Yoga is often hailed as strength training in its own right, and for good reasons. Yoga strengthens your core, tones your arms and legs, increases your physical stamina and disciplines your body. Yoga can also function as a complement to strength training programs as a way of elongating muscles that become tight during weight training and other strenuous exercises. According to "Yoga Journal," yoga not only improves your physique, but also "develops balanced, injury-free muscles and spines." This is especially important for athletes and persons in strength-training programs.
Instructions
1. Familiarize yourself with the individual benefits of yoga and strength training. Practicing yoga can lower your risk of injury, improve posture, form and balance, and increase flexibility in muscles and joints, according to ACE certified personal trainer Kelly Turner. Yoga also gives muscles a sleek, elongated appearance, and increases muscle endurance. Strength/weight training, on the other hand, helps prevent bone loss, increases metabolism, and is more effective at building muscle, says Turner.
2. Plan your yoga and strength training workouts to complement one another. When you lift weights, your muscles contract. Without stretching, muscle fibers heal closer together giving them a compact, bulkier appearance, says Turner. Yoga counteracts the effects of traditional strength training on muscles by stretching and elongating them. Therefore, according to "Yoga Journal," you should practice yoga primarily as a means of recovery from strength training. Practice yoga on the day following your strength training sessions to take advantages of its recovery benefits.
3. Choose your yoga style. Rather than viewing the combination of yoga and strength training as a fast-track to muscle building, which can overwork muscles and become counterproductive, practice a style of yoga that emphasizes alignment and muscle flexibility, writes "Yoga Journal." Yoga styles that maintain poses for longer periods of time, such as Iyengar or Anusara, increase joint flexibility and muscle endurance. Concentrate on yoga poses that stretch muscles you've focused on in your strength training.
4. Find a workout to fit your needs. Workout videos are a convenient way to add yoga or strength training to your fitness program. Visit consumersearch.com to get the latest reviews and recommendations on exercise videos to help you make informed choices. Personal trainers are another option, and can help you customize your workouts to accomplish specific fitness goals. The American Council on Exercise provides an online database of certified trainers.
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