Yoga and the gym workout

       

Doing yoga or hitting the gym - too difficult a choice to make? Let's make things easier and look at both not as rivals but close allies. Yes, yoga can be a perfect complement to your body workout and actually add to the benefits you derive from it.

The best part is, you can continue with your daily workout routine just the way it is now and simply add a few minutes of yoga practice to it for better results.

Yoga and gym workouts both have their own set of benefits and you need to decide what you require for your body. Yoga asanas or postures are slow graceful controlled movements while gym workouts involve rapid movements with force. Your muscles are strengthened from deep within in a systematic manner that improves your muscular endurance. In gym workouts the tension on your muscles increases a lot due to the forceful movements. Since yoga asanas or workouts are done in a slow systematic and controlled manner they prevent any kind of injury. Whereas in the gym workouts there is a greater risk of injury and muscle strain due to the rapid and forceful movements. If your weight gain is due to stress and you are trying to lose weight then yoga is a preferable option as it reduces your stress to a great extent and that in turn reduces your appetite. So you consume lesser calories. Gym workouts also help to reduce stress but not as much as yoga so your appetite is not reduced as much and in some cases since you strain yourself so much in your gym you actually tend to eat more and consume more calories. Yoga does not tire you out but helps you to relax totally and gets rid of your stress fully so you feel more at peace with yourself and others and you feel more energetic and refreshed after a yoga session. Gym workouts drain a lot of your energy so you feel exhausted after your gym sessions and your body aches due to the excessive strain on your muscles.