Why yoga is the perfect form of exercise to add to your training routine
If all you’re doing is lots of strength training and not mobilising, your strength training is going to be limited. And if you’re doing yoga without adding in some strength training
To their very core, yoga and weight lifting are seemingly conflicting practices. It’s precisely because of the conflicting nature of the practices, that they complement each other so well.
Yoga can actually be a very important part of your training. In combination with weightlifting methods, yoga is an additional way to increase endurance and strength, improve complete body posture, and achieve balance and flexibility. It helps maximise physical performance, while the meditative side of yoga contributes to your inner stability and mental balance.
Weightlifting is a hard physical activity, and it is only after when your muscles grow. So yoga is perfect for relaxing the body and it assists with your post-workout recovery. Restorative yoga includes poses that are slow, easy, mellow, and relaxing, especially for a weightlifter’s arms, shoulders, and back. The poses are easy and slow because you don’t want to strain your body further, but to relax it. Otherwise, injuring yourself is inevitable.
Flexibility and Strength Building
If you lift weights exclusively, you get the benefit of strength building. However, that’s often at the expense of flexibility.
When you combine yoga and strength training during your weekly routine, you get the benefits of both!
Better Breath Control During Your Strength Training Workouts
We’ve all been in that place where your body is under tension and you are holding your breath. This is terrible form, but it can become a habit when you don’t practice good breathing techniques.That’s where yoga comes in. A huge part of the practice of yoga is controlled breathing.
Less Chance of Injury
Yoga is known to improve your range of motion while also encouraging better posture. While this will help you avoid back pain if you’re sitting at a desk all day, it also transfers to your strength training efforts.
By adding yoga into your weekly routine, you’ll be far less likely to suffer from a weight lifting-related injury.
While yoga marries well with any type of fitness regimen, there are specific styles to compliment each other in more efficient ways
Vinyasa yoga + weight training for better cardiovascular endurance
If you’ve ever taken a Vinyasa yoga class then you’ll know that it’s one that gets the heartbeat up.
Whilst Restorative yoga + HIIT training is a great grounding combo.
Restorative yoga is very passive, and acts as a meditative practice in which you hold poses for a much longer time than Vinyasa yoga. The practice that allows the body and muscles to relax and expand, allowing your body to recover after the intense exercises, acting as a sort of active stretch pairing for your muscles.
Hot yoga + alternative workouts = increased flexibility
The external heat helps to expedite flexibility, which the other fitness routines can sometimes reduce, since they contract the muscles.
