Online Yoga Classes and Videos: Benefits, Risks and How to Choose

Online yoga covers live video classes, prerecorded courses and free videos. This page covers what research found, the benefits and risks, and what to look for. It lists no channels, studios or teachers. For apps in particular, see Yoga Apps: What Trials of Digital and App-Based Yoga Show.

Why people choose it

Cleveland Clinic notes that if you cannot get to a class there are plenty of free online videos.[1] Researchers have studied online delivery because travel, time, cost and fatigue can limit in-person classes.[2][3] In a qualitative study of midlife and older women in a Zoom-based trial, convenience and privacy were named as benefits.[4]

What the research shows

Limits to keep in mind: yoga cannot be blinded; several controls were waitlist or no intervention, which cannot separate the effect of yoga from attention and expectation; outcomes were mostly questionnaires. Most studies enrolled specific patient groups, so they may not apply to healthy beginners. We read these abstracts, not full texts.

Proper evidence not found on whether online yoga is safer, riskier or more effective than in-person yoga in general: the only head-to-head study we read was a small feasibility trial.[8]

Risks and injury notes

• Nobody sees you. NCCIH says learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks.[10] In its list of ways to reduce injury chances, it advises practicing under a qualified instructor.[10]
• Telehealth carries its own concerns. A report on moving a yoga trial for older women to Zoom pointed to potential obstacles and safety concerns arising from telehealth-based instruction.[11] In a qualitative study of a similar Zoom-based yoga trial for women with urinary incontinence, participants named navigating technology, setting up the home, limited social connection and not being in the same room as the teacher as challenges.[4]
• Age and conditions matter. NCCIH says yoga injuries treated in emergency departments are more frequent in people 65 and older, and that preexisting injuries, severe high blood pressure, balance issues and glaucoma may call for modifications.[10] See Who Should Check With a Clinician Before Starting Yoga.
• Video quality varies. We found no study rating the quality of yoga videos on a video platform (we searched Europe PMC for yoga and YouTube terms). Studies of exercise videos for other conditions found wide variation. For multiple sclerosis, 18% were rated low quality, 37% moderate and 45% high, and the authors warned that non-expert uploads may mislead viewers.[12] For rheumatoid arthritis, reviewers judged the videos partially reliable and moderate quality and said patients should not rely on them directly.[13] These are not yoga studies, but they show why checking who made a video matters.

Stop and get help if something feels wrong; see Pain During Yoga: Warning Signs and When to Stop. For chest pain, fainting or another emergency, call 911 (US).

Setting up a space

Cleveland Clinic suggests a space free of clutter with enough room to move safely.[1] See also Yoga at Home or in a Studio.

How to choose

These are questions, not findings.

• Live or recorded? In the Zoom study, teaching that included detailed verbal instructions, visual demonstrations, questions and individualized feedback contributed to a positive experience.[4] A live class can offer that; a recording usually cannot.
• Who teaches, and how do they say they trained? We read no source here on how online teachers are trained or checked, so ask; see Questions to Ask a Yoga Teacher and How to Find a Yoga Class or Teacher.
• Is it suited to you? A class labeled for beginners, older adults or a condition is not proof it fits; tell your clinician. See Adapted Yoga and Movement.
• Does it avoid pushing? Be wary of anything that promises a cure or asks you to push through pain.
• Do you own your data? Check what an account collects; see Digital Health Data Privacy.
• Cost? We read no dated source on online class prices, so none are given.