So this title sparked your interest and it is a conversation we seem to have with patients in the clinic all the time and of great debate out there in the health/gym world. Exercise seems to divide people, if you are a cross fitter, gym junkie, kettlebell queen there is no chance on this planet that you could be a Yogi, pilates lover or meditator it’s like Boy vs Girls, Cats vs Dogs and even though they sit on opposite ends of the exercise/lifestyle spectrum believe it or not to have a good combination of both is a brilliant thing for your body and mind. After recently joining the gym it became very apparent how separated the two groups of people are: I never see those in my Yoga class take on a fun circuit class or visa versa and when the classes swap over it’s almost this comical stare off between everyone ‘yeah, you adrenalin junkie’ or ‘oh look, here comes the airy fairy yogi’ makes me laugh every time. But people wait!! We can be friends and cross over the war line and your exercise on both parts will improve. So if we look into why we exercise our top 3 would be: 1- Be fit/ Healthy 2-Weight management 3-Stress relief and both weight training and yoga offer these benefits but just have different approaches. Let’s explore more:

Weight training

Pros-

Generally this is high impact, sweaty, adrenalin based, constant muscle contraction, weight bearing exercise. The aim, to strengthen, tone and build muscle. This is important as we require non fatiguing, functional muscles to provide our joints with optimal support for whatever our body is exposed to on a daily basis. Having strong muscles limits the load that occurs through our weight bearing joints and provides the spine with great support, ultimately reducing repetitive strain(to a point) and decreasing the chance of injuries to the muscle groups you are working on.

Cons-

Weight training is a constant muscle contraction, so that muscle group you are working is being exposed to consistent shortening. What happens when a muscle is exposed to this with no stretching or lengthening involved? Its flexibility starts to become compromised which then leads to associated joint to have a limited range of movement. As we know having a limited range of movement can lead to poor postural patterns creating pain and discomfort.

Yoga

Pros-

A very soothing form of activity which allows your mind to switch off whilst we reconnect with our breath and listen to our bodies. Great combo of lengthening, stretching and strength poses which always places our joints in positions they generally don’t sit in throughout our daily routines. So a forward hunched back at the computer for work is encouraged to be opened and lengthened in many poses. Having a great counterbalance in our joints increases the amount of ‘play’ that is available in our joints and decreases the chances of forming poor postural habits.

Cons-

The only load placed through the body is of that of our body weight and gravity (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing but isn’t aimed to build muscle mass). Sometimes without adequate muscle strength, especially to our core stabilizers and pelvic floor muscles some poses can compromise a joint especially if that joint naturally is prone to hypermobility. Our ego gets the better of us, in every yoga class we are always given alternatives for which level we are at and instead of doing the pose to where we are truly at we go for the hardest one, which can place unnecessary strain to our joints and surrounding muscles.

Weight training + Yoga = True love for one amazing body & mind

That’s right you are indeed very clever and have picked up that where weight training has its cons, Yoga picks up the slack and to make a great Yogi we require weight trainings pros.

I would certainly testify to this as I do a combo of both with my daily beach walks in the mix and since doing this I find I’m a stronger runner because my hamstring length has improved thanks to Yoga and my core strength and upper body power has improved in my Yoga poses due to incorporating some weight based training. Combine all that and I have one strong, posturally improved and energetic body to get me through my physical job. But as we all know life does get in the way so listening to your body and what it requires is always key here, sometimes opt for Yoga if you are feeling tired or maybe you had a super lazy day in front of the computer at work and need to move your body to burn off some energy. Exercise can always be fun and having a few different options to choose from will always keep your body guessing and setting challenges. No more vs. between exercise styles, do your body a favour and create the best opportunity for strength and length.

By Natalie Hartwig

Myotherapist