Question on streaming workouts

[dianestjohn]

My name is Diane and I am a recovering Collage addict.

I see I may have to change my DVD-ish ways at some point. I am fairly tech savvy but have mostly avoided streaming workouts and downloads. For those of you who do streaming workouts, what sites do you stream from, do you have to pay or are some of them free, how do you find out about new workouts, do you stream to your large-screen tv or to your computer, if you stream to your computer is it frustrating seeing the workout on a smaller screen? Any other insights would be appreciated, I think the tide is too strong for me to keep resisting. Thanks for sharing

[BigBadBetty]

The only streaming I do is free stuff from YouTube. I use my PlayStation 3 to watch on my big TV. I subscribe to Jessica Smith's and Jenny Ford's channels. I also watch this forum for hints as to new, free workouts. If you have a YouTube (google) account, you can make playlists. I use my Android phone to connect to YouTube on the PlayStation so I don't have to use the controller to type.

The are several other ways to watch content on your TV. I wouldn't do it on my computer screen. Although I have hooked my computer up to my TV to watch non-YouTube content. I don't have a smart TV so I need another device to use YouTube. You can use a game console, some DVD players, Roku, AppleTV, a computer, and some other things I probably don't know about.

[txhsmom]

Originally Posted by dianestjohn

My name is Diane and I am a recovering Collage addict.

I see I may have to change my DVD-ish ways at some point. I am fairly tech savvy but have mostly avoided streaming workouts and downloads. For those of you who do streaming workouts, what sites do you stream from, do you have to pay or are some of them free, how do you find out about new workouts, do you stream to your large-screen tv or to your computer, if you stream to your computer is it frustrating seeing the workout on a smaller screen? Any other insights would be appreciated, I think the tide is too strong for me to keep resisting. Thanks for sharing

I do workouts from Jessica Smith's YouTube channel - and those are free. I also do Barre3's streaming workouts, and those are subscription - $15 a month. I stream from my iPad to my TV using an Apple TV device.

Carol

[NotThatGirl]

I streamed from Barre3 too when it first launched. Currently I have a subscription to Ballet Beautiful's streaming service for $40 a month and Udaya's Yoga for $9 (though I think the price jumped to $12). I also have made single purchases of streaming videos with Sleek Technique. I haven't ever had a problem with streaming and do think I prefer it to DVDs because it doesn't take up space.

Eta: I do 99% of my streaming on my iPad. I suppose I would do it on my laptop if I didn't have my iPad for some reason.

Ballet Beautiful adds 2 new videos per month
Sleek Technique adds 1 new video per month
Udaya adds 5 yoga classes per week

[sunday]

I love streaming and really prefer it. I like variety too much, and even if I like a video only do it a few times. Leslie and Ravi and Ana are my exceptions.

I stream from my iPad and have my iPad hooked up to my large workout tv. It's awesome!!! I used YT, and just rejoined My Yoga Online. I've done ART, barre3, Suzanne Bowen and tons others.

I love it!!

[hypnomoon]

I have GymBox on my Roku and just cancelled my Daily Burn sub as I wasn't using it as much. I do prefer GymBox over Daily Burn.

I don't know of any other way to get these two other than through Roku. Maybe directly from the website? I don't know. I just have them as a favorite channel on my Roku. My universal remote works to maneuver the prompt around and I scroll through the workouts til I find one that I want to do.

It's super easy and GymBox instructors are easy to follow. They are all over the board with the levels of workouts they have. I find that I use them a lot for yoga and stretching.

[dianestjohn]

I also have Gymbox, Gaiam and a couple of others on my Roku, but I sorta miss the "big name" instructors - Cathe, Kelly, Ravi/Ana, Ilaria, etc. - I feel like most of the workouts I could find on the Roku channels were with instructors I had never heard of, and the production values were not stunning. Actually on Gaiam there were more well-known instructors - Patricia Moreno, Rodney Yee, etc. - but they are not my first-tier go-to instructors. I think one of the things I love about DVDs is that the production is more apt to be visually stunning, the music more likely to be interesting, the class more likely to be in sync with each other and the instructor. I went through a period where I did all the workouts I could find on Exercise TV (does this channel even exist anymore? Probably not) and although I liked the variety I missed the movie-like production values.

[dianestjohn]

Originally Posted by NotThatGirl

I streamed from Barre3 too when it first launched. Currently I have a subscription to Ballet Beautiful's streaming service for $40 a month and Udaya's Yoga for $9 (though I think the price jumped to $12). I also have made single purchases of streaming videos with Sleek Technique. I haven't ever had a problem with streaming and do think I prefer it to DVDs because it doesn't take up space.

Eta: I do 99% of my streaming on my iPad. I suppose I would do it on my laptop if I didn't have my iPad for some reason.

Ballet Beautiful adds 2 new videos per month
Sleek Technique adds 1 new video per month
Udaya adds 5 yoga classes per week

NotThatGirl, when you use your iPad to do a workout, do you just sorta prop it up on a table and the screen is big enough for you? I guess I should try a streaming workout on my laptop (a Samsung chromebook, so the screen is not much larger than an iPad) and see if I think it's too small to focus on while I work out. It might be just fine and I just need to give it a chance and get used to it.

[NotThatGirl]

Originally Posted by dianestjohn

NotThatGirl, when you use your iPad to do a workout, do you just sorta prop it up on a table and the screen is big enough for you? I guess I should try a streaming workout on my laptop (a Samsung chromebook, so the screen is not much larger than an iPad) and see if I think it's too small to focus on while I work out. It might be just fine and I just need to give it a chance and get used to it.

I thankfully have a case for it that has little nubs (for lack of a better description) on the inside flap/cover so you can adjust how the screen is positioned. When I do standing videos I have it adjusted one way that is more angled and then when I do floor work it's much more upright. This is probably a terrible explanation that I should have waited until morning when I wasn't so tired but hopefully it gives you an idea. My laptop is one of the bigger netbooks so the screen isn't much larger than my iPad either. I think you could get used to it too, I haven't exercised to a big tv screen in so long (years) and oddly haven't missed having a bigger screen to watch.

Thinking about it some more though...my workout room is on the small side and I wouldn't want to be any farther away from the screen than I already am. If I were doing something that took up lot of room I might find it frustrating that the screen isn't bigger. I really just do floor work and standing cardio from BB and that doesn't require me moving around a whole lot so it works well for me.

[laurajhawk]

Originally Posted by dianestjohn

I went through a period where I did all the workouts I could find on Exercise TV (does this channel even exist anymore? Probably not) and although I liked the variety I missed the movie-like production values.

You might want to try Udaya.com for yoga b/c it has very high production values. (However, I have noticed that the only practices with music are the ones they shot for DVD.) Use the friendsandfamily code for a few bucks off, or PM me with your email for a month's free trial, if you're interested. (I don't have a code for the free trial but as a member, there's a link in the site that I can use to gift you one.)

To the OP's questions: I have just started using the Udaya site seriously (although I've subscribed for several months ) and although I thought using the laptop screen would bother me, so far it's fine. (I don't connect the laptop to my TV b/c it's an old TV that does not have HDMI input.) Udaya sends email every week listing their new workouts, and the new ones are also featured on the site: they make a point of posting five new ones a week. What I like about Udaya, besides excellent instructors and the good production values, is the range of lengths from 20 minutes to an hour. Some other yoga sites are mostly an hour or more - I really love having the shorter options.