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How is Yoga Considered Strength Training?

by Alana Jones Content WRiter
To many, yoga is considered strength training. From the beginners to the instructors, everyone can see a benefit in strengthening the body in a whole, naturalistic way. Instead of using weights to target specific muscles yoga uses the weight of the body and the combination of several muscles at once. This is why when people are looking to gain strength yoga is a great exercise to take up.

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Utilizing Yoga
Yoga has a reputation for being a great exercise for the mind, spirit. It focuses on mindfulness, knowing what the limits are of the present. Yoga relies on the person’s ability to tap into their strength and relax their mind to open it to the opportunities surrounding them.

The poses done during a yoga class or following along to an instructional video are all designed to stretch muscles. This form of repeated stretching strengthens groups of muscles at the same time allowing a person to build up their strength. Now this isn’t to say that people who do yoga don’t also workout. First, yoga itself is a workout. Secondly, they may hit the gym to focus on specific areas such as biceps or abs.


Learning Limits
One of the major benefits of yoga is learning limits and learning to accept those limitations. Not everyone is going to have rock hard abs. Not everyone is going to look like a ballerina. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Yoga helps people lose weight, sure, but it also allows a person to become comfortable in their own skin.

When people start off in yoga they can sometimes become intimidating. This generally leads to trying poses that are too difficult for their skill level. Yoga doesn’t promise to be easy. There are easier to do poses, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t all require balance and strength. Yoga is a taxing form of building muscle using bodyweight. Don’t expect it to be easy.


Common Yoga Injuries
Jumping into advanced yoga poses is one sure way to get injured. Common yoga injuries can be traced back to two things: not warming up properly and doing a pose incorrectly. When a pose is executed using proper form the body may feel sore after but it won’t be injured. Listen to what the body is saying. If it is saying, “too much” then make an adjustment, scale back. Don’t let pride lead to serious injury.

Often times when a person is injured using yoga as strength training they can simply rest up and give their body time to heal. When muscles are stretched too much this is sometimes the only option. In serious cases, doctors may prescribe a muscle relaxant to help ease out any knots. Overall, however, common injuries with yoga are minor and not life threatening. This, of course, all changes when people go outside their abilities; so be careful when choosing which yoga class to attend.


The Whole Body
Yoga is great for building muscle naturally. While lifting weights is another good way to build muscles there is the added risk of lifting too much and only targeting a small portion of muscles. Yoga is about using the whole body. While they focus on mindfulness and relaxation, yoga requires the user to bend, contort, and rely on their body.

People who want to build up muscle, strengthen their core, and stay solid should practice yoga at least three times a week. It’s another form of exercise so don’t think one yoga session is going to be the final solution. Yoga can be the most relaxing way to develop muscles so, yes, yoga is considered strength training.


Alana is a passionate blogger and article writer. She is obsessed about is yoga considered strength training?. She enjoys writing about common injuries with yoga and utilizing yoga. Currently she is also researching on ways to, anti aging beauty box.


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About Alana Jones Freshman   Content WRiter

14 connections, 0 recommendations, 43 honor points.
Joined APSense since, August 21st, 2014, From New Jersey, United States.

Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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