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| I used to go to the gym to lift weights and use the cardio machines. Then I would do yoga or pilates 2-3 times a week. I stopped the gym a little over a year ago when I found out that I was pregnant and continued pre-natal yoga. I've started yoga back up and been walking around the neighborhood about 3 miles 4-5 times a week. I take 2 yoga classes a week. Yesterday I thought I would start back at the gym but it wasn't the same. I couldn't take my 8 month old and my joints hurt when I lift. What was once an enjoyable experience isn't. I want to stay in shape but I want to spend as much time with my daughter as possible because I'll have to go back to work at some point. Do people find that by practicing just yoga and cardio that they can develop good muscle tone and strong bodies. How often are you practicing? What type of yoga? In classes or on you own? |
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| You only need to be as strong as you need to. And, yoga does sufficient job for most people. But, it does NOT do sufficient job for everyone, say for example for the one who wants to compete for a gold medal in Olympics Weight Lifting. I am not commenting on you, I am just giving a strong example to make my point clear. Also, since you have a child and a job, obviously the same exercise that existed before these two kids, or one kid, is impossible.
washforestlion - 2007-09-18 12:19 PM
I used to go to the gym to lift weights and use the cardio machines. Then I would do yoga or pilates 2-3 times a week. I stopped the gym a little over a year ago when I found out that I was pregnant and continued pre-natal yoga. I've started yoga back up and been walking around the neighborhood about 3 miles 4-5 times a week. I take 2 yoga classes a week. Yesterday I thought I would start back at the gym but it wasn't the same. I couldn't take my 8 month old and my joints hurt when I lift. What was once an enjoyable experience isn't. I want to stay in shape but I want to spend as much time with my daughter as possible because I'll have to go back to work at some point. Do people find that by practicing just yoga and cardio that they can develop good muscle tone and strong bodies. How often are you practicing? What type of yoga? In classes or on you own? |
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| I think that yoga and cardio (fast walking, swimming etc) are all you need if you do a vigorous yoga style that develops strength (Astanga, Power, Bikram or a vigoroous Vinyasa Flow). Many people do yoga three to five times a week and cardio two to four times a week. It is important to do both yoga classes and practice at home on your own as you learn new things in your classes and need to practice them at home to internalize them. Also, the focus is very different in class compared to on your own. While you can learn from your teacher in class and this external feedback is often critical, you also need to develop your internal feedback and that is better at home. Although some people say that yoga is a good cardio workout, I don't agree because your heart rate is not maintained at a much higher than normal level for an extended period of time in most yoga practices. |
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| Hi Karen,
Welcome to the forum.
Neel's right when he says that you only need to be as strong as you need to be. So the first thing to do is decide how strong you want to be then choose the appropriate regime to achieve this.
Yoga and cardio will develop muscle tone and strength though not to the same level that you would achieve lifting weights.
Personally, I have a regular daily asana practise and while my primary reason for practising is not fitness I do find that it meets my cardio requirements. You may also want to consider body weight exercises such as pull ups, press ups, Hindu squats etc to help with muscle tone and compliment your asana work.
Jonathon
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| Opinions and perspectives will vary greatly on this topic. I don;t think there is one answer and the healthy heart effects of yoga are often overlooked when the "heart rate" doesn't escalate.
If the student practicing yoga were doing a very robust practice (and I do not mean jumpy or sweaty though I am not excluding that) that included asana, pranayama, meditation et al, then it would be possible to achieve "a health" from that alone. Now that does depend on what one defines as health. For some it is the appearance of the external body while for others it is a happy liver/kidneys/spleen.
Most do not have this sort of yoga practice (which oddly enough would include true rest). So in that case it is possible more is needed; again depending on ther definition of health. If you feel good, chances are what you are doing is working. Why not be the test and tell us?
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Expert Yogi
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| I will add only that if your joints ache while lifting, you need to use caution. Your body has not fully recovered from pregnancy and birth. Be kind to yourself  |
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| I'll just give you a take on one of my personal experiences.
My home yoga practice isn't very vigorous. Although I do break a sweat, it's nothing compared to the level of sweating I do in the studio classes that I sometimes take.
For about a month, I was doing only studio classes. The classes were heavy with Vinyasa flow series, and they didn't heat the room like in Bikram, but they didn't attempt to open any windows or turn on the fans either, so it was very warm. I went to these classes about 4 days per week. I currently don't have that much time, so my practice is primarily a home practice. BUT, my point is, during that time, I did notice changes in my physical body as well as the mental. I felt stronger and more toned. If I remember right, I lost 8 pounds as well.
Writing this reminds me, I should go to more of my studio classes. I do yoga for much more than the physical benefits, but I do have some weight to lose. Hey, maybe you just motivated me! Thanks! |
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| And from my personal experience; prior to attending my first teacher training(Bikram), I was in pretty good shape. I was lifting weights on a daily basis and playing soccer or basketball 4 to 5 times per week. During the 11 weeks of training and the month of travel that followed I did no lifting and no cardio workouts. Upon arriving home I wanted to test the theory that yoga provides adequate strength and cardio work even as it provides so much more. I went back to the gym, back to lifting and back to playing sports. I found that although I was approximately 12 pounds lighter--and I have always been thin--I wasn't far below my top weight limits in lifting and found positive gains in playing basketball, mostly in the ability to recover my breath after strenuous play--and subsequently calm my heart.
Now as I continue to teach from the hot lineage, I also have the opportunity to practice yoga that encourages more upper body strength. After not lifting for a number of years I recently tried and was surprised by how quickly my muscles acclimated to this use of strength. I have no doubt that depending upon your desire, whether it be healing, stillness or fitness, there is a yoga style that will provide what you need.
To jimg: I don't quite agree when you tell someone it is important to practice at home. Not that I don't recommend it to my students as well when they can't make it into the studio, but to say that it is important in general is to place your perception and your feelings onto someone else's ideas and practice. Many of my students appreciate the separation from family life that the studio provides. If we encourage a safe, nurturing place for students to practice, there is no reason to believe they can't work deeply, internally, or with awareness in a studio setting. |
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just yoga and cardio?
