Practicing yoga regularly has several positive effects, including boosting physical fitness by improving flexibility, strength, and endurance and lowering stress via relaxation and meditation. However, failing to schedule your yoga sessions around your training sessions can be challenging. So, there is always the question, should you do yoga before or after a workout?
The quick answer is that you should conduct yoga practice after workouts, not before. This is so because, thereafter, you may focus on stretching out every part of your body that you just used. This will speed up your recovery and help you calm down so that you can regain your faculties more quickly. The result will be a more restful night’s sleep for your body.
Let’s get to know more about doing Yoga before or after a workout.
Should You Do Yoga On The Same Day of Workout?
Yes, yoga and the gym can be performed on the same day, but yoga should be performed after your gym workout, not before. If you must perform yoga before your workout, there must be several hours between the two, such as a morning and afternoon workout. If possible, limit yoga to your rest days in order to maximize recuperation.
Should You Do Yoga Before or After a Workout?
Whether you perform yoga before or after a workout depends on your goals, but in general, it is best to do yoga after. This is so because, thereafter, you may focus on stretching out every part of your body that you just used. In addition, yoga practiced after a workout aids recovery by bringing much-needed oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles.
Your recovery will be accelerated and you will be able to regain your faculties more quickly by doing this. This is a lifesaver if you have difficulties falling asleep after an exercise.
The practice of yoga immediately following a vigorous workout is a fantastic technique to ease your body into the recovery phase that follows.
Why Is It Advised To Do Yoga After A Workout?
One of the primary reasons is that muscles, fascia, and other tissues are typically weaker after a workout. However, if you participate in rigorous yoga sessions, such as Ashtanga or Vinyasa, that entail deep stretching and more advanced poses, your muscles will become fatigued.
As a result of the compromised bodily tissues, your capacity to give your workout your all is substantially lessened, which is undesirable if you are lifting big weights or engaging in high-impact sports such as running. That’s why it is advised to do yoga after a workout. But, surely there are other reasons too.
What Are The Benefits Of Doing Yoga After Workout?
Performing yoga after working out provides extra benefits. Some advantages of doing yoga after working out include:
1) Better Muscle Recovery
Yoga speeds up muscle recovery by increasing blood flow when practiced after a workout. Vital nutrients and oxygen are carried to your working tissues via increased blood flow. The muscles benefit from this because they recover more quickly after a strenuous workout.
2) Increased Flexibility
Yoga allows you to stretch out every muscle in your body fully. This results in continuous stretching due to the realignment of muscle fibers. Now that the muscles are in this state, they can mend more rapidly and effectively. In addition, regularly stretching the muscles will make them more flexible over time.
3) Controls Blood Sugar Levels
Post-workout yoga has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, which is still another benefit. This reduces the detrimental effects of high-intensity, short-duration workouts on blood sugar levels.
4) Controls Heart Rate After Workout
During physical activity, the heart rate increases. Therefore, it is essential that you return your heart rate to its normal, healthy level. Yoga’s emphasis on slow, deep breathing can help with this.
The end outcome is reduced heart rate and blood pressure. Repeated practice has the same effect and may reduce heart disease risk.
Which One Is Right For You: Before or After Workout?
Ultimately, it’s up to you and your schedule to decide whether yoga comes first or second in your fitness routine. However, yoga is a great way to ease into an exercise routine if you’re having problems getting started.
Yoga is a good choice to make after your workout if you’re looking for a moderate cool-down that may reduce muscle discomfort. To maximize the benefits of your strength training, do yoga after your workout.
However, if you must do yoga before your workout, do a moving, dynamic version of yoga rather than static stretching. Practicing yoga whenever it works best for your schedule is a good idea because of its many advantages to your health.
Bottom Line
Ideally, the answer to whether should you do yoga before or after a workout is after a workout. But it is up to you to choose the time that suits you. And Yes, Yoga has many positive effects and should be practiced regularly. However, yoga can be practiced at any time of the day.
As an active rehabilitation method, yoga can be practiced first thing in the morning or last thing at night to give you a boost before you face the day or help you drift off to sleep.
Thank you for reading!