As more and more people sign up for yoga classes, I wonder if it’s really worth the price. Have there been any serious scientific studies that have tested yoga’s health benefits? To me, it just seems like group stretching exercises mixed with Indian mysticism. How does it compare to a more traditional workout of stretching, cardio, and weight training?
It’s a lot more than just stretching. Of course it depends on what type you do and every teacher is a little different.
I can only relate my personal experience, but taking up yoga has been extremely positive for me. I’ve been practicing for about 2 and a half years now, and I don’t plan to ever quit. In the past year or so, I’ve lost over 55 pounds while gaining strength, flexibility and balance. I also find it helps me maintain mental and emotional balance.
I’ve done a lot of different types of exercise over the years – team sports, running, weightlifting, videos, so and so forth. Yoga is the only thing I’ve ever done that doesn’t leave me sore. It’s developed muscles I never knew I had. I’ve met some great people.
So, IMHO, the answer to your question is an unqualified yes.
For similar benefits with (somewhat) less mysticism, take a look at Pilates. I work out heaps, have really good core fitness, and got owned in a plank (static ab exercise) contest by a slip of a lass who does pilates regularly.
I worry about bikram yoga, too. Aggressive exercise in such a heat seems pretty risky to me, but I can appreciate that such warm muscles allow further extension and flexibility. I would approach with caution, but might try it once or twice.
As in anything, your mileage will vary - while yoga will increase flexibility and control (giving good results, I don’t doubt), aerobic and anaerobic fitness require different exercise strategies. I would see it as a useful part of the mix, not sufficient, but part of a whole.
And congrats, NicePete, on finding that it did work for you. The best exercise for anyone is the one you are happy to do on a regular basis that achieves your goals.
Si
This is so very true.
I’d also agree about Pilates, which is very similar to yoga. Many of the classes I take mix some Pilates poses in (especially for abs and core strengthening).
As to the “Indian mysticism” aspect, I’d say this varies greatly between studios. I take classes as the local, county-run recreation center. The mysticism is minimal. In fact, pretty much everyplace I’ve been, the mysticism aspect has not been emphasized much, if it all. Not to say there aren’t places that do emphasize that part. But I don’t think you’d have much trouble finding a place to do yoga where the mysticism level doesn’t bother you.
As to the expense, yoga classes are becoming much more common at gyms and rec centers, which are usually cheaper than dedicated yoga studios. Could be a good way to dip your toe in the water.
Another vote for “great added to the mix.”
It’s more than stretching, for sure - the poses require you to use your core muscles like there’s no tomorrow, and a lot of them also tone up muscles in your arms and legs. It won’t get your heartrate up as much as, say, sprinting, but more than, say, bending over to touch your toes.
Different people have different bodies and benefit from different things. If you wanna try baby-beginner-basic yoga for super-cheap, borrow a friend’s WiiFit and try out their yoga.
I’ll add another unqualified yes to the mix.
Most of my family have benefited a lot from yoga, losing weight, gaining flexibility, improving Blood Pressure and Even bring Type II Diabetes under control.
In our case we Practice the Breathing Aspect or Pranayam Much more then the Vigorous Excersice that characterises Yoga in most places. The advantage is that its much more easier to get into and can be done in a lot more places. We do do the Physical part but to much lesser extent and it works for us.
For More info on Pranayam I’ll suggest checking out an interview in the Toronto Yoga Guide with Dr. Gagan Bhallaabout it.
I’ve done yoga on and off for years (last 2 years, 2 weekly classes). Do I like it? Yep. Does it replace cardio and/or weight training? Nope. It’s a wonderful adjunct, but I would not lose weight or gain muscle tone if it were the only activity that I did.
I think I may be the only person who didn’t learn to love yoga. I took classes for about 6mos and it was just… I don’t know… I didn’t really seem to get anything out of it, and I didn’t enjoy the classes at all.
It also made me sweat like nobody’s business, which I seemed to be the only one having that particular issue (this was regular ol’ vinyasa yoga…)
You’re not the only one. I hate yoga. I find it incredibly uncomfortable and it absolutely kills my back. I’m pretty flexible (used to be a dancer), so that’s not the problem. I just find it…totally unpleasant and frankly, pretty boring.
I’m indifferent.
Seems ok, but not especially great.
Second for “if you don’t like the mysticism, go with pilates.” My wife loves it, and she gets great results.
I have been doing “Power Vinyasa” yoga for five weeks, and man, it’s amazing.
“Vinyasa”, apparently, means something like “fluid movement with breathing”. The upshot of it is that you do - or try to do - lots of extremely challenging postures without stopping. The class is an hour and a half and it’s the most intense workout I’ve ever experienced. Last class the teacher asked if I could hang up my mat to dry, rather than roll it, because it was so wet with my sweat. My t-shirt was like it had been soaked in the bath. I lost 5 lbs just in perspiration.
Importantly, you can stop if it gets too much. And you can have your water with you to rehydrate as you go on. Nobody’s forcing you to do this stuff, only your own will.
The only spiritual gobbledigook in my class is the recitation of “om” at the end, for about ten seconds, in which nobody’s obliged to take part.
The exercises made me realise how comfortable my body has become with its fairly sedentary lifestyle, and how much flexibility I’ve lost over the years. The gratifying thing, is that every week the postures become a little easier. I actually managed to go from being on hands and feet, into sitting cross-legged by sliding my legs under my arms without stopping, which gave me a real sense of achievement.
I’ve lost maybe two pounds since I started, but importantly I’ve been turning flab into core muscle. Several people in the last week have said “wow, you’re looking great” “you seem much leaner than before” and “you’ve lost a lot of weight off your face”.
Also, I feel like I’ve done a line of coke for about two hours after each class. 
Stupid question: in yoga classes, does the instructor sit in front and lead, or does she come around and physically help you adjust your pose and otherwise show you how to do things?
My spatial sense is very weak, and so when I try to follow some sort of video and they say things like “make a straight line with your head and spine” or “make sure your knee is directly under your hip”, I have no idea if I am following the instructions. If yoga (or pilates) classes are like that–instructor at the front of the room, all of us trying to follow along and me making a fool of myself, I have no interest. But if they actually came around and said “knee forward about 2 inches”, that might be really useful.
a quality yoga class the instructor would observe and give each person corrections as needed.
from what i understand of yoga philosophy and practice the details are very important to getting the most benefit.
It depends on the instructor & the class.
Some stay at the front & lead. Some demonstrate, but will give individual instructions (“Jill, nice job. Bob, your left knee is drifting.”) Some will wander the room, demonstrating if necessary, otherwise stopping to give individual students instructions. Some will ask your permission, and if it’s given, physically manipulate you into position.
If one style does nothing for you, you can find out before taking the class.
I don’t have the links right now, but medical studies have shown that yoga is generally (because of the different styles) very benefical in dealing with stress-related illness - high blood pressure, ulcers and similar go down, and people who practice yoga regularly have better health points in those areas that can be measured, and a bit of a longer life span than average.
So the question is: what do you want to get out of it - physical exercise only? or the relaxation/ meditation aspect, too (no need to sneer at “mysticism” - all cultures and religions have meditations, just some practises get different exposure), and then look around and try out different instructors until you find one with the right mixture of meditation (full to none) and physical exertion (full to none) and a good teacher you feel comfortable with who seems to be competent.
If there are not enough different classes available in your area to find the right mixture (you only want physical exercise, but the only class is with full mediation in hindu language), then find a different exercise form - Tai Chi Chuan also offers both meditation and exercise, and you can determine how much or little you want to work out.
You can also (with the right instructor) do Karate Katas in a meditative way - you only practise a set form of movements, not an all-out combat, and try to get everything right, remembering when to turn, punch, kick, two steps back, etc.
Or you can do aerobics purely physical and meditation completly seperate, if you feel more comfortable doing that, or can’t find a good instructor.
An awful lot depends on the quality and philosophical bent of the instructor and the direction the school wants to take with the “sports” that have an additional meditation aspect. (Even with aerobics, some schools want to train the athlete types and go all-out, some are like Marge Simpson’s aimed at normal unattractive women and try to motivate you by keeping it at a moderate level where everybody can still keep up, and some have barely qualified instructors).
I feel the same way. That’s not to say yoga can’t be quite strenuous, but I found it too deliberate and that it didn’t really do much for my main physical issue, which is chronically tight calves and back pain, and it takes like an hour to do. I need my workouts to be explosive to some degree, to provide a release. I’d rather warm up, do a stretching and back bridge routine, maybe walk with my hands a bit, and do some sprint intervals than to spend an hour holding a series of awkward poses.
It is beneficial but it can become a bit dull when it’s the same routines over and over.
Same here. All I can think of while doing it is “ok, stretching’s over, when do we get to break out the basketball, split into teams, and have fun?”
I find it a good way to stretch and strengthen little stabilizing muscles that tend to get pulled with certain activities. Doing certain yoga movements helped reduce my back pain.
Yoga has really caught on with people who do brazilian jiu-jitsu, a hobby which is pretty hard on the body. In fact, a well known black belt has put out a routine tailored for the martial artist: http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Yoga-Martial-Josephine-Krizovensky/dp/B0000D151U.