Does Yoga Count As Strength Training?

San Francisco – May, 2018 – Strength training popularity has been on the rise over the past few years. Have you ever wondered why building strength is so important?

Well, strength training –
* improves bone density
* helps to preserve lean muscle mass
* strengthens muscles that lead to stable joints and prevents
* improves resting metabolic rate, and more.

Does yoga count as strength training?

It can but it depends on your practice. Yoga can be practiced in so many ways that it would not be correct to simply prescribe ‘yoga’ to get stronger.

Yoga poses involve the whole body, rather than specific muscles, which is the case with fixed gym machines. You not only work the muscles where the main action takes place but also recruit other muscle groups for stability. This makes yoga a great form of functional strength training. If you want to build real strength in the whole body so that you can perform daily activities in the real world, rather than only being able to lift a certain amount of weight, yoga is the right thing to do.

How can yoga make me stronger?

There are different ways you can use yoga to build strength, using a mix of techniques.

Repetition

Dynamic yoga, such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa, aid strength building through repeated Sun Salutations and Vinyasas. These can help to build upper body and leg strength.

As the body starts to get used to the practice, you can make it more challenging by moving dynamically through asanas.

Holding yoga poses

Another simpler way of building strength is to increase the time you hold poses for. Stay in poses for up to a minute or two, or up to 10 deep breaths for hand balances.

Try poses like –

* Plank
* Warrior Poses
* Chair Pose
* Dolphin
* Downward Facing Dog
* Tree
* Boat Pose

Is yoga alone enough?

So, can we get all the benefits of strength training through yoga alone?

As said earlier, yoga is a form of functional strength training. That means it helps to build enough strength for day to day activities, and more, depending on how you practice.

If you want to see a dramatic increase in muscle mass, you’ll have to add in extra weights and resistance and train specifically for that.

To learn yoga for strength training, get in touch with The Big Yogi, Nick Palladino, in San Francisco at nick@thebigyogi.com or call 707-293-5415. Nick inspires, teaches and leads others towards their own light and life purpose. You can choose from Nick’s one-on-one or on-site corporate classes to bring mindfulness and stress-relief to your office as an advanced teacher comes to you. Think of it as a wonderful way to reward your staff!