Peloton’s Yoga Offerings Are Surprisingly Robust

At this point, it’s safe to say that the Peloton app and I are quite locked in. I use it every day, whether I’m riding my trusty, beloved Bike, taking a walk, stretching, attempting to learn how to enjoy running, or even meditating—and I don’t even like meditating; I just like how Peloton does it.

Despite being known for its cardio classes—especially cycling—Peloton offers up a ton of other kinds of workout and mindfulness routines. Where it shines with those, though, is actually in yoga.

How to find yoga classes on Peloton

First and foremost, you’re not going to get much out of Peloton’s yoga offerings if you aren’t sure where to look for them. Even if you have a Bike, Bike+, or other piece of cardio equipment from the at-home fitness giant, I recommend downloading and using the mobile app. With it, you can find the classes you want to take on your cardio equipment a lot easier, plus access so much more, like the ability to Stack classes into a playlist, send them to members of your Peloton Team, or simply just watch them in comfort. You can do all that with the screen on the Bike, Tread, or Row, but it’s more arduous. Plus, you can’t take the rowing machine to the gym, but you can take your phone. Chiefly, you can also use the Peloton app on a Roku device, which is ideal for following along with a yoga class in your living room. Even then, I recommend finding the yoga class on your mobile device first, adding it to your bookmarks, and loading it up on the Roku that way.

So, how do you do it? It’s easy. When you first open the mobile app, you’ll see a search bar, information about the daily streak you’re on if you’ve got one, and then, in a row, a bunch of workout types. The order they appear in will be algorithmically generated based on what you usually do with the app, but expect to see Meditation, Stretching, Cycling, etc. Look for Yoga. You can also find yoga classes by typing “yoga” into that search bar at the top. You won’t find as many classes that way, but you’ll find the yoga collections, like Conditioning, Drills, and Yin Yoga, plus Programs like Beginner Yoga and Discover Yoga. Collections and Programs are curated landing pages full of yoga classes with something in common, like being for conditioning or for beginners, and that could be a good way to find what you like.


Credit: Peloton

Once you’ve tapped Yoga from the side-scrolling menu of workout types, you’ll see a long list of available classes, sorted in the order they aired live and were added to the on-demand archive. Right away, you’ll notice something that doesn’t appear on other Peloton workout class thumbnails: A color-coded dot. Green dots are for beginners, yellow dots are for intermediate yogis, and orange ones are for advanced practitioners. That signals right off the bat that the yoga offerings from Peloton are robust.

Tapping Filter on the bottom of the screen allows you to pull out classes that are a certain length, led by a particular instructor, or even focusing on a certain muscle group. You can also filter by class type, which is where it gets interesting. Here are the types available:

Flow

Focus Flow

Slow Flow

Power

Yoga Conditioning

Yoga + Pilates

Morning

Restorative

Yin Yoga

Theme

Yoga Anywhere

Yoga Basics

Family & Pre/Post-natal

Beyond the Pose, a collection of classes where instructors talk about the deeper themes and philosophies of yoga

That selection honestly rivals what you’ll find in an in-person yoga studio in terms of variability, not to mention volume, and, as is always true with Peloton but is not always true when you go to a random studio, every instructor has legitimate credentials, experience, and certification. For $44 per month (or just $24 per month if you don’t also have a Bike or other cardio equipment), that’s a much better deal than a yoga studio, too, which can cost you hundreds per month.

The yoga classes themselves

Like I said, these are so clearly labeled, categorized, and searchable with filters that you can easily find the right kind of class for your needs. If you only have 10 minutes to devote to the practice, are at an intermediate level, and want to focus on triceps, there are 39 classes for you.

The instructors start every class by explaining what you’ll be doing, what kinds of poses to expect, whether you’ll need accessories like yoga blocks, and how to set up your space to accommodate the workout. They offer clear instruction, modifications, and helpful tips, guiding you through every pose so you aren’t confused. I’ve tried a lot of free yoga classes on YouTube and, honestly, these are better, if only because of the high production quality and clarity of instruction.

I’ve taken loads of yoga classes in my life, usually through whichever gym I have a membership to or am currently working at (although I’ve been known to sign up for trial weeks at designated yoga studios and boutiques), but I don’t consider myself much more than an experienced beginner, if that makes sense. Still, I find the intermediate classes totally doable, so maybe I’m not giving myself enough credit. Fortunately, if I ever found myself struggling with them, it wouldn’t be a huge deal. Not only are there plenty of beginner options, but the instructors provide a number of modifications and encouraging comments as you move through each routine. These classes are the closest thing I’ve found to replicating the in-studio experience, at least in terms of how varied the flows are and how knowledgeable the instructors are.

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