Yoga is the group of mental, physical, and spiritual exercises that offer gazillion benefits to the practitioners. It is any day better than the other exercise systems like pilates and especially gymnasiums. While many people rate gym workouts above yoga, these benefits of yoga might wander their mind and convince them that yoga is the best form of exercise that not only improves our physical health but also our mental health.
15 reasons as to why yoga is better than gym for weight loss are given below.
15 reasons as to why yoga is better than gym for weight loss are given below.
1. Yoga Benefits the Mind, Body, and Spirit.
A gym workout is only focused on improving your physical health and toning up your body. It may help you achieve weight loss temporarily but, it doesn't help in the longer run. Yoga is the exercise system that not only helps to improve your physical health but also your mental and spiritual health. It helps to tone your body, relaxes your mind and infuses your spirit with a positive energy at the same time.
2. Yoga Benefits Your Full Body—Externally and Internally.
Yoga is universally accepted as the natural remedy to even the most chronic of all diseases, including heart diseases, cancer, schizophrenia, etc. The twisting, folding, and stretching aspects of a yoga practice aid in better digestion and are good for the digestive system, the lymph system, the circulatory system, and more. It is also considered to be a great way to detoxify the body, improve the cardiovascular health and above all lose weight fast. A gym workout entirely focuses on boosting cardio and strengthening the muscles.
3. Yoga Teaches Acceptance
Yoga helps individuals to find and evolve themselves. It aims at self-improvement and self-acceptance unlike gyms wherein if you are unable to practice any exercise, you feel like a failure.
4. Yoga Helps Lose Weight Fast
Yoga helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles, giving you a leaner appearance. Whereas, a gym workout is filled with weight training which may cause your muscles to bulk up. Yoga is the best exercise for weight loss.
5. Yoga Is More Efficient.
Yoga relies on your body for losing weight and strengthening. Gym workouts make use of weights, treadmill, and other equipment. By practising different yoga asanas, the body becomes toned and stronger by utilizing its own body weight as 'weights'. Whereas, during gym workouts, muscles are isolated by using only weights or other equipment, which is why they have to be worked individually in order to benefit. This takes a much longer time.
6. You Can Do Yoga Anywhere.
Yoga can be done anywhere, ranging from yoga studios to home and even outside or in small spaces. All one requires is a mat to perform the poses on. A gym workout requires more space and more equipment.
7. Protects your spine
Well-balanced yoga poses with plenty of backbends, forward bends, and twists can help to protect your spine. Spinal disks are the shock absorbers located between the vertebrae that compress the nerves. These disks crave movement and the only way to supply them with the nutrients is practising well- balanced yoga asanas. Here, a gym workout may worsen the condition.
8. Yoga Eases your Aches and Pains
Yoga eases the pains and aches by stretching the muscles and opening up the energy channels of the body. This further helps in increasing the flexibility and keeping the joints and muscles lubricated. Whereas, a gym workout increases the pain and aches. Weight training and treadmill may cause strain which can lead to injuries and soreness.
9. Yoga Aids in Breathing
Yoga primarily focuses on deep breathing. It also helps to relieve stress and calm the body muscles.
10. Yoga Calms the Mind
Regular practice of yoga helps to calm the mind and relaxes the senses. Without any grunting, clenched teeth, dropping weights, or grimacing expressions, it just aims at releasing the tension from the mind and the body.
11. Yoga Reduces Stress
Majority of the yoga sessions or classes include meditation or at least Savasana. Regular practice of yoga helps to clear your mind and reduces the stress levels. It does so by giving you the patience and calmness to deal with stressful situations with more ease. Whereas, the general nature of a gym workout along with the loud music and bright lights is more likely to increase the stress levels.
12. Everyone Can Practice Yoga
People of all ages and with all health conditions can practice yoga. The intensity of the practice can entirely vary as per your condition. Yoga is helpful in warding off the early symptoms of heart diseases, cancer and even Parkinson’s. Whereas, gym workouts are generally not designed to be therapeutic. Also, they cannot be practised by people of all ages.
13. Yoga Improves Concentration.
A yoga practice helps you focus on the breath, gaze, and posture. It aids in concentration while not being distracted by the outdoor phenomenon or technologies. Also, it can be done anywhere even with all the other distractions around, like loud music, TVs, etc.