Yoga videos/programs for the beginner middle aged man.

May 13, 2019 10:29 PM

I'm looking to add a gentle yoga program to my existing mindfulness training and general mental hygiene habits (i.e, getting out of my head and into my body). Without the time or resources to do any classes IRL, where should I start?

I have all the foundations for a good setup at home - Plenty of floorspace I can roll out a mat, as well as a TV on wheels that I can hook up to any AV source (laptop, apple TV, bluray/dvd).

I'm in my late 30s, and while I might be 5-10kg overweight, I'm very fit and active in my sport and conditioning, but not flexible at all by any means.

While I've done a few yoga classes before, nothing really took as it was a bit more advanced that I was ready for, so I'm trying to find something that's a bit more basic that I can follow at my own pace, but somehow offer some room for growth and have some variation. Ideally I think I'd like to do something for maybe 5-10 minutes at the beginning and end of the day to bookend my 20+ year meditation practice, and then build upon there if it's something that I find I can stick to.

All the online videos and classes are just so overwhelming and I'm not sure how to separate what's good and what's not, so I'm keen to hear if anyone has any suggestions! Thank you :)

posted by LongDrive to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Best answer: The Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel is an Ask MeFi favorite and is very compatible with what you want. Inclusive of all body types and genders, and lots of variety within the channel, so you should have no trouble find something that suits you. One of her 30-day programs could be a good place to try starting, or just browse through her videos and find a title that appeals to you.
posted by Syllepsis at 11:10 PM on May 13, 2019 [10 favorites]

I've heard good things about yoga with Adriene although I haven't used her videos. I like the Down Dog app (on my phone) personally - I have a subscription these days. I think there's a Down Dog beginners app that's free though, so maybe start there.
posted by eloeth-starr at 11:20 PM on May 13, 2019

Best answer: I've also used Down Dog and liked it. I have a subscription because they did a sale but I have impression they do that frequently. I subbed right before they came out with the beginner's app and haven't checked it out yet.
posted by Awfki at 5:15 AM on May 14, 2019

Don't laugh. I actually really love DDPYoga by Diamond Dallas Page. It's oddly hypermasculine, but also really great about modifying to fit your needs. Through the app, there's several programs including bed to chair, chair to standing, etc, so it really is all-level. Lots of archive video and some live workouts too.
posted by ferociouskitty at 5:29 AM on May 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

nthing Yoga with Adriene! Just did one actually. She's great.
posted by SinAesthetic at 5:33 AM on May 14, 2019

I'm also a fan of both Down Dog and Yoga with Adriene.
posted by source.decay at 6:31 AM on May 14, 2019

Best answer: I got a Groupon for Yoga Collective awhile back, and when that expired they offered me a $3.99/mo unlimited use subscription. I like it because it's web based but I can use my Chromecast to see it on TV if needed, and the classes are extremely easy to sort by length, level, style, and teacher. They add new ones in and you can mark favorites, too. I think the instructors are pretty good, they are mostly recorded in live class settings and they do a good job of reminding you to make the little adjustments that most of us forget about (relax your face, etc) that I usually only hear in real life classes. Also there's no cheesy music or anything.
posted by PaulaSchultz at 6:31 PM on May 14, 2019

Nthing Yoga With Adriene. Some great videos to start with are:

A Little Goes a Long Way
Wind Down Yoga
Ten Minute Yoga for Self Care
posted by bananacabana at 9:24 PM on May 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

get inspired by my buddy Matt Portwood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPxQVN5WFoI
posted by specialk420 at 10:39 PM on May 14, 2019