Does yoga count as exercise?

 

Does yoga count as exercise?

Many people want to ensure their workouts are effective but is yoga exercise? Well, that depends on what you want to achieve. If you're looking for something that can improve your mood and flexibility then yoga is a perfect fit. But if you're searching for some heart-pumping aerobic exercise you might need a different activity. . 

Does yoga count as exercise?

Before we evaluate whether yoga counts as exercise, it's important to actually define exercise. 

"Exercise includes any activity that gets the body moving or requires some physical effort, and it's undertaken with the intent of improving health or fitness,".

Yoga qualifies as exercise if it's practiced in a way that fits such a description. And it's important to remember that we all have different ability levels, so what qualifies as 'exercise' will vary from person to person. 

Yoga, as a whole, isn't solely about improving fitness. "The tools of yoga practice include ethical lifestyle principles, yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditative practices," she explains. "Ideally, practitioners will reap broader benefits from their yoga practice in addition to fitness."

​Does yoga provide a workout?

If you're practicing a more dynamic form of yoga and flowing rapidly between poses, you'll get a low-intensity cardio workout. Examples of this type of yoga include vinyasa flow, Ashtanga vinyasa, or power styles of yoga. 

A meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Cardiology found that yoga could have a positive effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors, suggesting that the activity does have a direct impact on our cardio systems. Regular yoga practice could not only improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure – both of which are linked to heart and cardio disease – it could also positively impact heart rate, breath rate and waist circumference.  

Some styles of yoga could also increase muscular strength and endurance. These practices focus on holding poses that involve multiple major muscle groups. A meta-analysis of 12 studies, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (opens in new tab), concluded that regular yoga practice could have "moderately positive effects on muscle strength."

There are also more relaxing and restorative styles of yoga that don't really boost your fitness but help to relax the body and calm the nervous system. "This [restorative style] may aid in recovery which could lead to indirect benefits in cardiovascular endurance or strength," Hinley says. 

Does yoga count towards your weekly activity?

Despite the findings above, there are some big limitations on yoga as exercise. For example, Yoga doesn't really provide a lot of resistance, which is an important component of a well-rounded exercise routine. It's also unlikely that a yoga practice would count towards your weekly dose of much-needed cardio exercise.