When to do yoga before or after workout?

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Written By Samarjit Sinha

Working out for 10 years | Has a home gym | CPD (UK) Certificate holder in Fitness

When to do yoga before or after workout? Know today!

As a fitness enthusiast, I often pondered, “When to do yoga before or after a workout?” This blog explores the optimal timing to seamlessly integrate yoga into your fitness routine, unraveling benefits irrespective of the chosen moment. Discover the dynamic warm-up potential of yoga before a workout—loosening muscles, preparing the mind, boosting stamina, and elevating heart rates for effective exercise. Dive into post-workout advantages, from cooling down the body to aiding muscle recovery.

Explore yoga types, like Iyengar for injury prevention or Yin for relaxation, and delve into the transformative benefits of regular practice on flexibility, strength, and overall well-being. This concise guide also offers quick insights into choosing the right yoga mat thickness. Embrace the versatility of yoga for a holistic fitness journey tailored to your unique needs.

Let’s find out!

yoga before or after workout

Key Takeaways!

  • Optimal timing for yoga: Enhance cardio and recovery pre or post-workout.
  • Yoga before workout: Dynamic warm-up, muscle prep, increased stamina.
  • Yoga after workout: Cooling down, aiding recovery, enhancing flexibility.
  • Types of yoga: Iyengar for injury prevention, Yin for relaxation, with suggested poses.
  • Yoga benefits: Positive body transformation, influencing flexibility, strength, and overall health.
  • Yoga vs. running: Quick comparison on calorie burning, cardio health, flexibility, and relaxation.

Is yoga better before or after a workout?

There are many ways to answer this question. Yoga is an excellent bridge to help ease soreness and can be a better option than stretching after a workout, especially if you’ve been working out with weights or running. All in all, there are so many health benefits that it’s worth doing whenever possible.

Many people decide to do yoga before or after their workout. It can be a good way to start the day and get your body moving, as well as help you de-stress in the evening. There are many benefits of yoga, including improved moods and reduced stress levels.

While yoga is better whenever you do it, no matter before or after a workout, there are some different benefits to each of those.

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When to do yoga before or after workout? 1

Benefits of yoga before a workout

Warm-up muscles

Many people do yoga before a workout, as it is a nice and easy way of loosening up muscles. It also helps with warming the body up for exercise and may be considered an effective warm-up routine.

The warm-up should not be static stretching. It’s a good idea to do dynamic stretches such as breathing and movement exercises instead. Yoga is also an excellent way of preparing muscles for cardio workouts, especially for those who are new to yoga or have just begun practicing it again after some time away from it.

The body should be warm before starting exercises. For instance, a good warm-up would include lower body stretches such as quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

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Prepares your mind

Doing yoga as a warm-up, and if you are doing something like Surya namaskars then these will help you calm your mind, help you focus on the workout that comes next.

Increase stamina

Yoga is a great activity to do before going to the fitness center. It will warm up your muscles and make them more flexible for exercise. You should also try the warrior pose, which will help you get in shape for your workout routine.

Yoga poses like the warrior pose will improve your stamina as well.

But do not do the yoga poses before a workout for too long, otherwise you will take more time than you will require.

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Get your heart rate up.

Yoga is a great way to get your heart rate up for a workout. It works out from light intensity to heavy intensity, and this allows you to do yoga as a warm-up or cool down. Heart-rate benefits include raising the heart rate and then lowering it back to normal after doing yoga.

You should do multiple yoga poses back to back like Surya Namaskar to get your heart rate up.

Otherwise, doing static yoga poses will get your heart rate lower and will calm your mind.

Benefits of doing yoga after a workout?

Will help your body cool down

Yoga is a great way to cool down the body after an intense workout. The stretching of muscles that have just been trained helps prevent injury and allows you to take a more dynamic approach instead of static stretching before or after working out.

Yoga is a great way to cool down your body and recover from a strenuous workout. The change in pace allows your muscles to rest after the workout and recuperate.

Helps Your Muscles Heal After Workouts

Doing yoga after a workout can help increase the blood flow to your muscles, which can facilitate recovery from workouts. Yoga also tones your body and stretches out muscles over time, making them more flexible.

Yoga programs that help your muscles heal after workouts. It also prevents muscle injury, which can lead to less strain on joints and better recovery.

You can add a foam roller for faster muscle recovery as well.

Might Calm your heart down

Yoga is a good way to get your heart rate up, but it can also help you conserve energy and slow down your heartbeat. Yoga activates the vagus nerve in the body, which stimulates blood flow throughout the entire body. This helps prevent diseases such as heart disease by lowering blood pressure and slowing heartbeats over time.

Yoga practice helps reduce blood sugar levels, and regular yoga practice can help increase sensitivity to insulin. Yoga after a workout helps lower blood sugar levels, which will help you avoid diabetes in the long run by improving insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

Your Body Is More Pliable After Exercise

According to the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS), it is best for you to do yoga stretches when your muscles are hot. Doing so will help prevent injuries and muscle tears from occurring. Yoga also helps increase blood flow, which helps in the recovery process after a strenuous workout.

Increase Flexibility

After workout, while you have already warmed up and finished your usual workout, it is a good time to do some yoga stretching. This will improve your flexibility.

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What type of yoga is best for me?

Yoga is a widely practiced physical and mental practice. It’s been shown to improve health, reduce stress levels, increase flexibility, boost energy levels, and improve overall well-being.

The type of yoga that you should do depends on your fitness routine. If you’re new to the world of yoga or just getting started with a daily practice, then start off with an intro class such as Yin Yoga or Vinyasa Flow at your local gym or studio.

For people who are looking for a challenging and more specific type of yoga, then look for an Iyengar class. These types of classes typically teach you how to use your body in different ways such as working with the breath or engaging in poses that stretch certain muscle groups.

Finally, if you’re looking for some extra guidance outside the studio or gym, then it’s recommended that you watch YouTube videos from people who have completed their practice before you start.

If this sounds like something that would be beneficial to you, then consider signing up for a beginner yoga class. These classes typically teach more about the physical benefits of practicing yoga and how to ease into it.

Personally, I would stick with a few yoga poses that are personally required by me.

For example, I have lower back pain thus I do not skip pigeon pose, Cat cow stretch, and Balasana.

Beginner, Introductory, or Level I

If you are new to yoga, start with an introductory or level I class. If you are familiar with the practice, then check out a slower and relaxing style of yoga like yin or restorative.

There is a distinction between beginner’s yoga and vinyasa or flow classes. Vinyasa includes 2 to 3 times in a row on each side, which means that the class will be done twice with no break in between. On the other hand, there are beginners’ practices such as hatha and yin that can only occur once during an entire session because of time constraints involved at every step of their practice.

Injuries prevention with Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar is a teacher who has designed a class for the proper alignment of bones and muscles in the body. The positioning and injury prevention focus of this design of the class is terrific for anyone who wishes to practice with their limitations. Simply offer the instructor a direct prior to the class beginning, and they will deal with you accordingly.

The best types for pre-workout are Iyengar Yoga, low lunge, Yoga 4 All and Reclining Cow Face while the best post-workout is Spinal Twist and Pigeon Pose.

Yin or Restorative

Yin is the slow, restorative type of yoga that calms and centers the mind. Restorative yoga is best for people who want to relax their body before doing cardio or if they have been on a long run. Yoga has a tendency to calm and center the mind after being exercised while also warming up the body’s adrenal system, which helps with recovery from the physical intensity.

Restorative, Yin and Hatha yoga are the most common types of yoga. Each style requires practicing in a room set to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher on an air-conditioned surface when possible, with no running allowed before class.

Running can do more harm than good for your body, as it causes increased stress levels and muscle tension that will not allow you to be present during classes.

Yin and Restorative yoga are two types of yoga. Vinyasa is a type of Hatha Yoga that begins with some basic poses to warm up the body, followed by active stretches designed to increase flexibility while also strengthening muscles.

Yin or restorative practices have a cool down period at the end of the exercise, which can be used for stretching purposes or meditation techniques like deep breathing exercises.

Kundalini yoga

Kundalini yoga is more of a mind and heart yoga than a physique practice. There have been studies that suggest pre-workout stretching may not be beneficial and instead you should wait until after your workout to stretch out your muscles. If you’re doing Kundalini as part of your workout routine, it’s best to do it at the end when you’re done with all your other exercises like strength training or cardio.

Suggested Yoga Poses

Cat/Cow Stretch

The Cat/Cow Stretch alleviates pain in the low back and core. Begin in tabletop position with shoulders over wrists and hips over knees to perform this stretch.

This is my favorite yoga to do after a workout. This stretches my lower back and reduces any stiffness and pain that I have.

The Cat/Cow stretch is one of the most common yoga poses. The purpose of this pose is to strengthen and open up your chest, as well as release tension in your back, neck, and shoulders. It can also help with digestion problems.

Cat/Cow yoga is a good yoga to do after a workout.

Reclined Pigeon Pose

Reclined Pigeon Pose is a great pose for stretching out the hips, glutes, and lower back after a workout. It helps to relieve the cumulative stress of working out. Asanas and deep breathing send oxygen to hard-to-reach places in your tendons, joints, and disks buried in your back that are often stressed from exercise.

Reclined Pigeon Pose is a yoga pose that can prime the muscles for high-intensity activity. For those with hip or lower-back tension, it will help release these areas of your body by lying on your back and pulling up one leg at a time until you feel the tension in them being released. If this isn’t possible, use a strap to hold your foot down and a towel around the ankle, so your toes don’t touch the floor (you might not be able to do this).

Pigeon pose is good as yoga before or after yoga pose. I do pigeon pose as yoga before or after a gym workout, both!

Child’s Pose

Child’s pose is a perfect pose for after a workout. This pose will help release pressure and catch your breath, while also relaxing your back and shoulders.

Child’s Pose is a relaxation pose that you can do if you want to cool down and focus on your breath. It is not recommended to stretch too much in this position since it might cause injury, especially for people with back problems or injuries.

Child pose is a good yoga pose after doing a workout. It will help relax you.

Chair Pose

Chair Pose is a good warm-up for any workout. It works the quad, whole back, and glutes.

Chair pose is great for warming up since it resembles a half squat. Chair pose also might improve your strength.

Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar is a pose that can be done before or after a workout. But doing this before workout, makes this a great warm up workout. 

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) consists of 12 poses, or asanas, which are done in a cycle.

These 12 poses when done in a cycle can help you warm up and build some endurance.

Thus, the Surya Namaskar poses are good for warming up, so you should do them before the workout.

How does yoga change your body?

Yoga poses like pigeon pose will help you get nimble and strong at the same time. Yoga poses like Chair pose will help you get strong. And yoga asanas like Surya Namaskar might be your go-to Yoga for weight loss.

Yoga can and will change your body for good, and the changes will depend on the yoga poses that you do regularly.

Is yoga better than running?

If you are considering calorie burning and improving cardio health, then running is the best. Otherwise, yoga is better for flexibility and relaxation.

What should be Yoga mat thickness?

Gyms that have yoga classes in Hyderabad

Ref: Yoga Origin

The Last Rep!

Integrating yoga into your fitness routine, whether before or after a workout, brings a multitude of positive benefits. Yoga serves as a valuable bridge, easing soreness and improving overall cardiovascular health. Whether you choose to start your day with a calming session or wind down in the evening, the numerous health advantages make it a worthwhile practice. Yoga effectively warms up muscles, enhances stamina, aids in post-exercise recovery, and promotes flexibility by increasing blood flow to muscles. Additionally, specific yoga poses tailored for pre and post-workout situations cater to diverse fitness preferences, offering a versatile approach to holistic well-being.

However, amid these benefits, uncertainties linger about the optimal timing for yoga in relation to workouts. The question of whether to engage in yoga before or after a workout remains, causing some to question the assuredness of reaping its benefits. Cautionary notes also accompany recommendations, advising against prolonged yoga poses before a workout and urging individuals with certain conditions to approach specific poses with care. Moreover, the caution against running before yoga highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between different exercise modalities to ensure a balanced and injury-free fitness journey.

 


About The Skinny Author

Author HomeGymindia.in

Working Out for 10 years | Owns a home gym |Certificate course done on Improving Aerobic Fitness, Diet | CPD (UK) Accredited Certification on Fitness

Yo Friends, this is Samarjit! A skinny guy who is building his tiny home gym.

I have successfully gained 10 kgs in 10 months going to commercial gyms. And I have been working out on and off for about 10+ years now.

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