Yoga is a great mind-body workout. But to get the most out of your practice, should you do yoga before or after a workout?
Will the timing impact your other workouts? It depends on your existing fitness routine, the types of yoga you like to practice, and your post-workout recovery plan.
Whether you’re running, lifting weights, or taking a HIIT class, yoga before a workout can be part of a dynamic warm-up.
(Save the long holds and deep stretches for your cooldown.)
The best yoga after a workout is the one that makes you feel good. Choose a slow and stretchy yin practice, a gentle restorative session, or burn off some extra energy with vinyasa or hot yoga.
Read on to find out if you should do yoga before or after a workout, depending on your goals.
Why do yoga after a workout?
The ideal time for your yoga classes depends on your goals, says Paul WarloskiRYT 200, certified yoga instructor and personal trainer.
“If your goal is general fitness,” do your strength training or cardio first and save yoga for later.
“Yoga can act as active recovery (depending on what kind you do)” and can work to create more flexibility and mobility with already warm muscles and joints, says Warloski, who is also a Level 3 coach in the States. States and RFSR Running. Coach.
Why do yoga before a workout?
Although you can take yoga classes before another workout, this plan could backfire.
Doing yoga first could negatively impact your focus and motivation.
“You’re likely to be tired and a little calmer,” Warloski says.
While your post-yoga glow is nice, it doesn’t really motivate you to lift, run, or roll.
And, he warns, you could be more injury-prone if you’re tired or too “happy” to focus on good form.
If you’re training before a strength or cardio workout, make sure you have enough energy left in your reservoir to get you through your last set or last mile.
What are the benefits of doing yoga on rest days?
“Yoga can be a great choice for a day off,” says Warloski, who teaches yin yoga classes on Mondays as recovery yoga for cyclists and runners who have worked hard on the weekends.
“Yoga for recovery should be slow,” he says. If you take yoga classes on your rest day, focus on increasing blood circulation, loosening tight muscles, and increasing mobility, not on raising your heart rate or burning your muscles. calorie.
More intense types of yoga “cause a lot of overall fatigue and will add stress to your workout,” he says.
In other words, while yoga can be a tough workout, your rest day is not the time to push yourself.
But if you like a certain type of yoga and want to take a class on your day off, go for it!
When is the best time to do yoga if you do strength training?
While you can certainly incorporate yoga moves into a dynamic warm-up, it’s best to save yoga for after strength training.
This is especially true if you’re working with a trainer or following a specific plan.
Warloski likes to “do a harder yoga class immediately after a weight training session to extend and deepen some of the work we’ve been doing in strength.”
Should you do yoga before or after cardio?
While it’s not bad to do yoga before working out, it is better to save it until the end of your cardio training.
As with strength training, the exception is to incorporate yoga into your warm-up.
Continue with your usual post-workout recovery routine and make time for yoga after you’ve rehydrated, refueled, and rested.
“I like to take yoga classes several hours after a workout to aid recovery,” says Warloski.
5 benefits of yoga that will get you on the mat
Yoga is great for reducing stress and boosting body awareness. But adding yoga classes to your routine can help you in so many other ways, too.
1. Improves flexibility and functional fitness
All that stretching in the poses definitely helps with flexibility over time. And yoga also improves functional fitness to help you in everyday life.
A 2016 study found yoga to be as good as stretching and strengthening exercises for improving balance, strength and mobility.
2. Helps Build Strength
Many types of yoga include weight-bearing poses that can develop strength and muscle mass.
This is great news for runners and cyclists who want a low-impact, full-body workout.
3. Aids in concentration and cognition
According a 2015 research review.
4. Good for joints and connective tissue
Yoga can help increase or maintain joint range of motion, while strengthening surrounding muscles.
5. Supports Healthy Bones
You don’t have to take hour-long yoga classes to feel the benefits. Researchers in 2016 found that even 12 minutes of daily practice can help the bones of longtime yogis.
