I love yoga. I mostly practice at home with DVDs, although through the years I’ve taken classes, too, which I really enjoy — but remember my number one complaint about running? Yeah, it’s less time consuming for me to practice at home.
It’s favorites Friday from Cynthia from You Signed Up for What?, Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, and Mar from Mar on the Run and the Friday Five Linkup and I’m sharing my favorite yoga DVDs — the ones I use over and over and over again (disclaimer: the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I get a very small amount of money if you click on the title of the DVD to purchase your own DVD).
Christine Felstead’s Yoga Essentials
This is a DVD that will work well if you’re a beginner, and certainly is fine for more advanced yogis too.
I like it because it’s broken down into mostly short segments:
- Foundation (10 minutes)
- Lower Back (10 minutes)
- Hamstrings (10 minutes)
- Hips (20 minutes)
I love doing the foundation poses at the end of a day or after a run or race, as it ends with legs up the wall (which Mr. Judy finds entertaining). I don’t have lower back problems, but every once in a while it will bother me, and I’ve used that segment and it definitely helps.
I also like to use the hamstrings and hips segments regularly. It’s very rare that I do the whole DVD, I usually just pick one or two segments to do in one practice.
Yoga Tune Up Quickfix RX: Lower Body
I found this DVD when my ankle started to bother me recently, and have been doing the Feet & Ankle segments almost daily. This DVD also includes segments for: low back, hips, and stress relief.
I’ve tried, and liked, them all, but the ones I use the most are the hips and feet & ankles, since those are my weak points.
Each segment has a 5 minute and 10 minute quickfix. You can choose to play all the quickfixes, just one, or both quickfixes for a particular segment. An option to create your own program would have been nice. The navigation is a bit clunky, but I think this DVD has helped me a lot.
It’s more stretching and rehab than yoga, but I’ve found it very helpful and have been using it almost daily since I bought it.
Yogaworks Beginner AM/PM
This DVD is not aimed specifically at runners. but it’s a great introduction to yoga — and one of my favorite DVDs.
There is a 10 minute AM & a 10 minute PM routine, as well as a 45 minute beginner’s class.
I’ve done them all, and I’m particularly fond of the AM routine — I’m always amazed at how much they manage to get into 10 minutes without seeming rushed. They’re good about showing modifications, too.
It’s a great introduction to yoga for the non-yogi.
The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga
I have several of Sage Rountree’s books, and really enjoy them, but it took me a while to warm up to her DVD. I don’t use it as often as the ones above, but I do enjoy it when I have a bit more time to devote to yoga.
There are preprogrammed routines for many things, including: IT band, Balance Flow, Core Work, and much more. You can also program your own routine.
Power Yoga for Sports Runner’s Edition
This is a more advanced yoga DVD, although I still think it’s accessible to beginners. I don’t do it as often as I’d like to, as it’s longer at about 30 minutes and not broken down into different segments.
I love doing this DVD as cooldown after a run or on a recovery day.
Do you have a favorite yoga DVD? Favorite fitness DVD?
I’ll have to check these out, the Power Yoga sounds interesting. I’m so bad at making yoga a habit even though I know it will do my body good!
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It’s hard to find the time, but it’s something I enjoy, so that makes it a bit easier. Shorter bursts are the way to go!
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I think I have the top one in your photo but her talking drove me batty! Some instructors just hit me the wrong way I guess!
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I think a lot of yoga instructors aren’t the best talkers, but I just ignore it. I’ve literally done that one hundreds of times, if not more!
I have a lot more yoga DVDs, too, but those are the ones I use the most.
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I should probably get another copy of the Christine Felstead disc. I loaned my copy to a friend a couple of years ago and haven’t seen it since. Have you tried the intermediate?
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I have tried the intermediate; it’s harder to do a short practice so I don’t use it as much.
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Good to know. Thanks!
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I moved from gym classes to following DVD routines because I could make it fit to my schedule. Now I’m using youtube a lot so I’m not doing the same things over and over, though there are some routines I love and do repeat a lot.
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I have a LOT of DVDs & I get bored easily. I have a lot of programs I’ve bought online, too — I’m a sucker for fitness programs!
But I agree; doing it at home, for me, makes it more likely to get done.
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I don’t do yoga. But I love when DVDs break it down to 10 min segments. They are very manageable. I have a few biggest loser workouts that are like that.
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Never done any of the biggest loser series, but I also have a lot of 10 minute solution series. I always figure 10 minutes is better than nothing!
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I need that Power Yoga for sports runners. Thanks for the detailed information about these DVD’s. I only have the Jillian Michaels Yoga DVD and could definitely use a couple more
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These are good choices. I have no idea where to begin with yoga dvd’s so a recommendation is good. I enjoy my stretching and balance work after a walk or run.
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I love yoga but rarely do it at home… apartment living is not very practical for doing a DVD unless I get up really early. I sometimes do Rodney Yee with my mom and have liked it but it is long.
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Not a Rodney Yee fan; there’s just something about him that turns me off.
I’ve been known to make yoga happen in some fairly small places. I couldn’t live without it for long!
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I have never done yoga at home only in a class and that I rarely go to. The problem is that I work and the TV with the DVD player is in the family room and my hubby is always watching TV there. The bedrooms don’t have TVs or are too small.
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Our family room is mostly my fitness room. My husband has an office/man cave, which is one place he watches tv; the other is our living room.
I’ve also ripped some of the DVDs to my ipad, so I can easily do yoga when I travel.
I don’t need a lot of room, but I need to work out on a regular basis!
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Thanks for the reviews! I also do yoga at home but only have ashtanga and yin yoga DVDs. I’d like to try others, so now I know which are worth buying.
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Well, of course it’s just my opinion; everyone’s different!
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I haven’t heard of any of these except Sage Roundtree. The last one yoga video I bought was probably Denise Austin. Now I find them on Youtube.
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I still like DVDs; but I do stuff on YouTube sometimes too. I was not a Denise fan.
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I have Christine Felstead’s Yoga for Runners. It’s a video I love to hate. It’s awesome, hard, boring, and frustrating all at once. When I finish it, I feel fabulous.
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I hear you!
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You are so disciplined with your yoga! The very few yoga routines I’ve tried were on YouTube. I’m not even sure our DVD player works. I assume all of these selections could be found online?
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I know sage has stuff on YouTube. I enjoy yoga, so it’s not really about discipline. 😍
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Not a yoga gal for sure but love this good list of videos! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Yogaworks Beginner or the first one, Essentials… which one is best for the absolute beginner? I keep telling you I want to try some yoga, and why not now with your links… I can help us both out! 😉
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I would say Yoga Essentials is probably the best to dip your toes in the water. I don’t know if Christine Felstead is on Youtube, so you may want to search on her first.
I do know Sage Rountree has some routines on YouTube so definitely search on her!
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