Yoga for University Students in the UK

Trends, yoga preferences, benefits, and tips on organising a yoga class!

Yoga is a great activity for students, allowing them to connect, while working out and improving their sleep an concentration. Yoga and Pilates are specifically popular among international students in universities, student halls and private student accommodations.

We’ve been providing yoga teachers in student accommodations and universities since 2023, working with prestigious clients like the University of the Arts London, Greystar properties like Chapter Living and Canvas, and many other great student accommodations providers like Student Castle, Capitole Students, and Unite Students.

We provide in-person classes and live-streamed sessions, read our article on virtual wellness activities.

Recent yoga trends for university students

We’ve run surveys in many student accommodations properties and here are the common trends we are seeing now. Include these tips in your planning to maximise engagement!

• Pilates has gained a lot of awareness recently (we suspect this is because of TikTok’s wall Pilates challenge last year!)
• Vinyasa yoga or Flow yoga are the most favourite type of yoga for students
• Students prefer to practise in the evenings and during the weekend in the mornings
• Up to 10 students will have their own mats
• Their preferred class duration is 45 min or 60 min

We also know that everyone tends to exercise more in September and January and that there is a peak of activity related to the theme of mental health and yoga during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Benefits of using Live Yoga Teachers for university students accommodation providers across the UK

We offer competitive prices and a robust operational side by automating as much as we can.

We work with independent yoga teachers across the UK who are insured and certified and have experience in teaching in studios and in gyms.

If you manage more than one location, we centralise all UK yoga and pilates classes for you and provide one single point of contact and reporting.

We’ve already organised yoga classes in London, Brighton, Durham, Oxford, York, Leeds, Southampton, Sheffields, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and we have teachers everywhere in the UK - we select, check credential and manage yoga teachers for you anywhere in Britain.

We help you maximise engagement and we take on all the admin work!

Our services for University students halls and student accommodations:

• Participants surveys (yoga wish list, class booking, class feedback)
• Teacher selection (shortlist and recommendation)
• Teacher management (credentials, briefing, scheduling, covers)
• Reporting (monthly attendance reports)
• Admin (invoicing, payments)

Benefits of Yoga for University Students

• Stress Relief: University students often experience high levels of stress due to academic pressure and personal challenges. Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation and mindfulness.
• Improved Concentration: Practicing yoga requires focusing on breath and body movements, which can improve concentration and cognitive function. Poses like twists and inversions could even help all your organs function better, including the brain.
• Better Sleep: Many university students struggle with sleep issues, due to exam anxiety and pressure, which can affect their academic performance. The relaxation techniques in yoga and the effect of yoga on the nervous system can help improve the quality of sleep.
• Increased Physical Fitness: Sitting for long hours studying can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and health problems linked to too much time reading or on a computer. Specific poses in yoga can help relax the neck, the shoulders and correct the bad alignment that could result from typing on a computer for most of the day.

How to Organise Yoga Classes for University Students on a campus?

• Partner with us to select the best teacher for your current residents
• Ask your residents to book for the yoga class (we can manage this for you if you don't have a booking facility)
• Choose a suitable location: Ideally, the location should be quiet, well-ventilated and have enough space for students to move around comfortably
• Decide on the frequency of classes: one-off as an event or recurring? Recurring classes are best to create connections!
• Provide equipment: Some students may not have their own yoga mats or props, so consider providing some for use during classes.
• Promote the classes: Spread the word about the yoga classes through social media, flyers, posters around campus, emails, and face-to-face
• Create a segment of people interested in yoga so you can reach out to them again for other “healthy” events and help them connect (vegan food, other sports, outdoor activities)
• Send a reminder 2 hours before the class to catch last-minute participants