Yoga Does a Body Good

Busy work schedules, home chores and activities of daily living are more and more causing people to need physical fitness programs that are comprehensive yet effective. As yoga continues to expand in the West, the practice is being described as a comprehensive physical fitness practice that can help with losing weight, building strength, increasing endurance and flexibility. It can be beneficial in these ways but the benefits are often dependent on a variety of factors including one's current fitness levels, goals and type of practice.

Fitness Level: Exercise history can play an important role in the types of benefits that one may experience in yoga. A study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise found that the average person off-the-street who doesn't have a fitness program can improve strength and endurance, balance and flexibility in just eight weeks. The benefits may not be so much for those who have strong physical activity programs already and, weight loss may take a significant effort since a session will only burn 144-237 calories per 50 minutes.

Fitness Goals: While yoga can help with strength and endurance related goals, it doesn't meet the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations to get aerobic exercise at 55-90% of one's estimated maximum heart rate for 20-60 minutes 3-5 times per week. Although many programs marketing the benefits of the practice say it's an all encompassing workout, it really isn't. You have to get additional cardiovascular training such as walking, biking, swimming or any other mode of aerobic exercise. And the more you make yoga aerobic, the fewer benefits one will get from flexibility and strength.

Practice Type: There are numerous styles of Hatha yoga, the physical form that includes postures, breathing and meditation. Styles range from relaxing and meditative practices such as restorative to physically demanding styles such as Ashtanga. The type of practice will make a difference on the final outcomes. Be sure to research any practice and talk with the teacher about the class components and your goals.

In the end yoga is a great way to start a new physical activity program. It also targets areas of fitness such as flexibility, skill related components such as balance and coordination and relaxation that are often overlooked. It also gives us the opportunity to practice an activity that moves beyond fitness to examine the balance of our mental, emotional and spiritual sides.

For more information on yoga, breathing and meditation, visit our yoga teacher training and meditation teacher certification resources at kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html. KCFitnessLink is a registered school with the Yoga Alliance offering instructor programs in yoga, yoga therapy, Thai massage therapy, meditation and holistic health.

Darryl Olive, MBA, MHA, CSCS, E-RYT 500 is a 500 hour certified and registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. He leads yoga teacher training workshops and is the director of programs for KCFitnessLink. For more information, visit kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html, e-mail