Peloton’s Yoga Offerings Are Surprisingly Effective

Posted on by

At this point, it’s safe to say that the Peloton app and I have been inseparable for a long time. I use it every day: riding my trusty bike , walking , stretching , trying to learn to enjoy running , or even meditating — I don’t even like meditating; I just like the way Peloton does it.

Although Peloton is known for its cardio workouts, especially cycling, it offers a variety of other workouts and mindfulness programs. However, its most popular is yoga.

How to Find Yoga Classes on Peloton

First of all, you won’t get much out of Peloton’s yoga offerings if you don’t know where to look. Even if you have a stationary bike, Bike+ , or other cardio machine from the home fitness giant, I recommend downloading and using the mobile app. It makes it much easier to find the classes you want to do on your cardio machines, and you’ll also have access to a lot more, like the ability to organize classes into a playlist, send them to your Peloton team, or just watch them from the comfort of your own home. You can do all of this with a screen on a stationary bike, treadmill, or rower, but it’s more complicated. Plus, you can’t take a rowing machine to the gym, but you can take your phone. You can also basically use the Peloton app on a Roku device, which is perfect for taking yoga classes to your living room. Even then, I recommend finding a yoga class on your mobile device first, bookmarking it, and downloading it to your Roku that way.

So how do you do it? It’s simple. When you first open the mobile app, you’ll see a search bar, information about your daily streak if you have one, and then, in a row, a few workout types. The order they appear in will be algorithmically generated based on what you typically do with the app, but expect to see Meditation , Stretching , Cycling , and so on. Search for Yoga . You can also find yoga classes by typing “yoga” into that search bar at the top. You won’t find as many classes this way, but you will find yoga collections like Conditioning , Drills , and Yin Yoga , as well as programs like Beginner Yoga and Discover Yoga . Collections and programs are curated landing pages full of yoga classes that have something in common, like being designed to keep you fit or for beginners, and can be a good way to find something you like.

Credit: Peloton

When you select “Yoga” from the workout types sidebar, you’ll see a long list of available classes, sorted by the order they’re broadcast and added to the on-demand archive. The first thing you’ll notice is something that Peloton’s other class thumbnails don’t have: a colored dot. Green dots are for beginners, yellow for intermediates, and orange for advanced. This immediately tells you that Peloton offers quality yoga programming.

By clicking on the Filter button at the bottom of the screen, you can select classes of a certain length, taught by a certain instructor, or even targeting a certain muscle group. You can also filter by class type, which is interesting in itself. Here are the available types:

  • Flow

  • Focus of the flow

  • Slow flow

  • Power

  • Yoga Conditioning

  • Yoga + Pilates

  • Morning

  • Restorative

  • Yin Yoga

  • Topic

  • Yoga anywhere

  • Basics of Yoga

  • Family and pre/postnatal period

  • Beyond the Pose is a series of classes where instructors explore deeper yoga themes and philosophies.

This selection is honestly on par with what you’ll find at a brick-and-mortar yoga studio in terms of class variety, not to mention volume. And, as is always true for Peloton but not always true for casual studios, each instructor is credibly qualified, experienced, and certified. At $44 a month (or just $24 a month if you don’t have a bike or other cardio equipment), it’s a much better deal than yoga studio classes, which can cost you hundreds of dollars a month.

What do you think at the moment?

The yoga classes themselves

As I mentioned, all of these classes are so clearly labeled, categorized, and filtered that you can easily find the class that’s right for you. If you only have 10 minutes to workout, are an intermediate, and want to focus on your triceps, there are 39 classes for you.

Instructors start each class by explaining what you’ll be doing, what poses to expect, whether you need accessories like yoga blocks, and how to set up your space for the class. They give clear instructions, modifications, and helpful tips to help you master each pose so you don’t get confused. I’ve tried a lot of free yoga classes on YouTube, and honestly, these are the best, if only because of the high quality and clarity of the instructions.

I’ve taken a lot of yoga classes in my life, usually at the gym I have a membership at or where I currently work (though I’ve been known to sign up for trial weeks at specialty yoga studios and boutiques), but I don’t consider myself anything more than a seasoned beginner, for what it’s worth. That said, I find the intermediate classes to be quite doable, so maybe I’m selling myself short. Luckily, if I ever struggled with them, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Not only are there plenty of beginner options, but the instructors offer a range of modifications and encouraging feedback as you progress through each program. These classes feel the closest I’ve come to replicating the studio experience, at least in terms of flow variety and instructor expertise.

More…

Fitness

Leave a Reply