Stream Your Workout

on January 10, 2012

Big, beautiful bowl of oats!

No better way to start the dayâ€¦. especially when eaten while listening to the new Snow Patrol album. Snow Patrol is our favorite band of all time â€“ the Husband and I even danced to one of their songs (Chasing Cars) as our first dance song at our wedding. The new album is great so far; I especially love the song New York.

Awww yeah.

In the mix:

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup almond milk

1 banana

Toppings: frozen blueberries and brown sugar

Guess what I managed to do this morning? A little prenatal yoga. Without caffeine in my system. Pat on my own back, yâ€™all.

Iâ€™ve completely fallen off the yoga bandwagon. This time last year, I belonged to a hot yoga studio and went two times a week, usually hitting up the 90 minute hot flow classes.

Eventually, I got to the point where I could do this (a Bird of Paradise)â€¦

I stopped going because classes felt way too hot and uncomfortable in the summertime and thenâ€¦ I just never went back. And now I struggled to stay in Warrior I position. Whoops.

But Iâ€™m going to try to get back into it. Iâ€™m doing some social media work for a website called GaiamTV, which streams yoga videos, fitness videos, and other workout videos like Jillian Michaels and Pilates on your computer or phone for a flat monthly rate (they do a free 10 day trial!). Theyâ€™ve got a little prenatal section, and I tried out Shiva Reaâ€™s standing poses video. It had lower ratings â€“ 2 stars â€“ but I thought it was a nice program. Or maybe Iâ€™m just super out of practice because although it seemed pretty basic, I felt challenged.

~~Steaming~~ Streaming workout videos is the way of the future, yo. Iâ€™m hosting a #GaiamTV Twitter party tonight at 7 PM EST from @CaitlinHTP if you want to join in â€“ you could win a subscription to the service!

Do you own lots of workout DVDs or are you switching to streaming option? And if youâ€™re preggers like me, can you recommend any good prenatal yoga videos?

{ 64 comments }

Claire @ Live and Love to Eat January 10, 2012, 10:09 am
I stick with videos that I know I love – I usually turn to at home workouts when I’m pressed for time, and don’t want to spend an hour on something I might not enjoy.
Caitlin January 10, 2012, 10:12 am
I love streaming workouts but haven’t found too many online except for on SparkPeople. I love how I can watch them on my iPad and do them outside! I also still have the regular videos though and tend to do them more because they are more well rounded workouts.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat January 10, 2012, 10:12 am
I usually keep my workouts in the gym, but lately I’ve been wanting to do more yoga. I’ve been going to free 45 min express classes on Sundays, but sadly they’re coming to an end soon so I need another option! I’ll be getting an iPad pretty soon, so I’m thinking that streaming yoga is the way to go. Thanks for the links! 🙂
Dori January 10, 2012, 10:17 am
I am OBSESSED with streaming classes on YogaVibes (http://yogavibes.com). They have a lot of really great yoga classes and they also have Core Fusion classes (which I love for more hardcore workouts).
Sue @ Sue In Training January 10, 2012, 10:21 am
I own just a few DVDs, and recently I’ve discovered some fun workout channels on youtube. I especially enjoy Blogilates. Cassie’s workouts are tough but still fun. I really love the convenience of exercising at home sometimes.
TanyaS January 10, 2012, 10:24 am
I loved Tracey Mallett’s prenatal video, and it always gets good reviews in magazines. Then for shedding baby weight her boot camp videos kick butt.
Trainer Kjirsten @ Balanced Healthy Life January 10, 2012, 10:27 am
I’ve been doing this prenatal yoga DVD since first trimester and still love it (if only I wasn’t on bed rest). I bought it from Amazon.com and it is actually 4 yoga workouts. It has a 15 minute, 30 minute, 45 minute and also a 90 minute practices. It is challenging and I love the option for the 15 minute practice as I can always squeeze it in during a crazy busy day. It also focuses a lot on stretching the hips out which I loved. Here is the link, I highly suggest you ordering it and trying it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Prenatal-Vinyasa-Short-Forms/dp/B0032ZOXYO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1326209075&sr=8-4
- CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:00 pm
  OH thanks for this recommendation!
Carolina John January 10, 2012, 10:31 am
Cool! I’ve been doing some Gaiam ashtanga dvd’s I got on netflix recently. Very cool practice.
Emily January 10, 2012, 10:32 am
Oooh, maybe I should tune into your twitter chat later because I have been meaning to incorporate more yoga, and I can never talk myself into going to a class… so I need to be streaming!
Elisabeth January 10, 2012, 10:36 am
I’m not pregnant (nor have I ever been), but a couple years ago, I bought a yoga (prenatal & postnatal) dvd for a pregnant friend for Christmas. She really liked this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Pregnancy-Post-Natal-Workouts/dp/B00109KNA2/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1326209750&sr=1-3
- CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:00 pm
  Thanks for this, Elisabeth!
Amy Q January 10, 2012, 10:46 am
OK, I have a Twitter account, I think– but I really DON”T get it. What is the deal with a Twitter party? What occurs? Help the clueless over 40 crowd. (God, it sucks that I had to type that “over 40” thing.)
- Caitlin January 10, 2012, 6:57 pm
  We all tweet under the same hashtag and the leader asks questions – there is usually a prize given away at the end. it’s like a chat room in twitter! it’s fun!
KatieTX January 10, 2012, 10:49 am
“Steaming workout videos is the way of the future, yo.” – This typo made me laugh. Please don’t change it.
Amy January 10, 2012, 10:52 am
Oh God, that yoga video … I just did that one last week and thought (honestly) it was a little ridiculous. She has a modified downward dog and almost all of the poses are supposed to be done in a CHAIR if you’re in your third trimester — it’s just not necessary. We won’t talk about the maternity unitards and her weird voice.

Anyway, I am 27 weeks along and yoga is basically the only exercise I’m able to do (SI joint pain has sidelined me from walking or running, and I’m not into the elliptical). I highly recommend finding a local studio with a class rather than relying strictly on DVDs or podcasts. And in fact, you can actually do regular yoga! You will just need to modify some poses, and (obviously) stay away from hot yoga and the really intense vinyasa classes. I do a lot of hatha yoga which has been AWESOME.

As far as streaming online/podcasts, I have several downloaded from yogadownload.com, and have been wanting to try some of the classes from yogaglo.com. Good luck!
- CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:01 pm
  Haha the maternity unitards kind of killed me too. I like how they all kind of matched though 😉
Allison January 10, 2012, 10:59 am
I love mixing frozen berries into my oats- a little bite of hot and cold! I have a goal to attend more fitness classes at my gym this year [especially yoga] but haven’t considered doing any fitness classes at home… How do you “stream” a workout?
Lindsay January 10, 2012, 11:00 am
I have the Shiva Rea DVD and have only done it once so far- it gets 4 stars with over 500 reviews on Amazon- which is partially why I purchased it. I have only done it a few times but my goal is to do it once per week. I don’t find it overly challenging but I do enjoy it and I like how there is a different person to follow for each stage of your pregnancy. I also plan to attend prenatal yoga classes at one of our local studios per the recommendation of my husbands bosses wife- she said it was a great way to meet other moms to be and really connect with other pregnant women.
- Marcy S. January 10, 2012, 11:19 am
  I have the dvd as well.. I’m starting my 3rd trimester and still follow either the 1st or 2nd trimester person. Its a little easier and less intense then I thought it would be. But I am at the point where I really do need to cut back on my intensity and enjoy the relaxation. It has a good format and I feel way better after doing the dvd!
  - CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:01 pm
    Thanks, guys!
Jenny January 10, 2012, 11:20 am
I own and use a ton of workout DVDs since there is not a good gym option in my tiny town and do most of my sweating in the basement. I love Jillian’s 30 Day Shred, the Biggest Loser bootcamps, and Gaiam’s Pilates and Balance ball DVDs. I wish I could stream videos, but doing so eats up my monthly 3G internet budget 🙁 Until I get an unlimited plan I’m stuck with DVDs, but I LOVE the idea of making exercise options more easily available to the masses. Good luck with hopping back on that yoga train!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife January 10, 2012, 11:24 am
I like workout DVDs–they can be fun, ONLY if the instructor is not annoying. Haha.
Tricia January 10, 2012, 11:24 am
I have that prenatal DVD and I actually like it and find it is not too challenging but really helps to stretch out my upper back and my hips, both of which have been hurting my like hell! I thought Shiva Rea was like the yoga guru so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with her DVD. It is pretty long so you actually get a whole hour of yoga in if you do the entire thing which is pretty easy to do.
JenRD January 10, 2012, 11:26 am
I started easing myself into prenatal yoga with the Element Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga DVD, which I thought was great: http://www.amazon.com/Element-Prenatal-Postnatal-Elena-Brower/dp/B002EWD0BS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326212568&sr=8-2
Bonus is that it has exercises for special post-natal needs (to re-form abs, etc).
However, once I was about halfway through my pregnancy, I decided to suck it up and pay the money for a local prenatal yoga class. I felt that once I was bigger, I really needed the supervision of a good instructor to make sure that I was doing the poses correctly. Plus, they had things like yoga blocks and bolsters in the studio, which really help with some poses later in the pregnancy. I also enjoyed the social support of a prenatal class–at the beginning of each class, we would go around the room and share how things were going for us that week (good and bad).

Jen
- CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:02 pm
  I would like to go to classes, too. I need to work it into the budget!
Katie of Cabbage Ranch January 10, 2012, 11:32 am
I used that same video when I was preggers, and I loved it! It was simple and easy, so it never felt like much of a workout, but it helped me chill and take a few minutes to respect my body and the work it was doing. Plus, it was about the only time I felt like I was in control. The rest of the time it was all about my passenger! 🙂
Sarah January 10, 2012, 11:39 am
We have 5 of Bob Harper’s DVDs, 2 of Jillian Michael’s and 3 yoga DVDs (2 Rodney Yee and 1 someone I can’t think of).
Chelsea January 10, 2012, 11:43 am
I’m all about streaming videos so much more variety!
Sonia the Mexigarian January 10, 2012, 11:54 am
I own a lot of DVDs and use the on demand on our comcast to the exercise channgel and use the yoga workouts that sound good to me 🙂
faith January 10, 2012, 11:57 am
I’ve always loved exercise/yoga videos but lately I can’t bring myself to buy more because streaming offers so much variety! I’m loving yogaglo and just found out that netflix and youtube have a decent selection of movement videos (although I’m not sure if the youtube ones are trademark infringement…maybe I shouldn’t be using those?).
Axel January 10, 2012, 12:02 pm
I have enough Yoga DVDs (plus Pilates and whatnot) to last me for a while (I don’t use them that often), but what I’ve been dying to find is online sources for indoor cycling videos… Youtube hasn’t yielded much in terms of quality. Gaiam TV looks interesting, but doesn’t have that cycling video stuff.
Paige (Running Around Normal) January 10, 2012, 12:07 pm
I used to love that song, Chasing Cars. Snow Patrol is a pretty good band 🙂
I’m not a huuuge fan of following workout dvd’s or programs, but I used to do turbo jam a lot! And I guess I do like doing yoga to a video 🙂
Cat @Breakfast to Bed January 10, 2012, 12:10 pm
have you gone to tightbodwithapod.com? It’s superb!!
Khushboo January 10, 2012, 12:13 pm
I have to do yoga with a real-life instructor…otherwise I struggle to stay focused!
Jack Sh*t January 10, 2012, 12:19 pm
I can do the Bird of Paradise pose, too, but it requires PhotoShop. 😉
Sheryl January 10, 2012, 1:00 pm
I bought the Shiva Rea video and really disliked it– I couldn’t get over their weird leotards and the alien-esque voice. Hope you find some good ones!
- Amy January 10, 2012, 2:31 pm
  I couldn’t get over the way she said “exAAAAAAAAAALE” all the time. I’m glad I’m not alone!
  - CaitlinHTP January 10, 2012, 5:03 pm
    EXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHLE
Dana @ the Big Fat Skinny January 10, 2012, 1:06 pm
I have never streamed a workout. I like being able to see it on my big TV, clear some space on the living room floor and get to it. Now that I’m thinking about it I guess I could stream it from my laptop and watch it on my TV but I’m not very technologicaly saavy.

I have the Shiva Rea DVD and don’t care for it much. I find it to feel extreeeeemely long (its 3 parts – sitting, standing, and floor) while in actuality its NOT that long. I think it feels so long because its pretty boring and not as interesting as a regular yoga class. I know it’s probably meant to relax you because you are preg, but even being preg, I dont need it to be THAT slow. All that said – I still do it sometimes because yoga’s yoga, and it’s sometimes nice to “treat” myself to a slower, more peaceful workout. Please blog about other prenatal videos that you like!! I’d like to find some more. 🙂
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen January 10, 2012, 1:28 pm
That bird of paradise pose is impressive! I swear no matter how much yoga I do, I still can’t bend like that!
I’m still old school with a ton of DVDs, haven’t switched over to streaming yet.
Kimberly @ sketchtheebbandflow.wordpress.com January 10, 2012, 1:33 pm
I’ve recently discovered Gaiam yoga videos on hulu! It’s so hard to find time to go to an hour and a half yoga class even though I enjoy going to a class so much more. But I like mixing and matching classes that are 10 or 15 minutes each. Good for you for getting back into yoga!
kathleen @ the daily crumb January 10, 2012, 1:41 pm
i went to a killer yoga class this morning! i think with yoga in particular, every little bit helps. tomorrow will be easier than today, and so on! it’s all about getting on the mat 🙂
Susan January 10, 2012, 2:00 pm
I used to do a few quick youtube workouts every now and then, but I’m not really a fan of at home workouts.
When I was pregnant, I loved prenatal yoga classes, not only becasue there’s a teacher that could help and correct your poses, if necessary, but also for meeting other moms to be. I still meet with some of them, now that all our babies are here, and it feels really good, to get out of the house. 🙂
Amber K January 10, 2012, 2:05 pm
I use a ton of workout DVDs, I like that they never stick or screw up like streaming sometimes does. Plus I already own them, so I don’t have to pay any more money to keep using them. I used to be much more flexible when I was doing a yoga class, but I haven’t done one in a LONG time.
Kayla January 10, 2012, 2:16 pm
I love the idea of at home exercise DVDs or streaming, I just can’t make myself get off the couch only to stand I front of it. It’s jut too tenpin to lie back down!
steph January 10, 2012, 2:33 pm
love snow patrol! new york and in the end are my fave songs on the new album!!
Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon January 10, 2012, 2:42 pm
Great song! Thanks for sharing–I had no idea that Snow Patrol came out with a new album!
Kelley January 10, 2012, 2:55 pm
I’m heading to Prenatal Yoga tonight! I like when they things to mentally connect you to the baby. So much fun!
- Kelley January 10, 2012, 2:55 pm
  When they *Say* things…
Lindsay @ Salt, Sun & Sanity January 10, 2012, 3:28 pm
I love my Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown! If I want a good, quick, heart-pounding yoga workout at home, this is my go-to. I also have her 30 Day Shred, but it’s really hard on the knees… I think pre-natal yoga sounds like such a healthy thing to be doing for you AND the baby! 🙂
Sarah January 10, 2012, 5:32 pm
i loveeeee brown sugar in my oats!
BroccoliHut January 10, 2012, 6:04 pm
I asked for a “yoga for runners” DVD for Christmas, and I just tried it for the first time on Sunday. Love it so far!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats January 10, 2012, 6:06 pm
Haha I like going to bikram in the winter because it warms me up!
Whitney @ Whit's Kitchen January 10, 2012, 6:09 pm
I can’t recommend a good prenatal yoga workout but Dashama on YouTube is a seriously awesome teacher. She sort of always sounds high but I think it’s because she’s just really relaxing 100% of the time. Her videos are only bits of pieces but you can piece them together pretty well. I enjoy the streaming option. I once had a subscription to yogaglo.com.
Verna January 10, 2012, 6:14 pm
I have that workout video too, aren’t the unitards sweet? ; )
BethT January 10, 2012, 6:19 pm
This one is seriously worth it. You can order an actual DVD or a digital version:

http://www.janeaustinyoga.com/pages/dvd.html

I was lucky enough to be able to take classes from this woman while pregnant, and she is wonderful. She will make your hips feel like…well, new hips 🙂
Lindsay January 10, 2012, 6:52 pm
Snow Patrol is definitely one of my all time favorite bands as well! I’ve been jamming to New York lately…best current song out there!
Laura @ Running on Pie January 10, 2012, 7:39 pm
I love Chaz’s Yogamazing podcasts on iTunes! Not exactly streaming but they only take a minute to download, and they’re only 20 minutes, which means it is way easier to talk myself into it!
Rachel January 10, 2012, 9:25 pm
I’ve never actually streamed a workout before. I really should though because I’m starting to get rather tired of the videos I have at home. Thanks for reminding me that it’s an option. Lol.
kristen @ livinlifeinlouie January 10, 2012, 10:44 pm
ive never heard of snow patrol- but I love that song! thanks for sharing!
Lexi @ Cura Personalis Foodie January 11, 2012, 5:05 pm
I’m generally not a big fan of streamed online yoga, but I tried yogadownload the other day and loved it!
Krista @ Can't Survive on Yarn Alone January 22, 2012, 12:27 pm
My plan is to get back to a more set yoga routine too but so far it is via DVDs. I have a good number of them or I’ll use Netflix for things. Hulu+ has some too but they stop it for commercials in the middle of it. Not great when you get in the zone esp if it is something more upbeat like a dance cardio routine.

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