Stuart Heritage 

Is it worth it? Dirty Yoga – exercise review

Online yoga: on the plus side, it saves you from having to schlep out to a class; on the minus side, it’s even easier than the real thing to skip altogether
  
  

Illustration by Son of Alan

What is it? I’m too busy to go to yoga classes, and also I’m embarrassed about how fat and inflexible I am. Could Dirty Yoga – an online class – be the answer?

How much does it cost? About £13 a month, which gets you a new daily yoga routine.

What does it promise? Barely anything, which is kind of the point. You log in, press play and copy whatever the yoga instructor happens to be doing on screen. Most videos are about 40 minutes long and, if you do them all, it’s like having a daily yoga class. If you don’t, it isn’t.

What is it actually like? In theory, Dirty Yoga is excellent: you get to take part in a number of constantly updated yoga workouts whenever you have time, without the burden of having to travel to a gym. The presentation is good – the videos are proudly no-nonsense, but functional. There’s a set schedule to stick to, or failing that, various workouts that you can just dip in and out of, including quick eight-minute blasts. However, I am still preposterously bad at yoga, which means I probably still need the close attention of a good instructor.

Also, Dirty Yoga is something that you forcefully have to insert into your daily routine. As I discovered, when confronted with deadlines and children and all those other commitments, it’s really easy to skip the whole thing altogether.

Best and worst bit Best bit: the workouts themselves are thoughtful and smart, and feel as if they work. Worst bit: if you’re too lazy to go to the gym, chances are you’re too lazy to clear an hour from your day and exercise at home.

Is it worth it? If you’re disciplined enough, yes.

 

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