Comments on Cranky Fitness: Is yoga exercise?

Women love their apparels to be comfortable, not t...

2009-09-15T04:00:16.467-04:00

Women love their apparels to be comfortable, not to mention their sporting wear. It is important that they look and feel good during their active lifestyle in order to motivate themselves in working hard for their goal.

Yoga is one of the hardest excersizes i've done......

2009-07-28T12:58:49.565-04:00

Yoga is one of the hardest excersizes i've done... I'd say it ranks second under pilates.

I think you're forgetting that to hold those poses requires a HUGE amount of strength and that balance also has to do with muscle activity. Stabalizing yourself is hard. You should do some supervised yoga. A lot of the poses you can make easier but when you do them with correct form your body should be WORKING.

If you take a yoga class I doubt you'll come out questioning if yoga is excersize or not. Especially Ashtanga or Vinyasa (my favourite) yoga where they uses a sequence of poses to get your heart rate up and your body temperature up. You SWEAT.

After the first 3 or 4 months of doing yoga my stregth increased more than after doing any other excersize or sports. Your stregth is not just in one muscle but in how all your muscles work together. You're body works HARD.

I love yoga for three reasons: stretching, strengt...

2009-07-17T21:41:07.021-04:00

I love yoga for three reasons: stretching, strengthening, and relaxing. I don't think I'll be burning much in the way of calories, but I do enjoy a deep stretch (not the funny bendy pretzel kind), and damn can yoga poses be hard! I usually do a little yoga after workouts and it seems to keep me from getting muscle spasms I seem to get otherwise.

I think regualar yoga is a great supplemental exer...

2009-07-17T01:59:18.540-04:00

I think regualar yoga is a great supplemental exercise because it teaches your body to be strong.
I practice Kundalini yoga, which has many movements and i always sweat up a storm and get those bonus muscle aches the next morning. The best part about kundalini (besides the chanting!!) is that each class is so unique. You will rarely do the same exercise twice, which is great for those who get bored easily. And I wasn't kidding about the chanting!

I can say that my muscles know they worked hard la...

2009-07-15T16:04:13.988-04:00

I can say that my muscles know they worked hard last night in yoga class. It's way more relaxing than running on that blasted treadmill, and I still broke a sweat and felt the exercise high afterwards.

THANK you for explaining that pose, Azusmom! I tho...

2009-07-15T12:17:45.209-04:00

THANK you for explaining that pose, Azusmom! I thought that picture was all about him, didn't realize he was trying to help the yogee. (Yes, I know that's not a real word and is too close to 'yogi' to be a good made-up word.) Sorry I called him a show off.

Actually, that is Bikram Chodhury, the founder of ...

2009-07-15T12:12:02.075-04:00

Actually, that is Bikram Chodhury, the founder of Bikram yoga. He's kinda wacky, IMHO, and I LOVE Bikram yoga!
He's standing on her in order to get her more deeply into the pose. I've never taken a class with him, and have never experienced it in any class I've taken, Bikram or other.

Hey MC, If you click on the link below the pictur...

2009-07-15T10:12:07.372-04:00

Hey MC,

If you click on the link below the picture, it gives details like the name of the yoga guy. It sounds like some kind of Bikram yoga, and apparently the guy's some sort of show-off guru.

Wait WHAT?! Please, I hope that picture with the m...

2009-07-15T08:48:21.922-04:00

Wait WHAT?! Please, I hope that picture with the man standing on that poor woman's back has a back story. It looks like Bikram Yoga because they look like they're all sweating but I need details here. Because that looks like nothing I've ever practiced

Dude! Yoga is totally exercise. I felt the same wa...

2009-07-15T00:45:06.601-04:00

Dude! Yoga is totally exercise. I felt the same way when I first tried it - then I came home from yoga class sore...

I kept at it and was surprised to find that by the time I stopped taking classes (it's so darn expensive) I actually noticed that I'd gotten stronger and I could do poses that I couldn't do in the beginning. I noticed an improvement in my strength, balance and mood.

Win/win.

I kind of agree that some yoga can seem boring but...

2009-07-15T00:41:08.084-04:00

I kind of agree that some yoga can seem boring but seriously some other yoga (I'm thinking a lot of Rodney Yee's stuff) can be hardcore. Moving and changing all the time so that it feels like cardio!

I guess it all depends :o)

I really like that phrase, "subtly incremental"......

2009-07-15T00:01:13.066-04:00

I really like that phrase, "subtly incremental"...

I love that yoga is about developing my awareness ...

2009-07-14T20:22:39.477-04:00

I love that yoga is about developing my awareness as I develop my strength. I love that it can be done anywhere and without requiring any equipment other than my own body. I love that it can be done with other people without requiring talking or that it can be done alone without feeling lonely. I love that yoga is cumulative and subtly incremental, even when picked up again after a hiatus.

I love that yoga does not make me jiggle like a hawaiian doll on a dashboard. ;)

It just occurred to me that I love swimming for many of the same reasons.

If yoga isn't exercise, you can keep your exercise.

certified yoga junky.... those who say yoga doesn'...

2009-07-14T19:20:30.533-04:00

certified yoga junky.... those who say yoga doesn't work up a sweat don't have the right teachers. and there are so many varieties, you can find one to suit you, from Power yoga, Laughing Yoga, Partner yoga, Yogaball, Yoga Dance, Vinyasa, Japa, Raja.... you get the idea. personally, depending on mood, i do yoga to G n R or Lata Mangeshkar....there's a new style for ya... Metal Yoga!!!!

For me the mental part about exercise is equally a...

2009-07-14T18:34:08.863-04:00

For me the mental part about exercise is equally as important as the physical part (if not more so)- so yeah, yoga counts! :) That being said, I like to work up a sweat when I'm exercising, which is probably why I don't do yoga regularly... although I really SHOULD.

There are so many different types of yoga: some ar...

2009-07-14T14:21:37.792-04:00

There are so many different types of yoga: some are gentle and relaxing, others are very vigorous. Bikram/hot yoga is CRAZY hard (and one of my personal faves), and Ashtanga/flow/power yoga really gets your heart rate up.
So keep on trying different types! Eventually you'll probably find the one that suits you!

I'm a yoga believer! Yoga has helped me to build ...

2009-07-14T13:48:00.650-04:00

I'm a yoga believer! Yoga has helped me to build my core and create longer, leaner muscles throughout my body. This in turn has made me an even better runner because my muscles are healthier.

By the way, you should try hot yoga. I heard it burns somewhere around 900 calories an hour. I think you can consider it exercise then ;)

I haven't done yoga in ages, but did the Am/PM tap...

2009-07-14T13:02:01.616-04:00

I haven't done yoga in ages, but did the Am/PM tapes (that's how long ago it was--VHS!) when I did. It was more for stress relief and flexibility. I hardly think it stacks up to an 850 cal/hr arc trainer workout, but it is next on my list of classes to add to my repertoire.

I have to echo Hanlie and New Moon. I also have t...

2009-07-14T12:10:40.570-04:00

I have to echo Hanlie and New Moon.

I also have to admit that yoga's benefits sometimes only show up after continued practice. Some years back, I was trying to learn to run. I couldn't even do the Couch to 5K plan, because my aerobic stamina was so bad. Every additional minute of running took FOREVER to build up to.

About 2 months in, I could do about 5-6 minutes at a decent pace. Then I injured my knee and had to stop. I was SO UPSET.

So for the next 2 months, I did a yoga DVD every day (Rodney Yee's "Power Yoga"). At first, I was disappointed because I barely even broke a sweat, although I was a little sore in my upper body for the first few days. But it was the only thing that didn't irritate my knee, and I knew it would help realign some of the muscles, so I kept doing it.

After 2 months of nothing but yoga, I went for a run. And I ran for almost 15 minutes before I had to stop. I'd NEVER been able to do that before, and I never would have thought that what felt like fairly easy yoga would produce that result. It was pretty amazing.

So, yeah. I'm a yoga believer. ;)

I'm not a fan of yoga. My balance stinks and thoug...

2009-07-14T12:09:18.345-04:00

I'm not a fan of yoga. My balance stinks and though I've tried a few yoga classes in hopes that it would improve, I just ended up feeling goofy. And anyone who says that bathing a dog only burns 128 calories has never bathed a Jack Russell Terror who has just rolled in dead fish!

apparently I can't stop talking today. I wanted to...

2009-07-14T12:08:41.317-04:00

apparently I can't stop talking today. I wanted to add that if you're a newbie to yoga, I think it's much, much easier to start with a class (not at the gym, at a yoga studio) with a certified instructor. They will help you with all the things that are initially confusing. Many studios have introductory sessions where you can get unlimited yoga for 1 month for $30 or something - and then you can see the poses, have your poses corrected & gain more confidence before going back to the DVDs.

Just thought of something. Merry - you're in the g...

2009-07-14T12:05:08.568-04:00

Just thought of something. Merry - you're in the greater PDX area, right? My yoga teacher is going to be randomly doing free yoga sessions at various parks in town (so we can be those weirdos who practice EVERYWHERE). The first class - appropriate for all levels (and she would never kick anyone out of class for improper knee hugging) is 7/22 at the North Park Blocks by the elephant. You should come. Seriously!

I agree with Hanlie - exercise is not always about...

2009-07-14T12:03:45.896-04:00

I agree with Hanlie - exercise is not always about calorie burning. Different types of yoga burn more calories. Some yogas hold poses longer & work more on balance & core strength & meditation. Some are more active, and some (like Bikram or 'hot' yoga) are a serious workout.

I go to a Hatha flow yoga 1x/week & a Bikram class 1x/week, and the stability/balance/core benefits definitely qualify as exercise in my mind - although the Hatha class would probably not be considered 'aerobic' exercise. But people consider weight lifting exercise, and that's not aerobic, either!

There are so many benefits to yoga that go beyond calories burned! (However, there has never been any 'balance on your classmate' poses in any of my classes...that's just weird.)

I think it is good mental and emotional exercise. ...

2009-07-14T11:47:45.648-04:00

I think it is good mental and emotional exercise. The deep breathing in all the contorted positions is like a "self massage" helping to circulate the lypmh system. A yoga instructor explained something like that....

Here's my thoughts on yoga. I try to work in card...

2009-07-14T11:44:30.180-04:00

Here's my thoughts on yoga. I try to work in cardio, strength and flexibility sessions each week. I consider yoga my flexibility session. I know some yoga studios are all about the chi and the breathing and the mind-body connection but when it's offered at a gym I think the key is that they consider it flexibility training and therefore exercise. Yoga can include a lot of push-up-like moves and ab exercises so I'd like to think that also counts as exercise. :) I mainly do yoga for the balance postures to work my abs and for the hip-opening exercises because I have a bad/weak hip and it really helps!