What Makes Yoga Different from and Even Better than the Gym

Many people associate yoga with exercise and fitness. Sure, yoga involves exercise and promotes fitness, but it is much more than that. The asanas that are important aspects of yoga are different from regular exercises in that they are aimed at relaxing the body, thereby reducing the strain on the mind and the body’s respiratory system. Exercises performed in the gym, on the other hand, focus on constant movement which actually raises the oxygen requirement for muscles. The asanas are therefore quite different from the regular exercises in terms of their results and how they are performed.  

Yoga Relaxes Muscles While Exercise Strains Them

As we’ve seen, exercising involves constant, strenuous movement, focusing on raising muscle mass. Yoga, on the other hand, focuses on maintaining steady postures and relaxing the muscles. In fact, though asanas are exercises, they are defined as a state where you are “steady and comfortable”. During the asana, your breathing happens in a synchronized manner and the movements are controlled and slow. With regular exercising, synchronized breathing is just not possible because there is repetitive movement and the muscles are placed under stress. As a result, the outcome of yoga and regular exercise vary. While yoga is energy efficient, exercise is energy intensive.      

Yoga causes the body to relax with reduced blood requirement since the body isn’t placed in undue stress. That causes the heart to relax as well. Exercising, on the other hand, raises the blood pressure and the speed of blood circulation. While that may improve the flexibility of the muscle and builds it up, it increases the workload placed on the heart since it has to pump faster.   

       

Yoga Brings Down Cortisol Levels

While yoga brings down the levels of the stress-related cortisol in the body, regular exercise makes the lungs work harder as a result of the constant and stressful movement. So regular exercising could raise the levels of cortisol in the body, since exercise is perceived as a stress. The muscles need more oxygen. 

Exercising also causes lactic acid to be produced, leading to exhaustion and fatigue. Yoga, on the other hand, soothes the nervous system as a result of specific nostril breathing. Yoga also helps in greater pain tolerance and helps the mind too, providing peace and contentment. 

Yoga Benefits both Body and Mind

While exercising contributes to stronger muscles, fitter and slimmer body, and greater flexibility, it does that by putting the body into significant stress and strain. That’s why heavy exercising isn’t recommended for everyone. Yoga, though, provides fitness to not just the body but also the mind, not by placing too much stress but actually relaxing it. That’s why Peter Theodorou started following yoga at quite an early age. Today he’s one of the most successful proponents of the discipline.