Yoga apps have come a long way. Just a few years ago, many of them were flash cards describing poses and sequences of actions. Now they have turned into full-fledged video instructions with additional functionality..
The selected apps have been developed by people with solid yoga experience, not regular developers with a primary goal of maximizing profits.
Down dog
Down Dog is powered by yoga coach Adrienne Kimberly and has functionality that the competition lacks. The library of asanas is equipped with detailed instructions with information on how to perform each exercise. Lessons can be downloaded for offline viewing..
You yourself choose the duration and type of classes, even the instructor's voice (six different voices are available, including in Russian). In addition, beginners are offered a three-day introductory course providing a basic understanding of yoga. For example, you will learn what vinyasa and hatha yoga are.
Down Dog was free during the 2020 quarantine, but now the subscription price is 590 rubles per month or 2700 rubles when paid for a year. There is a free trial period for 2 weeks..
Download on Android / iPhone .
Zenia AI
Technique is one of the cornerstones of practical yoga. The slightest inaccuracy can lead not only to a decrease in the effectiveness of training, but also to injury. Zenia uses artificial intelligence to solve this problem by literally becoming your virtual instructor.
The app monitors your exercise technique with the front camera and lets you know if you're doing something wrong. There are 5 courses and 21 sequences of different yoga poses with different intensities to choose from.
What's more, Zenia will adapt over time to your behavior and adjust your training program accordingly. The only drawback is that the application is paid. The subscription costs $ 10 per month.
Download for iPhone .
FitStar Yoga
FitStar Yoga, led by Tara Styles (American model and yoga instructor), breaks new ground with customized asana sequences. The application adapts specifically to your preferences, making assanas even more effective, and FitStar will constantly suggest you new poses so that exercises of the same type do not get bored.
Supports integration with popular fitness trackers - Apple Watch, Fitbit and Jawbone UP. If you want to join the community of yoga lovers, get helpful advice and motivation, FitStar is the place to be.
To get started, you can download the free version, but then you will realize that you will lose a lot if you do not purchase a monthly subscription for 599 rubles per month.
Download for iPhone .
Pocket Yoga
The application is based on the principle of the Gaia Flow Yoga studio, which uses its own methodology and terminology. The exercises are divided into Ocean (cardio), Mountain (strength) and Desert (flexibility). You can choose from 30, 45 or 60 minute sessions.
The instructions are not made in the form of animation, but as a series of static pictures. They are beautifully drawn, but less intelligible than the video and sometimes annoying. Regardless, there are benefits to be gained from exercise. Users are provided with an extensive library of asanas, including preparatory ones, which will appeal to beginners.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Daily Yoga
The Daily Yoga app is based on a series of long-term programs with the following specializations: Detoxification, Flexibility, Fat Burning. Each of the programs includes 20-30 minute daily sessions that last from 1 to 5 weeks.
Optionally, you can download individual 10 or 50 minute sessions. You can also create your own workout programs focusing on the points of interest.
The training process is well organized, but the explanation of any nuances is missing even in the video for beginners. Therefore, it is advisable to know the basic postures. There is an active user community to go to for advice and support.
The paid plan for $ 9 per month turns off ads and opens access to exclusive seminars, individual workout programs, and an expanded music library.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Yoga for Beginners
If you are a teapot and just starting out with yoga, here's a free app designed especially for you! Each exercise is explained with text instructions in Russian and animated 3D models. There are different training programs: a complete course for beginners, strength, morning yoga, and so on.
Useful features include a built-in calendar, a reminder, and a body mass index calculator. Among the disadvantages: you cannot save or mark your favorite poses.
Download on Android .
Keep yoga
In addition to describing poses, Keep Yoga has an audio section on meditation, so that you can bring not only your body, but also your spirit into harmony with the world around you. Your workout progress will be tracked automatically. However, there is one small drawback: to watch the lesson, you must first download it to your phone.
After registering, you will receive a profile that other users can subscribe to. Community members can comment on your activities and posts.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Yoga by Muscle and Motion
In yoga, not only the technique of performing asanas is of great importance, but also the scientific substantiation of the exercises. Knowing which muscles and ligaments are involved in a particular position will help you better understand your body.
This is where Yoga by Muscle and Motion will help you. Each asana is accompanied by audiovisual explanations, information about the technique of execution, the load on muscle groups, the problems that may be encountered while performing the exercise.
It's a great app, but if you want access to all the materials and the ability to download lessons to watch without internet, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan that costs $ 15 per month.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Yoga Tools
World renowned Indian yogi Jaggi Vasudev helped to develop this application. There are not so many exercise options, but those that exist are distinguished by a high-quality and complete description.
There is a section with video tutorials divided into sections. But the main advantages of the application that distinguish it from all analogues are introductory videos from Jaggi Vasudev, a wonderful selection of Indian music and magnificent illustrations for asanas.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Yoga Studio by Gaiam
Yoga Studio offers many ways to organize yoga at home. You can use collections of asanas - with a duration of 10 to 60 minutes. They have instructions for students of different levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced), which in turn are divided into specializations - for flexibility, balance, strength. In addition, there are sun salutations, asanas for back pain relief and for joggers.
If you do not want to train according to ready-made lessons, you can build a lesson to your liking, using separate blocks with poses, or even create your own workout. True, in the second case, the virtual instructor will not tell you how to correctly move from one asana to another.
Healthy Knees is the newest collection in Yoga Studio! In it you will find specially designed exercises designed to improve the mobility of your knees. It involves strengthening and lengthening the connective tissue that supports the joints. Be careful as each next asana in this collection becomes more and more difficult.
Download on Android / iPhone .
Yoga 108
It's easy for a beginner to get confused in Sanskrit jargon. But it's okay! With Yoga 108, you will learn the names of all the poses and the meanings of the terms. The poses are drawn in two-dimensional graphics, each term is spoken in slow motion. There is also a manual on the original Patanjali sutras with detailed descriptions.
Download on Android / iPhone .