| Many people wonder if yoga can improve their muscle | | | | slowly than it is to allow momentum to move you |
| fitness. They recognize that yoga can help reduce | | | | through an action. I have been working out with |
| stress and increase flexibility, but when it comes to | | | | weights for many years so my muscles are used to |
| increasing muscle fitness, they think it might be a little | | | | being strengthened. Yet, I have practiced certain yoga |
| too 'weak' to do the job. The fact is that yoga can | | | | routines during which my muscles screamed for |
| definitely make you stronger. | | | | mercy and I actually had to get out of the pose and |
| A study was conducted at the University of California | | | | then resume it because my muscles were so |
| at Davis. Ten college 'coach potatoes' adopted a yoga | | | | challenged. I don't often experience this during weight |
| routine for eight weeks. Each week, they attended | | | | training sessions. |
| from two to four classes during which they spent 10 | | | | In addition, some balance postures such as Tree Pose |
| minutes on breath control, 15 minutes of warm up | | | | and Shoulderstand require enormous muscle control in |
| exercises, 50 minutes doing yoga asanas, and then 10 | | | | order to prevent you from falling over. This helps to |
| minutes of relaxation/mediation. At the end of the | | | | build and strengthen your muscles. |
| eight-week period, the researchers measured the | | | | Muscle Balance |
| students' fitness and discovered that their muscular | | | | In weight training, you isolate a specific muscle as you |
| strength had increased by up to 31%, their muscular | | | | perform an exercise and this leads to a short, |
| endurance improved by 57%, their flexibility increased | | | | tightened muscle. The muscles you develop during |
| by 188%, and their cardio respiratory fitness improved | | | | yoga are more likely to be elongated, because while |
| by 7%. These results are pretty amazing when you | | | | you are strengthening them, you are simultaneously |
| consider that the study was only conducted for eight | | | | lengthening them. You also do not focus on an isolated |
| weeks. | | | | muscle, but actively recruit the smaller muscle groups |
| How can something that seems so benign have such | | | | as well. You truly work your entire body when you |
| a major impact on muscle fitness? | | | | practice yoga. |
| Muscle Strength | | | | Practicing yoga can help realign your muscles, so they |
| Unlike traditional weight building exercises, in yoga your | | | | are more balanced. Since you are not overworking |
| body provides the resistance. While you are not likely | | | | any specific muscle group, you are less likely to get |
| going to produce the bulked up muscles of some | | | | injured. |
| weight lifters, you will certainly increase your muscle | | | | In addition to all its other benefits, yoga can help you |
| strength. | | | | improve muscle fitness. Whether you choose to use it |
| Many poses in yoga are done very slowly or you stay | | | | as your primary means of strength training or you |
| in the posture for several breaths. It is much more | | | | want it to supplement your other exercises, yoga can |
| challenging to your muscles to hold a pose or do it | | | | help your muscles grow fit, balanced, and strong. |