Yoga is Fitness and More
By Brandon Hartsell
Co-founder Sunstone Yoga
People who regularly practice yoga rarely think about whether it works because they know it does through their own first-hand experience. Yet, it's a worthwhile question for those steeped in traditional forms of exercise or anyone who may be considering a yoga practice. Yoga works on the body, mind and emotions in positive, life-changing ways. Many people will enter a yoga room with the goal of becoming slimmer, or changing their physical abilities in some manner, and months later find they are not only physically changed, but mentally and emotionally changed as well. These life changes will have occurred solely through practicing yoga postures.
Starting with weight loss, let's look at why yoga works successfully as a path to fitness.
Muscles metabolize calories when they are stimulated. One pound of muscle metabolizes 35 - 50 calories every 24 hours. However, the more muscle used, the greater the stimulation, and in turn the more calories required. In running, you use approximately 25% of the body's muscles. That 25% is only put through about 15% of its range of motion. That is: 15% X 25% = 3.75% of the body's muscle cells being stimulated by running. Calories are burned because of the duration and repetition of that exercise.
In contrast, a typical yoga practice uses the muscle's full range of motion, and the muscle is almost completely stimulated. With practice, a yogi or yogini is contracting, stretching and putting resistance on a large percentage of the body's muscles, through nearly 100% of their range of motion. Therefore, the typical yoga practice is a more efficient use of muscle tissue and higher caloric expenditure results.
Intense forms of yoga, such as hot yoga (which is performed in a heated room), work to stimulate the cardiovascular system in the same way. The more muscle cells involved in the activity, the more oxygen required, and in turn the greater the effectiveness of the exercise. In general, oxygen consumption over time depends on four things:
- Muscle mass involved in the exercise;
- Percentage of muscle cells involved in the exercise,
or the range of motion the muscle mass is put through;
- The number of times the muscle must make the movement;
- The resistance on the muscles during the movement.
Increase any one of these elements, and the time required to get the same cardiovascular result is decreased.
Continuing with the example of running, if you run up a hill you get very out of breath. Running uphill forces the legs through a greater range of motion with more resistance, and the oxygen requirements skyrocket, meaning less time is required to get the same cardiovascular result as running on a flat surface. In a yoga practice, however, applying resistance to a high percentage of muscle mass through a high range of motion, you don't need to keep your heart rate up for prolonged periods of time, because you use more oxygen in that time.
After exercise, the body continues to consume greater amounts of oxygen than before the exercise. This is called "excess post exercise oxygen consumption" (EPOC). It simply means your body is still working harder after you stop exercising, while it restores itself to its normal resting state. The duration of EPOC is proportional to the number of muscle cells used and the intensity of the exercise. Because of the high amount of stimulated muscle in yoga, the EPOC is high. Some styles of yoga, such as hot yoga, have an even greater EPOC, because of the increased heat and humidity of the yoga environment.
Beyond its effectiveness at calorie burning and cardiovascular exercise, the benefits of strength, flexibility and increased concentration should not be overlooked in a yoga practice. Yoga is one of few exercise practices that builds strength and flexibility in the whole body with minimal risk of injury or long-term physical damage. By moving in and out of the postures in a controlled manner and holding the pose over time, the yogi or yogini uses his or her own body weight as resistance. A recent study at the University of California at Davis found that 90 minutes of yoga practice 4 times a week over 8 weeks increased muscular strength up to 31%, muscular endurance up to 57%, and flexibility up to 188% in a group of healthy but previously sedentary college students. Proper practice of yoga works every part of your body equally, and doesn't overwork the muscles, leading to better balance and alignment in the body and less chance of injury than other forms of traditional exercise.
Beyond its purely physical benefits, yoga increases your body awareness and helps decrease stress. This increase in awareness leads to better decisions about what to eat. If you have a regular yoga practice, you are less likely to eat something that is going to make your practice uncomfortable. Instead of fueling your body with lots of foods that digest slowly, the body begins to ask for lighter foods higher in nutrients. It is more comfortable to do yoga with less food in your system. With this in mind, it's very important that you give your body the nutrients it needs in as simple and healthful a manner as possible. Many yoga practitioners have found that Greenergy is an excellent addition to their diet and very beneficial to their practice. Just one scoop contains the recommended daily nutritional value of green vegetables and provides you with potent antioxidants, beneficial pro-biotics and a natural energy boost. Taken before or after a yoga session, Greenergy can help yoga practitioners achieve nutritional balance while also enhancing their practice.
As awareness of your body increases and stress decreases, your skill in yoga will grow proportionally. Achieving balance between strength, flexibility, and concentration is a form of self-mastery with unlimited benefits to the body and overall health of the practitioner. You may enter a yoga class for the physical benefits, and within a short time, find that you have received much more.
By Brandon Hartsell
Co-founder Sunstone Yoga
Brandon has been practicing yoga since October 1997 and began teaching in August 2000. He is a registered yoga teacher at the 500 hour level. He was certified in Bikram Yoga in November, 2000 and has taught in California, Australia, and India. He played college basketball at the University of Dallas and professionally in Croatia and Germany. His success as an athlete has brought him broad exposure to many forms of physical fitness: weight lifting, running, cycling, spinning, rock climbing, aerobics, and martial arts. His passion for teaching began in college as a personal trainer and has culminated as an extension of his yoga practice.
