One of the big advantages of doing yoga at home (or anywhere for that matter!) is that you can do it without spending much money.
Doing Yoga at Home: Do You Need Equipment?
You can drop a lot of money on fancy outfits or expensive yoga studios. However, exercising at home only requires a $15-20 mat. And honestly, you really don’t need any equipment at all.
Because yoga costs less than most fitness routines, many people invest in a towel, a block and a strap. These yoga accessories help to make balancing easier, and maximize the stretches.
In other words, they increase the results you get from your workouts. Not to mention, they can make the yoga movements more comfortable because you can customize the stretches to your body’s needs.
What Yoga Gear Do I Like?
Sivan makes a yoga workout set that I like because they use high quality materials. (Plus, the complete 6-piece package costs less than $40.)
For example, the yoga mat is not your cheap generic $15 slab of rubber. Sivan makes their mats extra thick (1/2″) with memory foam. The top side provides a non-slip surface for your feet, while the bottom side grips to the floor.
In addition, you get 2 microfiber yoga towels. I find this microfiber knit to be the best material for yoga. The towels work well to absorb sweaty moisture during workout, plus I find them very helpful for balancing and stretching movements.
At this point, I see the 2 blocks and yoga strap a bonus because a memory foam mat with quality microfiber towel will easily cost you $40 alone.
Sivan Health and Fitness Yoga Set Includes:
- 1/2″ Thick Memory Foam Mat (71″ x 24″) with Carrying Strap
- Yoga Mat Towel (68″ x 24″)
- Hand Towel (30″ x 20″)
- Yoga Strap (6.5′ Long)
- 2 Foam Yoga Blocks
- Get the Set Here
Tip: You want to wash microfiber separately from other towels, clothing or other washables so that the microfiber maintains its absorbency. You can find out more on how to wash microfiber towels here, if you want.
Now, having said all that, no equipment is required to do yoga to tone, strengthen and lose weight. In fact, you can watch a variety of yoga videos on YouTube (from hatha to kundalini to yin yoga sequences) rather than signing up for a course.
On the other hand, some people prefer an instructor to guide or “coach” them through a series of classes. This strategy tends to work better for people who need more motivation or help sticking to their daily workouts. (Hello! That’s me!)
How to Get Faster Weight Loss Results Doing Yoga at Home:
With online videos, yoga DVDs and downloadable workouts, you can get the coaching and classes you want without having to pay $100 per month or $20 per class. In fact, you can pay significantly less. (Plus, you can do your workouts wherever and whenever you want!)
My favorite yoga workout right now is the Yoga Booty Challenge. That’s right! You can tone and sculpt your booty while doing yoga. Who knew?
Of course, these routines strengthen and tone the entire body. However, they provide the added bonus of “glute-focused” movements. No injury-inducing heavy weights required!
Note: These specially-designed routines effectively get results in only 15 minutes per day. (Much better than the hour-and-15-minute classes I was used to!) These sessions fit in much more easily to my daily schedule.
Have a new baby or toddler? No problem! You can do these quick workouts on your living room carpet – reduce your tummy and flatten your belly faster than you think.
Get the Yoga Booty Challenge for $37
(one-time fee, not a subscription)
Who Should Do Yoga Home Workouts?
In addition to being an inexpensive fitness activity that is easy for anyone to start, yoga is gentle and low impact. For this reason, it works well for seniors, women during pregnancy and people recovering from an injury.
Plus, many people take advantage of the stress-relief benefits of a yoga practice. You can even incorporate meditation to enhance sleep (before bed), help with anxiety, depression or to improve focus.
I personally like to do a few sun salutations after I wake up in the morning to get a good stretch in. This also helps to minimize my lower back pain (from sitting at a desk) because it improves my posture. Again, who knew?
Note: I’ve found that glute-strengthening exercises really help with my lower back pain. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but I think stronger glutes can take the strain off of back muscles.
Tips for Doing Yoga at Home:
Yes, you can essentially teach yourself and learn yoga at home using free tutorial videos and online programs. If I had to pick one tip for success, it would be consistency. Practice everyday, and you will see results.
To prevent boredom, lack of motivation or burning out, sign up for the $37 yoga booty workout above. You don’t need a lot of time, space or gear. Switch up your routine by exercising outdoors or getting the blood flowing at lunch.
Or simply complete your daily workout within 15 minutes of waking up. Get the job done before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it. In 21 days, you’ll have a habit that you won’t even have to think about.