Belinda relaxing at Eastside yoga pilates studio Adelaide

8 reasons why I prefer yoga over the gym

In B Inspired with Belinda by Eastside Yoga & Pilates

This is a question I get asked a lot and I love to share my reasons why 

  1. Yoga benefits the mind, body and spirit.
    Yoga will help tone your body but while it’s doing that, it also helps you to be truly in the moment and infuses your spirit with positive energy. A gym workout is focused primarily on improving your body’s physical condition.
  2. Yoga benefits your full body—externally and internally.
    The twisting, stretching and folding of a yoga practice are good for the digestive system, the circulatory system, the lymph system and more. It’s a great way to detox the body and can improve your cardiovascular system. And all this while developing stronger muscles. A gym workout is focused just on strengthening muscles and boosting cardio.
  3. Yoga teaches acceptance.
    Yoga helps you believe you’re perfect the way you are— with your strengths and your weaknesses. It's true what they say– yoga is not about self-improvement, it's about self-acceptance. Gym classes, especially boot camp style classes, are more likely to have you feeling like a failure if you can’t do everything.
  4. Yoga is about focusing on yourself.
  5. Yoga will make you lean.
    By stretching your muscles as you’re strengthening them, your body will take on a leaner appearance. A gym workout filled with weights will cause your muscles to bulk up.
  6. Yoga is more efficient.
    Yoga relies on your own—your entire body—for strengthening. Gym classes use weights and other equipment. Through different asanas, your full body becomes toned and stronger by using your own entire body weight as 'weights'. By using only weights or other equipment, muscles are isolated and have to be worked individually in order to benefit, which takes a whole lot more time.
  7. You can do yoga anywhere.
    Yoga is a different experience in a yoga studio, but you can easily practice yoga at home, outside or in small spaces.
  8. Yoga is kinder to the body.
    This does not mean yoga is not intense. Just ask anyone who practices Ashtanga. Yoga builds heat and works your muscles, but you’re doing what your body allows you to do.