What is it?
A handy app for fitness bods.
How will it change my life?
Cyclist friends have long extolled the merits of yoga to help improve strength, recovery and flexibility on and off the bike, but to be honest I've tended to view it as being more the realms of Coldplay's Chris Martin than Tour de France winner Chris Froome.
Tightening hamstrings after a recent tough climbing session forced me to reconsider and I decided it was worth giving yoga a whirl.
Not a fan of public fitness classes, I plumped for the embarrassment-free privacy of my own home. Thankfully there is an app for this. It's called Pocket Yoga and does exactly what it says on the tin: provides the instant means to strike a pose anywhere.
Good points:
Pocket Yoga explains more than 200 poses and logs your progress as you go. The instructions are succinct and clear with both verbal and illustrative on-screen prompts. It allows you to choose between different durations and skill levels.
For newbies like me, there is a comprehensive dictionary that is easily searchable and shows handy details such as correct posture and alignment. Odd sounding moves such as the cobra, cow, tree, fish and extended puppy will soon become second nature.
The app is available on a number of platforms including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and Windows 8.
Bad points:
The background music is clearly going for soothing, whimsical spa-esque vibes but can sound uncannily reminiscent to the build-up of a dramatic reveal in The Killing. The way the narrator says "inhaaaaale, exhaaaaale" begins to grate after the hundredth time.
Users can pick from different background environs including ocean, desert, mountain, temple and palace to help set the mood, but the apparent zen affects of these were clearly lost on me.
Best for:
Getting the blood flowing again after a long, desk-bound day at the office. It's also an ideal companion for a post cycle or run stretch. You can even get your yoga moves on at the bus stop if you're feeling brave.
Avoid if: You prefer the hands-on experience and guidance of a human instructor.
Score: 8/10
Pocket Yoga, £2.29 (pocketyoga.com)
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