 305 Fitness is streaming a dance workout.
• Stretch*d: Every day at 4p.m., Stretch*d is offering daily recovery/low-impact guided stretching.
• Dance With Mark Kanemura: Choreographer Mark Kanemura is throwing regular, confetti-filled, wig-clad dance events that are great for all ages.
• Bright Minded: Every weekday afternoon at 2:30PM Miley Cyrus is going live with special guests and discussing "how to stay LIT in dark times!"
• Meditate With Jay Shetty: Every morning at 9:30AM, the personal coach and meditation guru is hosting a live meditation session.
• Hobby Time With Melissa: Every day at 2 p.m., comedian Melissa Villaseñor is hosting a hobby class for people a little interested in crafting and a lot interested in laughing.

If there's a trainer, celeb, or company that isn't listed here, head to their Instagram page to check and see if they are offering any Live classes.

Pick An Interest & Browse Instagram Live Tags

If you're looking for something specific, like an Instagram Live cooking demonstration or class, you can search celebrity chefs, or food-centric publications, as many of them are offering live content now. If they are currently live, their avatar will have the rainbow ring around it, plus a small play icon which reads "LIVE." Bon Appetite, a culinary magazine and media company that shares highly entertaining cooking videos, has been going live often, and there's even a new collaborative chef account, called The Quarantine Collective, which offers daily live programming with different chefs.

Or if you'd like to watch a live music performance, you can check your favorite musician's pages for active Instagram Live sessions, or details on upcoming Instagram Live programming. For example, James Blake went Live on March 23, and gave his followers a day's notice to prepare. If you're interested in seeing art, follow museums and galleries, as many of them are offering live virtual tours.

If you don't have a publication, person, or specific interest in mind, you can search hashtags for broader categories, like #artclass, #organizingtips, #homeworkout, or #cooking and see if there are any Instagram Live videos with those tags.

Enable Notifications For Instagram Live Videos

So you don't miss Instagram Live videos from the accounts you love, make sure notifications are turned on. To do this, head to "Settings," then "Notifications," then tap "On" under Live Videos. This way, a notification will pop up if anyone you follow goes Live. Now is also a great time to make sure you're following all of the people whose Instagram Live content you're interested in seeing.

Follow Instagram's Account To Find More Live Videos

Instagram is connecting with all kinds of content creators, artists, and celebrities to put out special programming for quarantine entertainment. In their Stories, and on their feed, they regularly post about upcoming Instagram Live events, social distancing digital parties, and hangouts. So make sure you're following their main account, @Instagram, and have their notifications turned on. Among other things, you won't want to miss Take a Break, a daily Instagram program where a celebrity takes over the account to lead a meditation or give a mindful talk for a few minutes in the middle of the work day. Plus, any updates to the official Instagram Live calendar will be posted on that main page.