We’re constantly being told that we’ve got to lift weights if we want to get stronger, but is that true – or can yoga do the job just as effectively?
For some reason, yoga is still seen as a ‘relaxing’ activity to do on rest days. To get stronger and faster, head to a strength or treadmill class; to calm the mind and have a nice old stretch, go to yoga. But anyone who’s been to rocket, power or hot yoga will know only too well just how bloody tough it can be.
Even a ‘gentle’ class might get you doing several rounds of vinyasa flows (going through forward folds, yoga push-ups and downward dogs) – leaving your triceps burning. But given how yoga is often relegated to relaxation, just how possible is it to build strength via flowing alone? Do you need to hit the weights room, or can you get all you need by way of resistance training on the mat using bodyweight?
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According to Keri Perkins, a Jivamuki yoga teacher and founder of We Are Boogie Sound, it’s “absolutely” possible to get strong doing yoga. “The misconception about yoga is that it is all about stretching,” she tells Stylist. “Yoga is, of course, important to open and lengthen the body, but it’s also a great all-round exercise and can be great for strengthening – as well as being good for the mind.”
If you think about it, yoga is all about being able to hold your own weight in positions that often involve working against gravity. In dolphin pose, for example, you’re loading your shoulders with a lot of weight while engaging the core while chaturanga (yogi press up) involves serious tricep strength.
Strengthening forms of yoga
Many of the postures in a yoga practice are isometric, Perkins explains: “You’re holding a muscle contraction in a fixed position for a period of time without changing the length of the muscle – as in a warrior III or plank posture.”
Of course, some yoga practices are more energetic and strengthening than others. Yin, for example, is a brilliant and often quite painful activity for lengthening and opening but it probably won’t help you to build new muscle fibres.
Perkins notes that classes like ashtanga involve shorter holds but at a vigorous pace which are great for building upper body strength. Jivamukti or yogasana, on the other hand, are about “linking postures with breath and building strength by holding poses for at least five breaths” – meaning that you’re constantly moving. Iyengar is a slower practice but again, that involves really engaging every muscle group.
Why is yoga so hard if you already do strength training?
The interesting thing is that, although yoga is a form of strength training, it can feel a lot harder than regular weight exercises. Deadlifts might require a great amount of power but not everyone who can lift over their body weight is able to hover in a low push-up position for 30 seconds, or balance in tree pose with one leg extended.
And of course, even the most competent yogi might struggle with lifting heavy weights. “That’s me,” says yoga instructor Adrienne Everett, “I can get upside down, use my upper body to support my whole body, hold poses for days but when it comes to heavy squats or using machines, I am terrible!” That’s because, she believes, it’s to do with specific body training and working on specific muscle groups. It’s about what you’re used to. It’s like marathoners who struggle to sprint, and vice versa.
Everett came to yoga having previously been a ‘HIIT person’. “Through yoga, my body has changed in a way I never thought was imaginable,” she says. “I got really strong – I could balance on my own body. And at the moment, yoga is all I do and while I incorporate a lot of walking and natural movement, I don’t do any strength or HIIT and I’m stronger and healthier than ever.”
The key is working out what you want to achieve: if you’re after strength, flexibility and healthy joints, yoga really may be your best bet. And in Perkins’ opinion, it’s the fact that yoga makes us mentally more resilient that’s important. “Yoga gives us the ability to focus the mind; the strength built here helps to balance emotions, cultivate a sense of calm and wellbeing, as well as build resilience.”
Keri Perkins’$2 5 strength building yoga poses
1. Chaturanga: strengthens the arms (triceps, biceps) shoulders and abdominal muscles.
2. Side plank: a core-strengthening power-building pose that targets the arm muscles, shoulders, obliques and, of course, helps with balance. “As you’re doing this one arm at a time, it’s more intense than a regular plank,” she says.
3. Dolphin pose: “This is one of my favourite poses. It’s a great alternative inversion that targets deltoids and triceps and builds flexibility in the upper back, as well as strengthening the shoulders. It’s also a great preparation posture for headstand and forearm stand.”
4. Boat pose: an excellent strengthener, boat pose activates the deep abdominal layer as opposed to superficial muscles (like the six-pack abs). Perkin suggests holding behind your knees if you have lower back pain.
5. Bridge pose: an ideal strengthening exercise for hamstring, glutes and back – it’s also really good for relaxing. “You can’t help but calm the nervous system in bridge pose if you focus on the breath,” Perkins says.
For more yoga articles, visit the Strong Women Training Club.
Images: Getty
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