Is yoga enough?
I sometimes get asked the question “Is yoga enough to stay fit or do I need to include other forms of exercise?” And sometimes I ask myself this question too.
I don’t think this can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” answer. It depends on how often you’re doing yoga, how long each session or class is, and how vigorously you are practicing. Someone who stretches gently for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week probably needs to include other types of fitness in their daily workout regime, like walking, swimming, running and/or weight training. However, someone who does yoga for at least 60 minutes at a time, and at least 3 times a week, and who has a harder practice that includes lots of strengthening poses, most likely does not need to do any other form of exercise.
After all, Sun Salutations is a vigorous flow of yoga poses, and can be considered to be cardiovascular exercise all on its’ own.
Plank pose builds intense upper body strength, as well as a strong back, shoulders, abdominal muscles and legs.
And of course, many more advanced yoga poses (like inversions and balancing poses like Headstand) require a lot of strength and flexibility. However, these poses are not often attempted by beginners.
So it is important to note here that if you are a beginner and are just starting out, your yoga practice will likely not be advanced, and you will want to stick with other forms of exercise too, until your yoga practice becomes more advanced.
All that said, you should do what you enjoy for exercise, and what you will keep coming back to. The choice of what kind of exercise you do in a week and how many different kinds of exercise you do is completely up to you. Do what you love, and if you love yoga, do lots of it.
For a great article that delves into the question “Is yoga enough?” more, go here.