At-home yoga for people who are easily bored

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. 

It’s been a crazy week, to say the least. There are tons of products launching, deadlines are very tight, and the coronavirus is still, well, the coronavirus. Oh, and, cherry on top, I got my period. So, I wasn’t really in the mood to do some crazy, intense workout. 

That’s all to say that while I love a physical challenge, I needed something that would calm me. So, I tapped into my inner trendy New Yorker, and decided to try yoga. 

I have absolutely zero experience with the ancient practice. I’ve never even taken a class because I’m too intimidated. I feel like everyone in the city is somehow an expert at it. I’d rather save myself the embarrassment of attempting weird poses in a crowded room where everyone can judge me. That’s where Down Dog Yoga comes in, which Refinery29 described as the best yoga app for “people who get bored easily,” which is exactly how I would describe myself.  

It’s free to download (on both iOS and Android) but due to the isolation that COVID-19 has forced onto us, Down Dog Yoga made the premium version of its app completely free until May 1. Normally, it’s  $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year. (The paid version allows you to customize your settings a bit more.) While that’s cheaper than any in-person class I’d find, it’s a bit too much for me to pay for something I might not even be into, which makes it a good time to try it out for free.

It’s also a lot more unique than other yoga apps I’ve seen. Rather than choosing from a bunch of pre-recorded videos, Down Dog has over 60,000 configurations of sessions that it mixes up for you each time. All you have to do is fill out your preferences and hit start.

Did I struggle a lot throughout these yoga sessions? Yes. But that was more a “me” problem. The app is super customizable and the instructor demonstrates each of the poses in a way that’s easy to follow along. 

Am I a yogi now? Definitely not. But at least I can say I tried and I learned some new skills, too. 

Navigating the app

Before I dive in, it’s important to note the full catalogue of customizability options are only on the premium version of the app. There aren’t as many to choose from on the free version.

When you open it, you’re greeted by the Home tab. This is where you can customize your specific practice by type, level, boost (if you want to focus on something specific like breathing, neck stretches, backbends, and more), length of the session, and duration of savasana (how long you’d like to stay in your final rest pose for at the end of the practice).

Then, you can tweak the more technical aspects. Under the More tab, you can change the voice from female to male, pick the genre of music that plays in the background, how much explanation you want for each post (whether you want the full version or the shortened one), pace of the session, and video quality. 

Under the Journeys tab, you can choose to explore three different styles: Vinyasa, Hatha, and Restorative. You also have the option to choose from 14-, 16-, and 24-minute sessions. 

When you tap on the Practices tab, you’ll see a history of all the different classes you’ve taken. It’s also where your Favorites are saved to replay whenever you’d like. You can download them offline as well. 

The last tab is where all your Settings live. You can see things like your account information, or check out Down Dogs’ other apps (Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and more).

Attempting the practice

I have a tendency to get a little too excited and jump right into an activity. So, I’ll admit that I skipped the Yoga for Beginners app and instead opted for the Beginner 1 level on the app. 

For my very first session, I rolled out my new yoga mat, hit start on my iPad, and was ready to begin learning the damn thing. But after a few poses, I had to go back and check that I was on the beginner level because the poses seemed a little too difficult. If you’re just starting out, I recommend opting for Yoga for Beginners first. It’s a separate app you’ll have to download, but it’s free. I’m stubborn though, so I continued on. 

The classes consist of someone on the mat demonstrating poses a voice calls out, which  I was surprised by. I think it’s because I’m so used to the instructors in apps like Peloton or FightCamp, which film their sessions with full classes present. It was a very nice change of pace though, because I felt less distracted. In fact, the best part about the app is the simplicity. 

The voice is super calming and the descriptions are comprehensive enough that, after a while, I didn’t have to look up at the display all that much. I also like that you can switch between right and left side views of the instructor. It helps if you’re confused about whether you’re doing the pose correctly, since there’s no one to fix that for you in person. 

The one thing that transformed this entire experience for me was the music. Instead of nature sounds or ambient noise, I opted for acoustic music when I was customizing my practice. As soon as I read “mostly acoustic guitars and people singing over them” as the description, I laughed a little. To be completely honest, I had no idea that was common for yoga. I always assumed it was set to free-flowing, spiritual melodies.

Before I knew it, I was in table top position to songs like Avicii’s Wake Me Up and tree pose with After the Storm by Mumford & and Sons. Fun fact, Mumford & Sons is my favorite band of all time. If someone told me I could do yoga with their music playing the background, I would’ve started practicing a very, very long time ago. 

At times though, the lyrics in the background were a bit distracting. Especially since I felt pressure to pay attention to what I was doing in order to get the most out of the session. Instead, I found myself singing out loud. Thankfully, there’s an option on the app to increase the voice volume and to lower the music, which I took advantage of. But the music was still what got me through the sessions, because those poses can be tough to hold. Lyrics most definitely helped make the time go by faster. You can also “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” the song, so it learns which songs you like and don’t like.

I also really enjoyed that I had no idea what I was going to get with each session. Unlike other apps where you choose the workout based on either the title, description, or, even the little thumbnail, this one is literally a surprise each time. It helps to mimic the feeling of attending an in-person class. When you’re done, you can add the class to your favorites, check out the playlist, and send feedback. 

As for whether I’m progressing in my skills each time I take one of these classes … let’s just say I think I’ll stick to Beginner 1 for a while. 

It’s worth paying for, if you enjoy yoga

Personally, I wouldn’t pay $7.99 per month for a yoga app, but the extra customization options do make the sessions even more enjoyable. So, if you find yourself really enjoying the practice then I say it’s worth the money.

But if you mainly prefer the variety of music options (like me), then you can also save your money and play your own music in the background while you follow along to the session instead.

There’s also the fact that over 60,000 possible class arrangements, it’ll take you a very long time to get through all of them. And, if you find yourself growing tired of one, you can just have it calculate another for you.

While I can’t say I’ve absolutely fallen in love with yoga after using the app, it was the perfect way to slowly introduce myself to the practice. And with so many levels and practices still left to build upon, I’m actually excited to slowly improve and to incorporate it into my fitness routine.

It also provided the sense of calm I so desperately need during this crazy time.

Who knows, with the app’s help, maybe one day I’ll actually find the courage to step inside one of those fancy boutique yoga studios in the city. You know, if we’re ever set free from quarantine.