Yoga practice is so beneficial for your mental, spiritual and physical health – so much so that many people choose to practice yoga as their only form of fitness. While yoga will undoubtedly keep you in shape, you can reap a lot of benefits by exploring off-mat fitness options that can help you perform better on-mat. Strength training is a great option if you want to work out your body and improve your overall fitness at the same time. Adding strength training to your mix can help you deepen your workout and expand your physical and sensory limits—it even has some surprising psychological benefits.
achieve a new posture
achieve a new posture
From chaturangas to plank pose, building strength is an important part of most yoga classes. However, individual strength-training routines can help you work muscles that aren’t often trained in the gym and focus on stretching specific areas of your body. Building strength will improve your exercises on the mat – by focusing on building your muscles, you’ll be able to reach the body points you need to be able to hold challenging positions that you may not have been able to do before.
complete your daily training
complete your daily training
Yoga classes can provide everything from cardio to strength training to spiritual practice. Many people get the training they feel they need by taking yoga classes alone. However, depending on the class and style you take, you may not get the full-body workout you need through your yoga practice.
It is recommended that healthy adults perform strength training at least twice a week for an efficient and effective training program. Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine can help fill in the missing pieces and create a well-rounded program that gets your heart pumping, muscles working, and mind clear. Just as important, having variety in your exercise routine will motivate you to continue your fitness journey, because variety will help you avoid feeling trapped by a monotonous schedule.
fight muscle loss
Loss of muscle mass and strength as we age affects us all. Our muscles begin to decline in our 30s. By the time we are 75, about 50% of our total muscle mass has been lost.
This decline is natural and inevitable, but there are ways to limit how much and how quickly it happens. To slow the effects of aging on your muscles, combine yoga and strength training for an effective workout mix that will help you keep your muscles in top shape. Strength training is a useful tool for counteracting loss of strength and muscle mass in older adults, a study suggests. Likewise, in another study, researchers found that older women who practiced yoga at least twice a week maintained muscle mass.
To counteract the effects of aging on your muscles, try incorporating strength training into your physical activity to maximize your efforts and keep your muscles healthy and happy.
maintain strong bones
maintain strong bones
Osteoporosis, a disease that makes your bones weak and more likely to break, affects approximately 10 million Americans. Another 44 million people have low bone density, which means they are at higher risk of disease.
The benefits of yoga are extensive. However, depending on the type and intensity of your yoga routine, your practice may not be enough to keep your bones strong. Studies have proven that a consistent yoga practice can reverse bone loss, but you may need to supplement your physical activity routine with strength training to ensure you’re giving your bones the attention they need. To increase your bone mineral density, include consistent weight training in your exercise program.
reduce the risk of injury
Yogis are especially prone to injury, especially when trying unfamiliar poses or taking them too far. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can strengthen different parts of your body to reduce your risk of injury during exercise—and any other physical activity you do.
Strength training can reduce injury risk in several ways. As mentioned earlier, strength training can help increase bone density, making bones stronger and less prone to fractures. It also helps maintain or increase muscle mass, which increases strength. In addition to bone and muscle health, strength training increases the size and strength of connective tissue, which protects your bones and muscles and allows them to function properly. It’s important to keep all these parts of your body strong to reduce your risk of injury and keep yourself as safe as possible during your workout.
increase flexibility
increase flexibility
When you think of ways to increase your flexibility, yoga is probably the first thing that comes to mind. However, if you’re trying to reach your toes or backbend, you can check out some off-mat strength training options to help you get there.
In one study, researchers followed one group of people participating in a strength training program and another group doing basic static stretching exercises for 5 weeks. They found that at the end of the study, both groups had similar improvements in hamstring, hip and shoulder flexibility (compared to a control group not assigned a routine), demonstrating that strength training was equally effective in improving flexibility elasticity as stretch. if you want to increase your fle