Fitness for Every Body
Strava for Yoga: Where Your 90-Minute Practice Gets Zero Respect
You just held crow pose for 30 seconds, flowed through 50 vinyasas, and sweated through warrior sequences. Strava's response? 'Nice stretch!' Time for an app that knows yoga is real exercise.
The Yoga Experience on Strava (Prepare for Disappointment)
How Strava "Supports" Yoga
The Manual Entry Dance:
- Finish challenging 75-minute power yoga session
- Open Strava, realize it can't track yoga
- Manually create activity, select "Yoga"
- Type duration... and that's literally all you can add
- Post shows up as tiny gray box between two 5-mile runs
- Get sympathy kudos from one friend who also does yoga
What Yoga Means to Strava
No Tracking Whatsoever
Unlike running (GPS, pace, segments) or cycling (power, elevation, speed), yoga gets... nothing. No poses tracked, no sequences, no difficulty levels, no style differentiation. Hot yoga = yin yoga = power yoga to Strava.
Calorie Guessing Game
Strava has no idea if you did restorative yoga or Ashtanga. It just makes up a random low number for calories. That 90-minute hot yoga session that left you drenched? Strava thinks you burned what you'd burn on a casual 20-minute walk.
The Invisible Activity Problem
Your yoga posts are essentially invisible. They're small, gray, information-free blocks that get buried under "real" activities. No one engages because there's nothing TO engage with.
Zero Progress Tracking
Held headstand for the first time? Finally nailed that arm balance? Increased flexibility? Strava doesn't know or care. There's no way to track improvement, milestones, or consistency in your practice.
What Yogis Actually Need from a Fitness App
Real Recognition for Real Work
Your Practice is Athletic
Research shows power yoga can burn 237-600+ calories per hour and significantly improve strength and flexibility. Yet most fitness apps treat it like "light stretching."
Consistency Matters More Than Distance
Yogis care about maintaining regular practice, not hitting distance goals. You need an app that values showing up on the mat 4x/week, not running faster miles.
Different Styles, Different Efforts
Restorative yoga is recovery. Power yoga is intense training. Hot yoga is endurance work. Your app should understand these aren't the same thing.
Community That Gets It
You want to celebrate with people who understand that nailing crow pose is as exciting as a PR in running. Not everything needs to be measured in miles to matter.
How Motion Values Your Yoga Practice
Equal Credit for Equal Effort
All Movement Counts Equally
In Motion, your 60-minute vinyasa flow counts exactly the same toward your weekly goals as someone's 60-minute run. No hierarchy, no "real exercise" vs "other" - just movement.
Effort-Based Tracking
Log your yoga with appropriate effort levels. Gentle morning flow? Light activity. Power yoga? Intense activity. Hot yoga? You bet that's intense. Motion's effort-based system understands not all yoga is created equal.
Perfect for Mixed Training
Many yogis also walk, strength train, or swim. Motion's universal tracking brings everything together. Your yoga + walking + gym sessions all contribute to one unified goal.
Community That Celebrates Everything
Motion's community includes yogis, walkers, dancers, climbers - people who get that fitness isn't just running and cycling. Share your practice milestones and get genuine support, not confused reactions.
Consistency Rewards
Motion's weekly battles and Motmot care reward regular practice. Four yoga sessions/week makes you just as successful as someone's four runs.
Ready to Feel Valued?
Join Motion and experience an app that truly respects your yoga practice.
Apps That Actually Respect Yoga
If You Want Yoga-Specific Features
Dedicated Yoga Apps
- Down Dog: Customizable flows, pose tracking, offline access
- Daily Yoga: Guided sessions, meditation, progress tracking
- Glo: Live classes, pose tutorials, expert instructors
General Fitness Apps That Include Yoga
- Motion: Equal credit for all activities, great for mixed training
- Apple Fitness+: Yoga workouts with proper calorie tracking
- Google Fit: Tracks yoga as "workout" with appropriate intensity
The Hybrid Approach
Many yogis use:
- Yoga app for guided practice and pose tracking
- Motion for overall fitness goals and community
- Maybe Strava for the occasional run or bike ride
This gives you the best of all worlds without trying to force Strava to care about your practice.
Frequently asked questions
If you have anything else you want to ask, reach out to us.
Can Strava track yoga through Apple Watch or Fitbit?
Sort of. Your watch can track heart rate and calories during yoga, then sync to Strava. But Strava still displays it as a bland 'Yoga' entry with no meaningful data. You're basically using your expensive tracker to create a manual entry with slightly better calorie estimates.
Why doesn't Strava add better yoga features?
Strava's entire infrastructure is built around GPS and segments - things yoga doesn't have. They'd need to rebuild from scratch to properly support yoga. It's easier for them to keep that token 'Yoga' category and focus on runners and cyclists who generate premium subscriptions.
Is Motion good for yoga practitioners?
Yes! Motion gives your yoga practice equal weight with any other exercise. Your 60-minute flow counts the same as someone's 60-minute run. Plus, the community includes many yogis who understand the value of your practice.
What's the best way to track yoga progress?
Use a dedicated yoga app (like Down Dog) for pose progressions and practice details, then use Motion for overall fitness goals and community. This combo gives you detailed yoga tracking plus recognition for your practice as legitimate exercise.
Should I keep using Strava if I mostly do yoga?
Honestly? Only if you also run or cycle regularly. If yoga is your primary exercise, Strava will constantly make you feel like you're not doing 'real' workouts. You deserve an app that celebrates your practice, not one that barely acknowledges it exists.
How do other fitness apps compare for yoga?
Motion and Google Fit value yoga equally with other activities. Apple Fitness+ has actual yoga workouts. Nike Training Club includes yoga in training plans. Almost anything is better than Strava's token yoga category. Choose based on whether you want yoga-specific features or general fitness tracking that respects yoga.
Your Fitness Journey Starts Here
Download Motion free and discover why this is the fitness app you'll actually keep using. Your future self (and your Motmot) will thank you.
