Andrea Otley

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[3 Week Yoga Retreat] Fitness Program Review, With The Horse Rider In Mind

From May 1st through May 21st,  2017, I used the 3 Week Yoga Retreat program from Beachbody to improve flexibility and improve core strength. Here is my review:

This post does contain links to products and tools I used on my journey. If you decide to purchase something, I could earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Just wanted you to know.

| What is the 3 Week Yoga Retreat?

The 3 Week Yoga Retreat is a yoga program created for people who have never done yoga before. The program includes 21 yoga classes, all done from home. Each class is taught by 1 of 4 yoga experts and is 30 minutes or less. The program includes a quick start guide, class calendar, pose tracker and nutrition guide. The classes can be streamed on Beachbody on Demand or played on dvds. The yoga experts are Vytas, Elise, Ted and Faith.

| Equipment needed

Yoga mat - Amazon has good ones for around $20
Yoga blocks - around $10 on Amazon
Yoga strap - between $5-$10 on Amazon

| When I tested it and why

After our vacation to Punta Cana in April 2017, my jeans were getting too tight. I wanted to do a post-vacation detox to get rid of the bloat. I also needed a break from my usual high-intensity cardio and weight lifting workouts. I wanted to increase my flexibility and improve my core strength for horse riding. 

Noteworthy - In June 2017, my husband, Dusty, used the 3 Week Yoga Retreat to recover from a back injury. His physical therapist agreed learning basic yoga poses and flows would help him rehabilitate his injured muscles.

| My results

The 3 Week Yoga Retreat helped me loosen tight and sore muscles. It helped me calm my mind, relax my body and reduce stress. It got me excited to get back to my harder workouts. I learned to slow down and do yoga with proper form. I learned to move with the breath, be in touch with my body and be present in the moment.

Without question, this program improved my flexibility and core strength. My hamstrings and hips were very tight before I started. By the end of the three weeks, my range of motion was much better. I also had less joint and hip pain. The stretching moves relieved the tension I was carrying in my shoulders and upper back.

Dusty’s results were similar to mine. The program helped rehabilitate his back by strengthening his entire core. It helped relax the muscles that were overcompensating for his injury. It helped to loosen his hamstrings and hips. He was able to get back to his normal ranch work, pain-free.

| What are the daily workouts like?

Watch this clip of Vytas teaching how to do warrior II:


In this video, you can see me doing some of the yoga classes from my home.

| 3 Week Yoga Retreat, Pros & Cons

Pros

great for loosening tight or sore muscles, easy to follow the instructors, loved the modifications and use of the yoga blocks and strap, good length of classes, great alternative to high-intensity exercise, low impact, nice progression over the three weeks

Cons

misleading to promote this program as a weight loss tool like Beachbody does in some of their infomercials

| Conclusion

For my rating, I give the 3 Week Yoga Retreat 4.5 out of 5 stars.

It did its job to increase my flexibility and improve my core strength. At the time, it was just what I needed. 

With my fast-paced life of taking care of the kids, the house, the bills, my coaching business, riding my horses, it's easy to build up tension from stress. Before this program, I was wasting time being stressed and thought yoga was too slow-paced to even give it a chance. I am glad I tried the 3 Week Yoga Retreat.

I recommend this program for horse riders who need to reduce stress, calm their minds, and get rid of joint pain and stiffness. Horse riders looking to increase flexibility, range of motion and core strength will also benefit. It’s perfect for people wanting a low impact exercise routine. 

| How to get started

The 3 Week Yoga Retreat can be streamed or downloaded using Beachbody on Demand, an online library of streamed & downloadable trainer-led fitness programs complete with workout calendars, tracking sheets and eating plans. You can also purchase the 3 Week Yoga Retreat dvds. 

Do you want to learn more about the 3 Week Yoga Retreat? Watch this:

To get access to the 3 Week Yoga Retreat on Beachbody On Demand, sign up here:

To get the 3 Week Yoga Retreat Base Kit including DVD’s, click here:


Get support and accountability by joining our free Cowgirl Up Fitness Community:

Thank you for reading this review. If you ever have questions about the fitness programs I review or wonder how they can improve your horse riding, please don’t hesitate to ask me!

Have you ever used yoga to recover from an injury? I’d love to hear your story.

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