Yoga vs. Cardio
By: Stephen NadlerTotal Views: 592, Word Count: 658,
Exercise is the best way to stay healthy and prevent infection. There are ways to give exercise to your body and mind. Out of this, yoga and cardio exercises are most commonly used all over the world. Let us focus of how yoga is different from cardio i.e. yoga vs. cardio
There are many points we can use so as to define yoga and cardio. Let us now focus on the points which can compare yoga vs. cardio.
Benefits of Yoga
- Yoga keeps body strong
- It involves the strengthening of all with the help of yoga asanas (poses)
- Yoga postures help to strengthen feet, abdominals, legs, hands, lower back, and shoulders.
- Stretching and breathing exercises of yoga improve the flexibility of joints, and tendons.
- Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis patients can easily see noticeable improvement in their pain, and stiffness.
- You can improve the endurance using athletic forms of yoga, e.g. ashtanga yoga, vinyasa yoga, power yoga, and Bikram yoga.
- Hatha yoga helps to relieve chronic back or neck pain
- Yoga can heal various injuries like knee and back injuries, pulled hamstrings, and even minor skin burns.
- Yoga is known to be an excellent exercise that can improve bone density.
Benefits of Yoga to the Cardiovascular System
- The normal forms of yoga help to lower blood pressure. The asanas done during yoga keep blood flowing throughout your body while you are focusing on breathing.
- Patients with hypertension can have more benefit from yoga. It can lower heart rate and blood pressure.
- Many doctors claim that yoga can also minimize cholesterol
- Power yoga is an excellent way of cardio conditioning. This can help to strengthen core muscles and keep blood and oxygen circulating
Cardio Exercise
- Cardiovascular exercise is also known as cardio respiratory exercise or aerobic exercise.
- It promotes the loss of body fat
Yoga vs. Cardio
Yoga
· This stimulates parasympathetic nervous system
· This is relaxing
· Subcortical regions of the brain dominate
· Slow dynamic movements
· Reduced muscle tension, progressive movements
· Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
· This is totally noncompetitive and process-oriented
· Awareness is internal because it focuses on breathing
· Limitless growth in self-awareness
· Low caloric consumption
· Effort is minimized as compared to cardio
· Energizing because of natural and controlled breathing
Cardio Exercise
- This stimulates sympathetic nervous system
- This is very exhausting
- Cortical regions of brain dominate
- This contains rapid and forceful movements
- This increases muscle tension
- This contains higher risk of injury
- This is sensible to high caloric consumption
- Effort is maximized
- This is more fatiguing
- This is competitive, goal-oriented
- Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
- This contains no aspect of self awareness
From this we can say that Yoga vs. cardio is non ending discussion which needs more research
About the Author
Stephen Nadler is renowned yoga specialist and has been teaching yoga since 1999. He offers integrated approach, suitable for all levels with emphasis on alignment and breath, awareness in minds and mental relaxation. Moreover, he takes individual yoga classes for pregnant ladies.
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