Choosing the proper exercise routine has always been a hot topic. Fitness lovers all around the world have several practices and exercise forms they adore. The world of fitness has many exercises that claim to be highly beneficial to your mind and body. Yoga and strength training are among them. However, it is often debated that which one of these two is more beneficial. To know the benefits and compare the two forms of exercise, it is essential to understand how both work because the answer is not as simple or straightforward as you think.
Let’s start our discussion with yoga. Yoga is a unique practice that aims to bring the mind and body in harmony. It involves bodily postures, breath control, meditation, and concentration to gain maximum health benefits and relaxation. If you practice yoga consistently, it provides you many benefits of a traditional workout routine like muscle growth, strength, and relaxation with the help of endorphins. However, yoga is not entirely the same as other workouts like weight lifting or running. It distinguishes itself by combining deep breathing and balance with mobility and strength to achieve physical and mental well-being. It has numerous health benefits like improving flexibility, increasing strength, lowering blood pressure, and providing mental clarity.
However, yoga does not cover all the parts of your body. It does a great job of targeting your core muscles, building isometric strength, increasing endurance, and improving balance, but it lacks pulling exercises and may lead to muscular imbalances. Secondly, if you want to add bulk to your muscles, gain maximum strength, and target a specific area of your body, weight-lifting is more effective.
You must have seen men flexing their arms or packs in ads and TV commercials. Have you ever wondered how they developed them? The answer is weight lifting. Weight lifting exercises work by using resistance and systematically building your muscles up. This form of training is highly effective for muscle bulk growth. You can also build your endurance up by increasing repetitions. However, if you solely focus on weight lifting, you will develop muscles and an ideal physique, but it does not focus on the mobility and foundational level that yoga provides. In simple words, you are at more risk of getting injured. Additionally, you may also neglect your range of motion.
So what is better for you, yoga or weight training? The simple answer is a combination of both. Both exercises help to transform your muscles. Weight lifting exercises help your muscles to gain bulk through weight resistance, while yoga uses your body weight. Though weight lifting is more effective in building muscle bulk, bone density, and boosting metabolism, yoga focuses on other essential aspects like mental relaxation, mobility, flexibility, strong connective tissues, and healthy breathing patterns.
Yoga and weight lifting may seem like conflicting practices, but perhaps that’s why they complement each other so well. So if you’re looking for an ideal exercise routine, try incorporating both in your workout sessions and enjoy all the physical and health benefits they offer.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!