Lockdown tips: Try these yoga apps at home to stay fit

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In the social distancing times when group yoga in the neighbourhood park would not be a great idea on the International Yoga Day, here are some interesting yoga apps that can be tried in the comforts of your home. According to Nidhi Mohan Kamal, an Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga trainer and certified strength fitness trainer, yoga apps can help people, especially the middle-aged and the elderly, stay fit amid the Covid-19 lockdown in India. "Online videos and apps can be streamed on your phones or TV screens that give you a step-by-step guidance on different yoga poses," Kamal told IANS.

To stay fit during the Covid-19 pandemic, people can use iOS apps like YogiFI, Prayoga, AyuRythm, Pocket Yoga and the popular Breathe apps. According to Kamal, built-in Breathe app on Apple Watch is an excellent way to do pranayama anytime and Apple Watch prompts you to deep breathe throughout the day, especially when your heart rate increases. "Choose how long you want to breathe, then let the animation and gentle taps help you focus," she said.

YogiFi app is designed keeping just an "individual" in the mind. The core value proposition of the app is personalisation and holistic wellness. The key features include 25 ‘freemium' yoga programmes curated by certified yoga trainers from India and the US, post-session performance assessment and live streaming/offline sessions. Prayoga app uses Augmented Reality (AR)-based body tracking for yoga pose correction. The key features of the app are real-time feedback and every asana is available as a high-quality 3D model that has animations and can be placed in the users' living room and walked around to understand the pose better.

Another app AyuRythm works on the principles of ancient Indian ayurvedic method of pulse diagnosis for health assessment that can understand an individual's strength, metabolism, and emotional state. This is done by assessing one's vital signs using the Photo Plethysmography method through the mobile phone camera, recording blood oxygen, and recommending personalised yoga, breathing exercise, food and meditation.

"Although, it is more fun to do a group class, Yoga is a very personal practice and this lockdown gives everyone an opportunity to focus on their self practice," said Kamal. Another app that can be looked at is Pocket Yoga to keep up with practice at your own pace in the comforts of your own home. Simply roll out your mat, place your device in front, and Pocket Yoga will guide you through your entire session. The key features include over 300 beautifully illustrated pose images showing correct posture and alignment, detailed voice and visual instructions.

This lockdown has been a huge change and learning for all yoga instructors too.

"We had to learn to increase our audio instruction ques to ensure we can do live training. Facetime has been a great help connecting with clients on phone and on laptop too," said Kamal.

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