-
My Take: “Does Yoga Count As Cardio?”
As a seasoned yogi, I felt the need to respond to the article “Does Yoga Count As Cardio?” by Ben Greenfield, which was posted today (1/27/12) on the HuffPost Healthy Living.
**I need to make a point to say that lately my yoga practice has not been consistent. Life got in the way. I’m not practicing as much as I used to, but I’m prioritizing my life to get back in the game because I felt my best when I was practicing yoga on a regular basis.
Prior to adopting yoga, my exercise routine included running 3-5 miles and doing interval training on the elliptical machine (4-5 times a week) to attempt to lose some weight I gained in college. It wasn’t completely effective. It seemed more difficult to maintain my ideal weight and I felt some muscle groups were being neglected, which only meant I had to spend more time I didn’t have at the gym. To mix things up, I decided to replace my traditional running/elliptical routine with yoga. I started doing yoga 4-5 times a week - attending 1 hr. classes or 45 min. doing at-home yoga videos. As a result, I was in the best shape of my life and it happened fast.
The benefits: It only took a month to lose the few pounds I wanted to lose, and I felt more calm and relaxed. Mentally, I was clear and energized - I had no trouble waking up when my alarm went off and never felt groggy during the day (which had been an issue before). Even better, I felt my strongest - my muscles were lean and toned, and my whole body was in shape. Additionally, it was much easier to maintain my ideal weight. I honestly felt like I was getting the best full body, low-impact workout - and I felt better than ever.
I often recommend yoga to people who are in a rut with their current exercise routines because you have the ability to take different classes or do yoga videos, which prevents you from hitting a plateau. Every class is unique and you focus on different poses, working new muscle groups. I wouldn’t swap out my yoga routine for anything.
So, in opposition to the stats about calories burned and metabolic impact in Brian’s article, I stand by my yoga practice and will personally claim it’s the best way for me to stay in shape. Try a class or a video for yourself, you’ll be surprised how sore you are the next day :)
