Gym Or Yoga? Which One To Choose?

With the ever increasing diabetes and other lifestyle disorder menace, it is almost mandatory for every one to engage in one or the other sort of physical activities. Dance and sports are the best options, Gym and Yoga are also equally good ones. So, here is a small debate about which one to choose.

Like I said, Dance and sports are the best options because –
If planned perfectly, it can involve all the family members.
There is an obvious enjoyment quotient.
It improves family / friendship bonding.
Between gym and yoga, it is a tricky choice to make. Here are a few considerations.

Gym or Yoga?

Gym advantages

Gym workout helps to improve muscle mass and to burn calories quickly. Yoga exercises concentrate more on stretching and maintaining postures.

If you do gym or Yoga continuously for one hour, you will lose more calories in gym workout than Yoga exercises.

To lose weight quickly, gym and exercise is a better option than Yoga.

For youngsters above 18 years of age, gym looks a better option because a good physique can be quickly achieved and maintained by gym workouts.

In physically challenged people, it is easier to do selected gym exercises than Yoga.

Yoga advantages

Both Yoga and gym workouts emphasize on patterned and controlled breathing, Yoga helps in achieving a more controlled breathing.

Yoga (and pranayama) helps to improve concentration, while no such benefits can be expected out of gym.

Yoga postures and exercises involve most of the muscles of the body, but in gym, usually the workout is concentrated over specific groups of muscles.

Yoga postures and exercises involve stretching type of exercises, hence Yoga is more suitable for children up to 18 years, as it promotes proper bone growth and overall development.

Women might not like a muscular arm, which tends to develop out of gym.

There are more chances of injury with gym than in yoga.

Conclusion

Dance and sports are best options for physical workouts, any given day.
Gym or Yoga? – It is better to decide on case to case basis.

For children and teenagers up to 18 years of age, Yoga is better as it promotes growth and much-needed concentration in studies.

For youngsters after 18, gym looks a better option as it helps to maintain a good physique and muscles, though Yoga is also a good option for them.

For  obese people, Gym is better to lose weight quickly
For those who are already fit, for older people, and who are passionate and inclined towards Yoga, Yoga is better choice.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises

Aerobic Exercises:
Through aerobic exercises, proper flow of oxygen takes place all over your body. Aerobic exercises include swimming, walking fast, cycling, long distance running, and even skating. The efforts you make are surely worth it and clearly visible. Such types of exercises are very effective since they help in burning calories because of which fat tissue is reduced resulting in weight loss. This is a great exercise to reduce hips, stomach and your thighs.

Anaerobic Exercises:
Anaerobic exercises help in increasing the mass of your muscles. Although anaerobic exercises involve an extensive workout, they do not help in satisfying the body’s need for oxygen. Such types of training exercises are effective if practiced on a regular basis. For the effects to be clearly visible you must practice continuously a set of exercises per day.

5 comments on “Gym Or Yoga? Which One To Choose?

  • Kunwar Singh

    22/11/2010 - 5:47 am

    Dear Dr Hebbar,

    I agree with your views and the article is informative with a meaningful message.

    Best regards,
    Kunwar Singh

    Reply to comment
  • Devendra Panchal

    03/02/2012 - 12:22 pm

    Dear Dr. Hebbar

    Thank you very much for Living Healthy life as per instruction.

    Best regards

    Devendra

    Reply to comment
  • Gaurav

    11/09/2014 - 8:28 am

    After having meals, how long must one wait before doing Yoga? What about after having 2-3 glasses of liquid like juice? (How long does juice take to completely get absorbed from the GI tract?)

    I thought I read about this in one of your other articles, but can’t seem to find it now.

    Thank you.

    Reply to comment
    • Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)

      13/09/2014 - 6:46 pm

      Nowadays it is becoming hard for me as well to search for my own articles 🙂
      After having food, it is best to wait for at least two hours before practicing Yoga.
      After juice, after about one hour. Lightness of the stomach and the body is the key feature to observe.

      Reply to comment
  • Gaurav

    11/09/2014 - 8:38 am

    One big benefit of yoga (if done correctly of course) is that it includes knowledge of what benefits even internal organs, not just external muscles or looks. That is something modern gym can never dream of matching.

    Another thing is the Ayurvedic principle of doing exercise to 50% stamina/capacity only (which is the point where we have to start breathing with mouth instead of nose) – yoga passes this test, but gym likely does not.

    And in general, I think one has to be really very careful with gym from the moment one enters it because lifting weights etc puts undue strain on localized portions of the body which can suffer rather serious damage. Yoga asanas in comparison are gentler and since they are done with one’s own body for the most part (without external devices/heavy weights), one can’t really do so much damage naturally/unwittingly.

    Reply to comment

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