What Are The Benefits of Cardio Yoga?
Yoga is one of the most famous disciplines in the world, thanks to its great benefits for the body. It consists of body movements, breathing, and meditation. Today, we suggest getting to know the benefits of cardio yoga, one of its many variants.
There are several types of yoga, which generally consist of body positions and breathing exercises. However, they may also have a high aerobic component, at least in the case of cardio yoga.
What is cardio yoga?
Traditional yoga is characterized by meditation and the way in which the body and the mind synchronize to achieve various benefits. This has much to do with its Indian roots in spiritual traditions.
At the same time, this discipline also has a high component of body movements–specifically postures–in addition to breathing management. These three components make up, in general terms, what yoga is, which we don’t generally consider to be a cardiovascular exercise.
However, cardio yoga is different in that it focuses more on the body and the physiological part of the human being. In this discipline, meditations take a back seat and body postures become more relevant. A study that appeared in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine highlights the parallel between both types of yoga.
These postures are combined with a much more dynamic series of movements in order to increase the heart rate. The dynamic body movements not only raise the intensity of yoga but also provide different benefits to the body.
Benefits of cardio yoga
When referring to traditional yoga, we can say that the benefits are much more concrete than in cardio yoga, at least in terms of the psychological aspect. This is due to the meditation and concentration to which the person is dedicated in each session.
On the other hand, cardio yoga provides much more physical and physiological benefits. That’s why it focuses on aerobic exercise. So, what are its positive aspects?
Calorie loss
One of the benefits of cardio yoga is calorie loss, which is due to the combination of more intense body movements and conventional postures. Thanks to this, there’s an increase in heart rate which results in a higher caloric need.
However, in order for this benefit to become evident in a timely manner, we recommend performing cardio yoga sessions at least five times a week. In addition, you should also complement this discipline with other aerobic practices such as walking, cycling, or swimming.
Strengthens the cardiovascular system
Strengthening the cardiovascular system goes hand in hand with the loss of calories. This happens due to the increased intensity in yoga, which improves the functioning of the heart and circulatory system.
By pumping blood more regularly, the walls of the heart must exert more effort. Gradually, this contributes to the organ in charge of pumping blood becoming a little bigger and stronger. A scientific review published in 2010 shows the main adaptations of the cardiovascular system.
Improves physical condition
The benefits of cardio yoga are not only focused on strengthening the heart, but also contribute to improving physical condition. One advantage of this practice is the management of breathing, a very important aspect for those who train regularly.
By increasing the intensity in each posture, the body will undergo the process of adaptation. This way, your physical condition will gradually show improvements.
How to carry out the routine?
The routine to obtain benefits from cardio yoga depends on two main aspects: the person’s physical condition and the creativity of the trainer. From there, the goal should focus on including more demanding movements in order to increase the intensity and demand for the whole body.
Remember, regardless of the postures you perform, you must do them with patience and it’ll take practice. Being a beginner, you may feel anxious. But take it easy.
Take advantage of the benefits of cardio yoga
Apart from including some well-elaborated sessions of cardio yoga in your routine, to enjoy its benefits, you must also adopt healthy habits.
In this sense, a proper diet, walking several days a week, or doing other types of complementary aerobic activity, as mentioned above, can be of great help. So, get to know the incredible and wide world of yoga!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Satish, V., Rao, R. M., Manjunath, N. K., Amritanshu, R., Vivek, U., Shreeganesh, H. R., & Deepashree, S. (2020). Yoga versus physical exercise for cardio-respiratory fitness in adolescent school children: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2017-0154
