Online yoga allows instructor to watch you exercise

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (KABC) -- It's not Big Brother, but rather yogi Athena Engleman watching. While she teaches in El Segundo, her students are miles, maybe even a state or country away. She teaches for Yogaia for Manduka, a company that streams yoga and other fitness workouts. But the service offers a twist to the platform.

"Whats really unique about this is that the instructor can see you," said Desi Bartlett of Yogaia for Manduka.

Bartlett says the idea originated from those who love group workouts but found family, work and traffic challenging. "When you have to drive an hour just to get to your class then an hour back it becomes a whole big thing," said Bartlett.

An app or home DVD gets the job done, but a watchful eye from a trained professional helps boost motivation and prevent injury. "The instructor will jump in and say, 'Hey Lori bend that knee two more inches for your perfect pose," Bartlett said.

Bartlett says you can take class for as little as $10 a month with up to 15 live classes everyday.

The classes are live from Finland, London and L.A. along with a library of workouts, some as little as 10 to 15 minutes in length so you can sneak fitness in on the fly.

For those wanting to give it a try, the company is offering a code: ABC7DAYS when you check in online which provides one free week.