While deciding any type of exercise over the other, your
approach and purpose behind making a choice is very important. Let's say yoga is the best. But, it is not like an
intensive 15-day routine that will help you lose extensive fat in a week. Though, if you seek complete health, it is the perfect
option for you.
In this age of race and competition, what we continuously aim
at is achieving a balance. That is what yoga teaches us; to balance, not only through physical postures, but
throughout several facets in our life. According
to Patanjali, yoga is 'Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha', or the cessation of mental fluctuations. Calming
the mind is what yoga is all about. So, gym or yoga? Which is better? Let's
find out.
Why Yoga is Good For
You
Tones the Body and
Mind: Going to the
gym mostly trains only the physique. It strengthens the muscles and makes the
body sturdy and well-built. Yoga, on
the other hand, tones the body as well as the mind. Flexibility is attained when you practice different
asanas (postures); these make you lean. But yoga
is not merely about the asanas, as it also includes various breathing practices
that ensure a healthy and peaceful mind.
No Equipment Needed: Except for the fact that you must be
awake, yoga requires no preparation or any heavy equipment for a workout. It
can be practised anywhere. All you need is perhaps a mat (a carpet works too).
That is definitely affordable.
No Risk of Injuries: Another point where yoga wins over
training in the gym is that it is free from any risks of physical injury. You
do not have the chance of accidentally hurting yourself because you lifted
weights, or because you were in an uncomfortable position. In yoga, you move and stretch with ease, and only
where you can.
Improves Metabolism: Metabolism refers to the chemical
processes within our body that break down matter (food) to produce energy
components like proteins. Digestion is an important element of metabolism. Yoga
improves your digestive system. If you
do not feel hunger, you would start to, or if you tend to overeat, you would
begin to cut down on some comfort food.
Non-competitive: The environment in a gym is
different, where you tend to compare yourself with the people around you. How much faster, how much better than others can I do,
is the goal while you are walking on a treadmill or in an aerobics session. You tend to simply follow the group in a gym routine.
On the contrary, yoga requires you to focus on yourself, no one else matters. You may be a little bulkier than others, but the shape
of your body is not important here.
A Stress Buster: After a heavy workout at the gym,
you may experience fatigue and tiredness. Alternatively, with yoga, which
mostly ends with a few minutes of breathing and meditation, you don't
experience that. It is a powerful stress buster, as it heals you from
both, the outside and inside.
Healthy Eating Habits: A routine in the gym may make you
feel hungry after exercise, and also stressed out at times. You may end up
consuming as much calories as you burned, or even more. The goodness of yoga
lies in that it naturally directs you to healthy dietary habits. You tend to
eat at the right times, and the right quantities of highly nutritious foods.
Breathing Connects the
Mind and Body: Mindfulness,
being in the present and introspection occurs, of course, when one practises
yoga. Any change in our emotions alters our breathing pattern. So, our breath
is the only powerful tool to control our emotions that further helps us
maintain a healthy body. We learn about our body through a variety of postures.
The mind-body union, which is the basic underlying concept of 'yoga' also,
improves memory and the ability to concentrate.
Saves Time and Money: One of the simplest reasons of why
yoga is good is that it saves a lot of time and money. You need not waste your
time in travelling to the gym, nor adjusting yourself to the gym timings. Also,
the fees you pay to get in shape seem a waste when you again put on weight,
because you discontinued the exercise. Yoga saves you all that trouble.
Physical exercise combined with meditation inculcates
happiness and peace within. So, especially today, when most of the stress is
mental and psychological, yoga provides a better way to find your own self, and
accept it happily.
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