There are plenty of reasons to pick up yoga, and thanks to the internet, you don’t even have to join a yoga studio to practice. You can just as efficiently do yoga from your home by following along with online yoga classes. Though, there are a few things you need to know before you commit to an online yoga service — especially if you’re going to be paying for it.
What types of yoga are there?
There are tons of different styles of yoga. One of the most popular — and the one that you likely picture when you think of yoga — is vinyasa. This is where you flow through different poses and movements and focus on your breath.
If you’re looking for more of a workout from yoga, we suggest power yoga, which is a fitness-centered approach to vinyasa, or Buti yoga, which combines standard asana posing with cardio, dance, and core training. (Buti is my personal favorite.) And to really work up a sweat, try hot yoga.
If you aren’t quite sure what type of yoga you like or works best for your body, take advantage of free trials or free yoga classes offered by online services. You can test out a few styles before committing to a paid yoga platform.
Benefits of yoga
Yoga can really help your flexibility, release tension from stress and anxiety, and build strength and endurance. It can also help relieve back and joint pains. Plus, it’s a nice form of exercise that doesn’t require you to go to the gym.
Like we said, you don’t even have to go to a yoga studio to reap the full benefits of doing yoga. As a complete beginner, it might be a little difficult to do yoga at home if you aren’t familiar with all of the movements and poses, but once you get the hang of it, at-home yoga is a breeze.
If you don’t have time to make it to the studio before or after work, you can squeeze in a quick flow in your living room or bedroom by following along with an online class.
What kind of equipment you’ll need for an online yoga class
Because you’re likely doing online yoga classes at home, you’ll need everything you’d otherwise be able to borrow from a yoga studio. First and foremost, you’ll need a yoga mat. Yoga mats create a padded, secure surface for you to practice yoga without sliding all over the place or hurting your joints too much.
Some optional yoga equipment you can use during your practice are blocks, cushions, resistance bands, and blankets. Blocks and blankets are especially useful for restorative yoga where you spend extended periods of time focusing on specific parts of your body and stay in the same position longer than if you were going through a vinyasa flow.
Apart from gear you need for your actual practice, you might want to invest in some mood-setters like color-changing lights or an essential oil diffuser to take your yoga to the next level. There are yoga-specific shops like Gaiam or YogaDirect, or you can find the equipment you need from retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
What kinds of classes can you expect from an online yoga platform?
Each platform will offer different types of yoga classes. Yoga With Adriene on YouTube has tons of variety like yoga poses for beginners, yoga to do at your desk, yoga to work specific parts of your body, and pretty much any other category of yoga you can think of.
Yoga Download is customizable by allowing you to select a handful of your favorite yoga poses and the platform will provide you with a personalized class. Some platforms offer additional classes outside of just yoga. You can try your hand at barre, pilates, and meditation with services like YogaVibes, Alo Moves, and Aaptiv.
Most platforms have different class levels depending on how advanced you are at yoga. If you are truly a beginner — like have never done yoga in your life — YouTube is probably the best place to start. Though, the paid yoga services also have video tutorials dedicated to teaching the basics. It’s all about whether you want to pay upfront or ease into learning yoga.
In addition to different styles of classes, most platforms offer both live yoga classes and pre-recorded/on-demand classes. Live classes can be extra motivating and can give you a sense of community because you’re actually following along with other people in real-time. Sometimes these take place over video services like Zoom, so everyone in the class can see one another. If you can’t fit a live class into your schedule, it’s really nice to have access to on-demand yoga classes that you can take whenever you want.
How easy is it to follow along with online yoga classes?
This will totally depend on the instructor, your level of yoga knowledge, and your learning style. If you’re a visual learner, following along with step-by-step video instructions can help you master the positions you’ll need for a proper flow or practice.
But, because yoga involves movement and you won’t always be able to get a clear view of your screen — hello, downward dog — the audio of an online yoga class is really important. If the audio isn’t easy to understand, you’re going to have to be craning your neck the entire class, and that basically counteracts the purpose of yoga.
For a virtual yoga class to be effective, you should be able to go through your flow or poses even if you can’t see the instructor. Aaptiv is actually an exercise program that puts an emphasis on audio workouts because they know a screen is the last thing you want to focus on while you’re working out. The program offers more than just yoga, too, which is nice if you don’t want yoga to be your sole source of movement.
Some instructors are more chatty than others, so you might have to vet a few classes before finding a yoga teacher who matches your style. For example, Adriene from Yoga With Adriene is pretty conversational throughout her classes, so if you want something more cut and dry, her channel might not be the best for you.
How often are new classes added?
If you pay for an online yoga subscription, you don’t have to worry about a stagnant selection of videos. Not all services add new classes at the same rate, but you’ll usually get access to a new batch of pre-recorded or on-demand classes on a weekly or monthly basis.
Live class schedules will also obviously vary from platform to platform. If live classes are your preference, see if you’re able to view each service’s calendar before committing to ensure you’ll actually be able to fit the live yoga classes into your schedule.
Which online yoga platform is best?
That’s what we’re here to help you decide. With all of these criteria in mind, we’ve gathered our top online yoga class picks to make it easy for you to find the one that best suits your needs. We will say: Glo and Alo Moves are fan favorites.
