Ask a Yogini: Is yoga a good workout?

It’s the first Monday of the month and that means it’s time to Ask a Yogini. Each month, I’ll answer a question about yoga – anything that you’re curious about. Chances are, if you have the question, someone else does too!

Disclaimer: While I am a certified yoga instructor, I am not your yoga instructor. Please exercise caution and honor your own body. These views are mine alone, based on my own experiences. Always consult a certified yoga instructor for additional guidance and assistance.

When I first started practicing yoga, I practiced once a week. There was a Saturday morning class at Sonic Yoga at 11am that I fell in love with. I would head to class after running the loop in Central Park (6.2 miles). I would move and flow and stretch my body in many different directions. I would leave the studio feeling great.

And then the next day I would be extremely sore.

I thought that yoga was a great way to recover after my run. After all, it was just an hour and a half of yoga. No big deal. Except that I was attending a strong vinyasa flow class, and for anyone who practices vinyasa knows, those classes are nothing like recovery.

In my mind, I didn’t equate yoga with “working out”. At that time, working out meant cardio and weights. Even though I worked hard in yoga class, I didn’t think that I was working hard enough for it to count as a workout.

Does this happen to you? It’s a question that I hear over and over again – Is yoga a good workout? This is really a two-part answer.

Health Benefits of Yoga

If you’ve ever stepped onto a mat, you know that yoga is more challenging than it looks. You move and work your body in ways that are so different from traditional cardio exercise or weight training.

It builds strength, core strength, flexibility, balance, and stability (especially in all the stabilizing muscles around your joints), according to a 2005 research study from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Some of the other health benefits include lower blood pressure and alleviation of stress, fatigue and anxiety.

One of the biggest questions has centered around the number of calories burned during yoga and the cardiovascular benefits of yoga – you know, answers to the real question many of us have when we ask “Is yoga a good workout?”

Up until recently, there hasn’t been enough solid research to support the cardiovascular benefits of yoga. Sure, we have a lot of anecdotal evidence. If you practice a flow or vinyasa style of yoga, you know that it can also get your heart pumping.

In December 2014, a study was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology that presented promising evidence that yoga may be a substitute for activities like walking and biking. Yoga was shown to decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as BMI, blood pressure and lipid levels. Researchers say that one explanation for these benefits may be due to yoga’s stress reducing powers. We all know that stress can have an impact on our overall health. However, more research is needed.

The Bigger Picture

Sure, you can find a great, kickass vinyasa class that will leave you sweating buckets and that will make you stronger and learner, but I’d suggest that it’s not that simple.

We shouldn’t be looking at yoga from the narrow vantage point of the question, Is yoga a good workout. Because when we do that, when we focus on yoga solely as a workout, we reduce it to the least common demoninator.

There are 8 limbs of yoga – 8 branches of the practice if you will. Asana, or the physical postures, is only one of those limbs. The whole system of yoga is about finding balance – between body and mind, between different parts of the body, between self and nature, between self and community, between doing and not doing. It helps you see where the imbalances are and bring more balance into your life.

If you already do intense activity like running, crossfit, biking, triathlon, etc., adding a hard yoga class just adds more stress to your body when you probably should be resting and recovering. You’re just adding to the imbalances – physically and mentally – whereas a practice like restorative yoga can help you recalibrate, rest and relax.

So, is yoga a good workout? Yes, but it should be part of a bigger and well-rounded picture of your health and wellness. And maybe yoga shouldn’t be the super hard class that we think we need it to be.

I first came to yoga solely for the physical practice but through my time on the mat, it’s evolved into something much more. But that took time and dedication and practice.

If focusing on the exercise benefits of yoga is one way to get people on to their mat, that’s great. Hopefully that’s a gateway to a more dedicated practice.

Is Yoga a Good Workout? #yoga #fitfluential
Click To Tweet

Do you think of yoga as a workout?

*************************

More Ways to Follow Love, Life, Surf

Twitter -> @cyu888
Instagram -> cyu888
Facebook -> Love, Life, Surf
Pinterest -> LoveLifeSurf
Google -> Christine Yu
Email or in Reader -> Subscribe here
Bloglovin’ -> Love, Life, Surf

The post Ask a Yogini: Is yoga a good workout? appeared first on Love Life Surf.