Yoga is an amazing practice, it relaxes the body and calms the mind. While yoga provides many benefits to the body, there are a few key things missing from a yoga practice that can leave any yogi imbalanced.
These imbalances can lead to a host of problems that can have long term effects on your body. That is why it is important to understand why yogi’s need more than yoga and hence why you should do more than just yoga when planning your workout routines.
Strength Training Is Key
While certain forms of yoga, like vinyasa, can have a great benefit to overall strength, these postures that build strength are done with bodyweight only. While that is a great place to start, neglecting proper strength training and weightlifting can lead to body imbalances that can lead to injuries down the line.
Adding in twice weekly strength based workouts or weight lifting sessions will not only improve your body, it will improve your yoga practice as well. A strong body is a healthy body, so try to find a balance between strength and flexibility in your workout routines!
Cardio Needs
This goes beyond long boring runs on the treadmill and has a bit more to do with the cardiovascular system itself. The body requires sustained cardiovascular output in order to remain healthy! Yogi’s need more than yoga as yoga simply doesn’t offer enough sustained output to properly exercise the system.
While you get plenty of cardiovascular benefits from moving through a yoga class, if you really want to keep the system running in tip top shape, you have to stress the system a bit with exercise. You can get cardio in a variety of ways, if running isn’t your thing, try out the stair climber or even the rowing machine at your local gym.
You Can Be Too Flexible
It is possible to become too flexible! The body is set up with a system of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help to hold the joints together. When you only stretch, you can overstretch and weaken your muscles which can lead to torn ligaments, joint deterioration, and even muscle tears.
Being too flexible can also lead to simple overuse injuries which can make keeping a regular fitness routine extremely hard to do. Little injuries can take longer to heal which will leave you off your mat and out of the gym for longer than you might like.
The Body Needs Variety
Whether you’ve tried to lose weight or meet a fitness goal, you have likely experienced the dreaded plateau. You may have made some great progress, but now it feels like you can’t progress no matter what you do!
When you only do one thing, your body adjusts to that. If you want to see changes in your body, you have to make some changes. Giving your body a variety of workouts and movements will allow for it to find its best shape!
While you may love your daily yoga class, your body will thank you if you mix things up a bit. Creating a well balanced workout routine should be what you are seeking when building your fitness plan! I hope this has helped you understand that yogi’s need more than yoga, and instead should have some variety!
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2 Responses
Hi Rachael and Lean Legs Support Team!
In an week workout schedule, you advise yoga session (hatha and vinyasa) before or after cardio?
ILet me explain: in a strength workout days I put cardio sessions after, in days that I have cardio only, I do recover and some stretches more longer after workout. I have 3 strength workouts per week and 5 cardio workouts per week (3 of these sessions after strenght training). If I put yoga after cardio only day (hatha) for recover, it wouldn’t be like doing strength training after a cardio session, (what I do not intend, because the goal is to make more slender and sleekfy my legs botty and core)?
How can I fit yoga sessions to a lean, no bulking legs and core in my weekly workout schedule?
Thank you so much for your advise!
Many many hugs for all of you!
Sónia
Hi lovely,
Thanks for reaching out!
Yes, you can combine the two workouts by doing yoga or other strength training first and then finish it with as much walking as you can. :) Aside from yoga, we also suggest that you incorporate other light-resistance workouts into your routine and following the right type of diet for you. :)
Feel free to take Rachael’s Body Type Quiz and email the results to info@rachaelattard.com so w could give you some general guidelines that will help you achieve your goals.
Love,
Len