Summer is here, and everyone wants to be fit again. Although it is not necessarily essential to have a healthy body during the summer months, many people still want to have it tones one way or another.
However, deciding what kind of workout will most likely give you the desired results can be challenging. Going to the gym and doing yoga are excellent workout routines to practice.
Although entirely different, they both improve mood, bring confidence, and increase energy. This article will examine whether it is better to have a yoga body vs. a gym body.
Yoga Body Vs. Gym Body, What’s the Difference between Them?
Whether you do yoga or go to the gym, you will still get a toned and fit body. However, there can be a difference in appearance.
By going to the gym, your body will look more buff. This is because the gym involves strength training for specific muscle groups. You will notice differences in your arms, legs, and buttocks.
Having a yoga body doesn’t specifically mean that it will be buff. Because yoga focuses on flexibility, you will see your joints become more flexible. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t tone your body.
Various yoga poses can be effective in achieving your dream body. Although you won’t notice the change, the results will be visible for longer. As with the gym, you only get short-term results.
Gym Body
Many people that struggle with their bodies and self-image often go to the gym to deal with those feelings. Going to the gym is a fast solution to burning fat and toning your body. It comes with numerous incredible benefits.
- It flushes out toxins from the body
- It improves circulation and increases heart rate
- It has been proven to be effective for fat loss and for preventing numerous health issues
- It increases energy and lifts the mood
Although it is an excellent workout for your body, it comes with its negative side. For example, you might need a gym membership or a personal trainer. Many beginners start with the wrong form, which often results in long-lasting injuries.
Not only that, but most of the gym sessions focus only on building strength and losing weight as fast as possible. This can often cause you to feel hungrier than before and never leave you feeling full even after eating.
Because of this, many people revert to eating junk food after hitting the gym. They often believe that just doing cardio and strength workouts will allow them to eat anything. This causes uncontrollable eating, which often results in weight gain.
That is why it is advised for many people that go to the gym to eat as healthily as possible.
But that isn’t all. When toning your body, going to the gym can be tricky. Many gym sessions and programs focus on one part of the body.
It activates only one muscle group at a time, often resulting in other muscle groups being left out.
Yoga Body
A lot of people undermine yoga when it comes to tone your body. For example, power yoga or yoga vinyasa perhaps is the most effective way to slim and tone every inch of your body. It targets every muscle group, including arms, legs, stomach, back, and so much more.
Although it might seem intense initially, this practice can be perfect for your emotional well-being. Several reasons make yoga an incredible workout. Some of them are:
Free movement
Muscle stiffness can be caused by strength training and lifting weights. The muscles in your arms and legs are limited in their range of motion because of this. In yogic practices, the powers are expanded to remove body and mind tension.
The best part is that it doesn’t require any membership. You can still do it at the gym, or you can even do it in the comfort of your home. And, the best part is that it will give you lasting results if you decide to become fit.
There are much yoga poses almost anyone can do that will leave your body feeling and looking strong and powerful. So the question about does yoga build muscle, the answer is yes.
Yoga Poses That Will Tone Your Body.
Downward-Facing Dog
- Start in a standing position. Then gradually, your hands should reach the floor so you will be in a mountain pose.
- You can bend your knees if you can’t keep them completely straight.
- Then, as your hands are on the ground, you should push your hips high in the air while pushing your legs to the ground.
- If you want a lovely flat back, keep looking down at your legs and squeezing your chest into your thighs.
Forearm Plank
- Lift one elbow at a time from the plank posture to the ground, pushing the elbows and forearms deeply into the floor.
- As you expand your collarbones out from your sternum, ensure your shoulder is firm and away from the spine.
- Focus on your floor-facing fingertips while keeping your body straight and activating your core.
Locust Pose
- Lay on your stomach and place your forehead on the ground to start. With your palms pointing toward the heavens, your arms should be at your sides.
- Deeply inhale, then elevate your arms, legs, upper chest, and head off the floor as you exhale.
- Firmly stretch through your toes and reach through your legs. Also, tighten your buttocks.
- You can decide to continue stretching your arms back toward your feet.
- Alternatively, rotate your neck and shoulders down and back and elevate your torso further off the ground while you clasp your hands behind you.
Tree Yoga Pose
- As you begin in the mountain position, encircle your right knee with your fingers and draw it toward your chest.
- Take hold of your foot at this point, and then place your foot inside your supporting leg, either just above the knee or somewhere below, all along your leg.
- Alternatively, extend your arms upward in the shape of branches as you put your hands to your heart in a position of prayer.
Summary
Yoga definitely wins in the battle of which workout brings you a better-toned body. Although both workout routines come with their own advantages and disadvantages, yoga seems to be a bit more beneficial.
Not only does it focus on enhancing your flexibility and strength, but it also teaches you to practice mindfulness. With yoga, you will gradually increase your muscle strength.
It targets every single muscle group, and because of that, your body will stay toned for a much more extended period of time.
