Using iTunes to get in shape

I'm one of the ones going to seed. Like many worker bees my behind grows with every year behind the desk. I might have some impressive upper arms from lifting machines, but almost everything else that was pert and toned 7 years ago is now covered in comfortable cushion.

My darling husband bought me an iPod classic for Christmas last year. Before then I'd touched iTunes once and swore never again. Sadly, Media Monkey's support for my LOTRO shuffle didn't extend to my new shiny toy. I was forced into iTunes.

And though I still loathe iTunes (especially on Vista) I'm growing slowly more addicted to the amount of free content available in the store. At first I couldn't understand the point of video on a music device. Until I realized how great the quality is becoming. And everyone knows about podcasts, but the quality is variable. And really, who wants to listen to voice over directions?

But the combination of video and podcast created something entirely beyond entertainment. I can download a yoga class to watch in my living room, without having to shell out money for a work out video of questionable quality, or make time to hit the nearest gym and get my ankles stuck in my armpits in front of the already limber and lithe. I can contort in the privacy of my own home.

I started today with a podcast from Yogadownload.com. Overwhelmingly, the experience was good. The instructions were clear, the poses were easy to understand. The poses themselves were still images that corresponded with the audio file, but that actually made it easier to understand. I find a lot of workout videos tend to move very quickly, with the instructor cheerfully shouting as you pant, stumble and hit your head on the radiator.

What would be a useful addition, at least for downloading, would be some kind of guideline for ability. I've done yoga before, though I'm not proficient by any means, and I stumbled a few times. That's the beauty of classes though, you get better with time.

Yogadownload.com