Yoga Before or After Your Workout: Finding the Perfect Balance- Yoga Before Or After Workout

Yoga Before or After Your Workout: Finding the Perfect Balance

For me, yoga is more than just a series of poses; it's a holistic practice that enhances my overall well-being. Whether I’ve been practicing for years or am just starting, integrating yoga into my workout routine has brought me numerous benefits. As I continue on this journey, I’ve discovered how practicing yoga before or after my workouts optimizes my physical and mental health.

Pre Workout Yoga

  1. Pre-Workout Yoga Poses — Before diving into an intense workout session, consider practicing yoga to warm up your muscles. Pre-workout yoga involves purely dynamic stretches, which include continuous movement without holding the stretch. Dynamic stretches like sun salutations, downward-facing dog, and pigeon poses to increase blood flow, improve flexibility, and activate your muscles.
  2. Enhanced Blood Flow - Yoga stimulates blood circulation, ensuring oxygen and nutrients reach your active tissues. Improved blood flow can enhance your workout performance and reduce the risk of injury.
  3. Mind-Body Connection - Yoga encourages mindfulness and body awareness. By connecting breath with movement, you become attuned to your body’s signals, allowing you to adjust your workout intensity accordingly.
  4. Curbing Muscle Soreness- Static stretches during pre-workout yoga can help prevent muscle soreness. These sustained poses lengthen muscles, preparing them for the challenges ahead.

Yoga After Your Workout

  1. Post-Workout Recovery - After an intense workout session, yoga helps your muscles recover. Practicing yoga after a workout aids in transitioning from high-energy exercises to a resting phase, promoting overall health benefits. Balancing poses, deep stretches, and yin yoga promote relaxation and reduce muscle tension.
  2. Parasympathetic Nervous System Activation - A yoga session activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of rest and recovery. This counteracts the stress responses triggered by high-energy workouts.
  3. Blood Pressure Regulation - Regular yoga practice can help regulate blood pressure, benefiting your cardiovascular health.
  4. Muscle Strength and Flexibility- Yoga typically involves static stretching, which complements strength training and weightlifting. It maintains muscle flexibility while preventing muscle weakness.

1. Seated Butterfly Pose

Seated Butterfly Pose- Yoga Before Or After Workout
  • Begin in an upright seating position on the floor, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips.
  • Open your knees out to the side as you bring the soles of your feet together.

  •  Place your hands on your shins. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

You can flap your knees up and down to intensify this movement.

2. Breaths

Breaths- Yoga Before Or After Workout

  • Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs crossed, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips.
  • Bring your left ankle over the top of your right shin by your hip crease.
  • Press your palms together in a prayer position at chest height.
  •  Place one hand at your heart center while the opposite hand is on your belly.

  •  Close your eyes and hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

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