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I'm A Certified Yoga Teacher & Here's My Honest Take On Alo Moves

Author:

Emily Kelleher

December 30, 2023

Editorial Operations Manager

By Emily Kelleher

Editorial Operations Manager

Emily Kelleher is the editorial operations manager at mindbodygreen. Her work has appeared in Shape, Well + Good, Greatist, Romper, Fatherly, and more.

Alo Moves review with tester in side bend with laptop in front of couch

Image by Emily Kellher / mbg creative

December 30, 2023

We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

My history with online workouts run deep. Not only have I taken YouTube Pilates classes for nearly a decade, but I've tested at least a dozen different subscription-based fitness platforms. And despite earning my yoga teaching certification a few years back, I still do online classes a few times a week to work on new skills.

Naturally I'm always on the hunt to find the very best online workout programs, which is why Alo Moves has been on my radar for ages. The brand makes my favorite yoga mat, so when I heard they'd launched an online fitness platform, I was all in.

Besides yoga—of the vinyasa, hatha, ashtanga, and kundalini variety—Alo Moves offers workout classes like HIIT and barre; mindfulness offerings like meditations, sound baths, and reiki; and even classes on face yoga, cycle syncing, and more.

I spent one month testing out Alo Moves to see whether this workout program lives up to the hype. Here's my brutally honest review after TK classes.

Don’t want to scroll? Here’s what you need to know:

I’m a certified yoga teacher who typically does three at-home workout per week. I swapped my usual online classes with Alo Moves for a month to test the platform.
I was impressed by the huge variety of classes Alo Moves offers, from yoga to HIIT, breathwork, and nutrition, of all lengths and difficulties.
Alo Moves classes feature many yoga asanas or poses, but there's less attention paid to the cultural and spiritual side of yoga. I would have liked more content that explores yogas origins and what it means to practice yoga beyond the physical poses.
The quality of instruction varied, so I personally experimented with different instructors. My personalized recommendations got better after taking more classes—and I found instructors I really liked.
I loved the versatility of the platform—and taking it on the go—but I wish there were also options for live classes.

Alo Moves

$13

How I tested Alo Moves

I replaced my usual tri-weekly at-home workouts with Alo Moves classes for one month. I tried hatha and vinyassa yoga, pilates, barre, and HIIT classes, plus meditation and breathwork. I squeezed classes in before work, and even took meditation breaks during the day.

What is Alo Moves?

Alo Moves is an online library of yoga, fitness, mindfulness, and wellness classes run by the athleisure brand Alo Yoga. Classes are on-demand and taught by a group of more than 80 instructors.

You can sort classes by type (ie. barre or hatha yoga), difficulty, length, or instructor. The app will also recommend classes based on a survey and your past ratings. If you have a specific goal you want to work on— like sleeping better or improving focus—there are playlists tailored to those, too. Besides, yoga, pilates, HIIT, and strength training, Alo Moves offers classes on meditation, breathwork, nutrition, and personal growth.

Alo Moves is only available with a membership, which costs $13 a month or $130 per year after taxes.

Insider Tip

Anyone can access a free 14-day trial to determine whether the platform is right for them. Larger purchases from Alo Yoga often unlock free memberships, too.

My review of Alo Moves

Since getting my yoga teacher certification in 2022, I'm always looking for ways to deepen my practice. I do in person classes a few times a week, but rely on virtual at-home classes just as often. Skipping the commute in favor of sipping my coffee between vinyasas is always tempting.

A decade into my at-home workout journey, I have my tried-and-true online instructors that I can count on for classes with detailed cues and a reasonable pace. I want classes to challenge me with advanced poses, but offer detailed instruction on how to get into them while encouraging mindfulness and proper alignment.

I was curious about Alo Moves; the platform is a favorite of a few different mindbodygreen editors, including deputy commerce editor Braelyn Wood. They've all personally paid for the platform for up to six months, so I was eager to see how it stacked up against my own routine.

When I signed up for the platform, the first thing I noticed was just how many classes Alo Moves had to offer. While yoga is my main focus, I do like to diversify my workouts.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Alo Moves offered much more than just yoga classes. And for a platform with this many classes, it was surprisingly simple to navigate.

screenshots of alo yoga main screen with welcome and class recommendations

Image by Alo Moves / mbg creative

The first class that I tried on Alo Moves was a 'yogilates' hybrid combining Pilates and yoga. As the name suggest, it leaned towards strength training over yoga—think 30 minutes of bodyweight exercises with a handful of vinyassas thrown in. I could see how someone else might enjoy this class, but it wasn't for me.

The second class that I tried was a yoga strength class, where I ran into a similar issue. I'm not a fan of classes that involve count downs, and this one featured a sequence where the instructor counted down from 10, only to continue the movement and return to 10, counting sets of 10 in what felt like a nonsensical loop.

Overall I found that these hybrid yoga-fitness classes used yoga-inspired movements, but moved through them so fast that proper alignment went out the window. But again, that might just be me being nit-picky as someone who's been trained in teaching yoga.

I really found my flow with more traditional hatha and vinyasa classes, where instruction was more detailed and the pace was a bit slower. I appreciated that classes offered a challenge without doing a dozen reps of one move, and included plenty of modifications.

alo moves review with tester on mat with computer in front of her

Image by Emily Kelleher

I followed each class with a meditation. Some meditations offered the perfect level of guidance, with an ideal balance of instruction and silence. Others had too much talking for me. They felt more like lectures, and I found I couldn't focus or get into a meditative state without any silence—but this seemed like the right course for a beginner.

To get a full view of what the platform offers, I stepped outside of my comfort zone with a HIIT class. I was pleasantly surprised that it still included some yoga. It felt like a a very well-rounded workout with yoga and strength training. As someone who hates cardio, I loved that it didn't involve jumping or burpees, two things I dread most about HIIT.

After learning about the rich cultural and spiritual history of yoga in teacher training, it always irks me when a yoga class treats the practice like just another workout. I found this to be the case with some Alo Moves classes.

In the yoga fitness classes particularly, poses were often rushed through, and instructors rarely offered the proper sanskrit names for the poses. I would have liked to see some classes on the history of yoga and the aspects of yoga that go beyond the physical postures.

alo moves apps creenshots with playlist reccs

Image by Alo Moves / mbg creative

Alo Moves: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Wide variety of classes: One of the biggest advantages of Alo Moves is the sheer range of classes. There’s a class of every length, difficulty, and theme, from a 10-minute shoulder stretch to a 78-minute Ashtanga series.
Beginner-friendly: I appreciated that there are many classes and series for beginners, including break downs of individual poses.
Workshops for specific poses & skills: I love that Alo Moves features a library of yoga pose tutorials and series for working on specific skills. Foundational pose tutorials are great for beginners, while more advanced yogis benefit from those focused on arm balances and inversions. Plus, they offer both quick 1-minute tutorials or more in-depth 10-minute classes that center a specific pose or skill.
User-friendly: I found the platform easy to navigate, whether for browsing or searching for specific classes.
Music optional: I like that you have the option to take each class with or without music. That said, the music felt a little generic rather than tailored to the class.

Cons:

No live classes: I would have liked some live classes. If you live in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington D.C., you can take a class at an Alo studio (but the cost is not included in your Alo Moves membership).
The quality of instruction varied: I found that some instructors offered detailed alignment instruction and well-paced flows, while others rushed through movements without explaining.
Some classes lacked cultural and spiritual context: I found that some of the more strength-focused yoga classes included little yoga at all. They were workout classes with one or two vinyasas thrown in. Across the board, I would have liked to see instructors use the Sanskrit names of yoga asanas more often. It seemed odd to me that there were crystal classes and smoothie tutorials but nothing on the history of yoga or the eight limbs of yoga.

Alo Moves

$13

Is Alo Yoga subscription worth it?

My vast experience with online workout programs means I'm a harsh critic; I struggle to pay for online classes when there are so many great free options on Youtube.

That being said, I thought the $12.99 monthly cost for Alo Moves was pretty affordable, especially compared with the $30 price point for most in-person classes in my area.

Given the expansive library of videos and low monthly fee, I’d say Alo Moves is worth it. Whether you prefer intense HIIT workouts or kundalini yoga, it offers a one-stop shop for high-quality, well-produced, expert-lead classes. The platform also does a good job of recommending classes for you based on what you’ve taken and liked in the past.

How does Alo Yoga compares to other platforms

Alo Moves vs Asana Rebel

Both Alo Moves and Asana Rebel offer a wide library of yoga classes. An Alo Moves subscription costs $12.99 and an Asana Rebel subscription costs $15.99. Alo Moves is more well-being focused whereas Asana Rebel is more weight-loss focused and has more features for setting goals. Alo Moves offers nutrition classes and handful of recipe vidoes. Asana Rebel offers a wider library of recipes. Alo Moves offers other kind of workout like pilates, barre, strength training and HIIT.

Alo Moves vs Yoga International

Both Alo Moves and Yoga International offer a wide variety of yoga classes. Yoga international may be better suited for yoga teachers, as it offers classes on yoga philosophy and anatomy.

Alo Moves vs Glo

Alo Moves and Glo both offer hundreds of on-demand yoga classes of varying lengths, styles, and difficulties. One major difference is that Glo offers live classes while Alo Moves does not. A Glo subscription also comes at a higher pricepoint, $23.99 per month, whereas Alo Moves costs $12.99 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alo Moves cost money?

Yes, access to Alo Moves requires a membership fee. Access starts at $12.99 per month with discounts available for annual memberships.

What is the alternative to Alo Moves?

There are millions of free yoga classes on Youtube, though their quality varies. Other platforms like Yoga International, Obé, Peloton, and Gaia offer classes for varying subscription fees.

What is the difference between Asana Rebel and Alo Moves?

They are both online fitness platforms offering yoga classes. An Asana Rebel subscription costs $15.99 and an Alo Moves subscription costs $12.99. Asana Rebel is more weight-loss focused whereas Alo Moves is more well-being focused.

Does Alo Moves have Pilates?

Yes, Alo Moves has a variety of pilates classes, as well as pilates-inspired yoga flows.

Alo Moves

$13

The takeaway

Alo Moves offers a wide variety of yoga, fitness, mindfulness, and wellness classes for around $13 a month. It's user friendly and great for yoga enthusiasts of all levels. There are plenty of resources to help beginners on their journey, and more advanced work for those hoping to master a new pose or hone a specific skill.