Yoga is an excellent way to improve flexibility and, in many cases, muscle tone. To complement your yoga practice, there are other activities that can help you to improve your flexibility and tone.
Yoga is a terrific workout for the entire body, but it’s not the only type of exercise you should be doing. If you’re not already doing yoga, you should definitely consider it. Yoga is generally considered a great complement to other types of exercise, but there are a few other activities that can help you work out your entire body and help you meet your fitness goals.
Yoga may be the best workout in the world, but it’s not the best workout for everyone out there. Maybe you’re looking for a workout you can squeeze in during your lunch break, or want to incorporate a few yoga poses into a workout to stay fit. Whatever the reason, if you’re a yogi looking for a fitness activity to complement your Hatha yoga practice, this is it! Top 5 Fitness Activities to Complement Your Yoga Practice | 1. Swim I’m not a huge fan of swimming as a workout, but if you are, just don’t do it alone. Work with a buddy, or take a class at your local pool. If you have a pool near you, take a lesson from a pro and try some. Read more about yoga as part of an exercise routine and let us know what you think.
Yoga asana is only one component of a healthy and balanced fitness routine, just like most breakfast items are marketed as “part of a healthy and balanced diet.” Yoga has many advantages and is a great practice for general health, but it’s easy to overlook the other fitness choices available.
You may desire a more intense sweat session with a greater calorie burn on occasion, or you might want to try something different from yoga that will help you enhance your yoga practice. Check out these top five fitness activities that can and will offer you everything that yoga (asana) can’t, as well as assist you polish the abilities you’ll need to advance on the mat.
1. Swimming
Splashing about is a great aerobic exercise that puts more stress on your lungs and heart than even the most rigorous Power or Hot yoga sessions. Swimming enables you to challenge yourself in terms of cardiac, respiratory, and muscular endurance and speed without putting your joints in jeopardy.
In terms of injury risk, it’s a low-impact exercise, but it’s a high-impact option for increasing your body’s functional capabilities. If jogging doesn’t appeal to you or is too taxing on your joints, this is a wonderful option.
However, there is something to be said about jolting your skeletal system with activities like running—these kind of exercises may actually assist strengthen your bones, as long as you don’t overdo it and don’t have any pre-existing problems like a bone density issue.
2. Hiking
Hiking is one of the greatest methods to increase cardio and muscular endurance outside of the gym. Grab a buddy and go locate a peak. You get to spend time in nature (which may boost your mood), and the movement—which often includes elevation change—forces your joints to work to their maximum capacity without putting them under stress. On uneven ground, just watch your stride and be cautious with your ankles!
Stretching after any kind of aerobic exercise, but particularly one that includes forward motion while standing, is essential (like running, hiking, etc.). Focus on the hip stretches after a hiking session to prevent any stiffness or tightness, and to ensure that you don’t lose any of the flexibility you’ve acquired from your yoga practice.
3. Climbing on Rocks (or Bouldering)
While it may not seem to be much of a physical challenge at first glance, anybody who has raced up a rock climbing wall knows that everything aches at the end—in a good way.
Climbing rocks puts your body to the test in ways that you can’t train for in nearly any other manner. All of the small muscles in your hands, feet, and forearms receive a good workout, and strengthening them is a wonderful way to improve your comfort in many yoga poses.
When you combine this with its amazing capacity to develop functional, body-weight upper body strength, you have an exercise routine that is both empowering and exciting, as well as one that will help you make substantial improvements in your asana practice.
Pilates is number four.
Many people mix up yoga with Pilates, although they are very distinct exercises. Pilates focuses on developing core strength (which includes back and leg conditioning) via movements that require you to work against resistance.
It’s great for injury rehabilitation, prevention, and functional strength development, and it’ll teach you a lot of the abilities you’ll need for advanced yoga balancing poses and inversions. Pilates also places a greater emphasis on physical exercise than on mental or spiritual difficulties.
5. Participate in team sports
Yoga may be a highly social experience, but some individuals may miss the community element of other kinds of exercise, such as participating in a soccer, football, or volleyball team.
Joining a local intramural league or kicking a ball around with a group of coworkers at lunch may be a wonderful way to remain active and sociable in ways that yoga may not always provide. You choose the degree of difficulty and intensity, and it’s a fun alternative to meeting friends at a bar or restaurant—plus it’s typically healthier and less expensive!
While yoga may benefit our physical and mental health in a variety of ways, here are just a few of the ways you can supplement and complement your daily yoga practice with a variety of other physical activities. Let us know what you do when you’re not practicing yoga, and what you enjoy most about your non-yoga workout options in the comments!
Paige Yeaton contributed to this image.
It’s no secret that yoga is an amazing form of physical exercise. It’s also a great way to promote overall health and wellbeing. Here are 5 activities you can do to burn more calories, increase flexibility, promote joint mobility and more.. Read more about exercises like yoga and let us know what you think.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What exercise compliments yoga?
Yoga is a fantastic exercise that can be done by anyone, regardless of fitness level. Its important to remember that yoga is not just about stretching your body, but also about breathing and meditation.
What are 5 fitness activities?
Running, swimming, cycling, weightlifting, and yoga.
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- strength training for yoga
- workouts that complement yoga
- balancing yoga with weight training
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