Yoga Asanas: Endurance Training or Resistance Training?

by Ram

Thin Branches by Melina Meza

Endurance training improves functional capacity while resistance training improves muscle strength and endurance. While the anaerobic system enables muscles to recover for the next burst, aerobic system ensures that the energy demands are continuously met during the exercise regimen. Therefore, training for many sports demands that both energy-producing systems be developed. The question is: where do yoga asanas fit into the above mentioned definitions? The answer becomes very important in terms of regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga.

After carefully researching several sites, I have come to the conclusion that yoga is both an endurance training system as well as strength training. Before talking about that in detail, let me review some of the terms:

Endurance Training: This kind of training is what we refer to as aerobic exercise. It may involve bicycling, walking on a treadmill, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing and other exercises that generally increase stamina and endurance. Since endurance training generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic system, this type of training primarily employs the slow twitch (type 1) fibers and increases their efficiency and resistance to fatigue. Endurance in sport is closely tied to the execution of skill and technique.

Resistance/Strength Training: Resistance training or strength training is a type of physical exercise that induces muscular contraction that helps builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, uses the fast twitch muscle system (type 2 fibers) and provides significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being, including increased muscle, tendon, ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, increased bone density, increased metabolism, improved cardiac function, and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol. Strength training increases the force output of the muscle through incremental weight increases and also uses various forms of exercises and equipment to target specific muscle groups.

Anaerobic Exercise: Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power, and by body builders to build muscle mass. It involves using muscle energy systems that develop differently compared to aerobic exercise and lead to greater performance in short duration, high-intensity activities, which typically last from few seconds to up to about couple of minutes. Anaerobic exercises trigger lactic acid fermentation and recruit the fast twitch muscle systems (also known as Type 2 fibers). If the intensity of the exercise exceeds the rate with which the cardiovascular system can supply muscles with oxygen, it results in buildup of lactate, making it impossible to continue the exercise. Unpleasant effects of lactate buildup initially include the burning sensation in the muscles, and may eventually include nausea and even vomiting if the exercise is continued.

Aerobic Exercise: In contrast to anaerobic exercise, aerobic exercise includes lower-intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Aerobic means "in air” and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. Activities include, but is not limited to, walking, long, slow runs, rowing, and cycling, all of which require a great deal of oxygen to generate the energy needed for prolonged exercise. Aerobic exercises generally use slow twitch muscle fibers or Type I fibers that are slow to fatigue and suited for endurance.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Endurance Training

1. Breath: Endurance training is all about using the aerobic system and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise. Similarly, it is not yoga if you don’t breathe. Breath practice is an integral part of yoga, and it is very common for practitioners and students as well to use the back-of-throat nose breathing called ujjayi pranayam, which lengthens inhalations and increases lung capacity. This in turn delivers more oxygen to the body and helps with overall performance and efficiency. In addition, the increased flow of oxygen relieves soreness and also enhances tissue repair.

2. Endurance: Endurance training improves functional capacity and requires the use of physical and mental strength. In yoga, physical strength requires for us to cover more ground with fewer steps, develop a longer natural stride and smoother and steadier pace. To achieve this we need flexible hip flexors for greater hip flexion, well-lubricated joints, and properly stretched muscles. Holding a certain yoga pose for a long time requires discipline and commitment. This helps in not only strengthening the muscles but it also builds confidence and slows down the chattering in mind; the practice of simply holding the pose helps to overcome mental negativity and the fear of pain. It is also a common practice to incorporate several minutes of meditation either before or after a yoga asana class that helps with concentration and to develop the mental strength.

3. Core Strength: Endurance training not only increases stamina but endurance as well. Yoga asanas that focus on abdominal strengthening keep a body strong, centered, and powerful. Yoga core strengthening poses not only assist in building strong abdominal muscles but also help to strengthen and protecting the back and hips.

4. Focus: Training in endurance sports (including, but not limited to, bicycling, swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing) requires developing an inward, mindful state of being, and endurance training athletes are always encouraged to “stay in the moment.” Focus helps you understand and follow the energy and action of a yoga pose and also helps you develop mental fitness. Yoga practitioners thus constantly focus on their inhalation or exhalation and on every movement and nuance of a pose.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Resistance Training

Resistance training or strength training involves a lot of muscular contraction that helps build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles thereby providing functional benefits in muscles, tendon, ligaments and joints. Strength training uses various forms of exercises to target specific muscle groups. Yoga uses the body’s own weight as resistance to build strength and balance thus strength gains are achieved without elaborate and expensive weight-training equipment. Yoga poses place the body in many positions that not only require strength but also require contraction of certain specific muscles (referred to as an isometric contraction) to hold the position. In addition, muscular contractions actually help more muscle fibers to be recruited, resulting in improved strength gains. While this does not result in acquiring bulky muscles, continuous muscular contraction helps to lengthen, tone and strengthen the muscles. A continuous flow sequence that calls for moving into several poses sequentially is a physically demanding practice that provides students with opportunities for continued strength gains.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yoga increases muscle strength, power and endurance through weighted exercises. By holding the body in specific poses, yoga helps to improve balance, strength and stamina. Certain postures improve circulation, digestion, balance, flexibility and agility. Keeping the body in certain postures and focusing intensely on moving through and holding each of the poses not only helps to improve strength, balance and concentration but also builds endurance. Thus, in my opinion, a consistent yoga practice is both strength and endurance training.

Watch out for the sequel article to understand how this aspect of yoga asana relates to regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga, an important component of healthy aging.

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