How Useful is Yoga vs. Weight Training?

by RICHA RAJPAL
(INDONESIA)

I have recently started yoga and have found relief in many of my symptoms. I am doing surya namaskar, vayumukta asan, uttpanpadasan, dwichakra asan, padvrit asan. These poses are supposed to help in losing weight, improving metabolism, and correcting any sort of gynae probs. how do you compare yoga vs weight training?

How should aerobic exercises be sequenced with weight training? How much duration is advisable?
Thx

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Hello Richa, and thank you very much for your question.

Firstly a huge congratulations for finding something that has helped ease your symptoms, I know that it must feel like an amazing sense of achievement!

Yoga really is a great way to help balance hormones and of course your body and mind. I am not a yoga expert but I did do yoga a few mornings a week when I was training to become pregnant. In my experience, I found that yoga was a fantastic accompaniment to aerobic and weight training. Yoga makes you feel relaxed and it basically a very good way to stretch away any aches or tightness you may get from training, it also helps to train your breathing techniques and gives you a great posture.

If you are not familiar with weight and aerobic training then I would start maybe 3 times a week at first gradually increasing to maybe 5 times a week. Remember this is a lifelong program so it really needs to fit AROUND your current lifestyle comfortably enough for you to be able to continue with fitness for the rest of your life.

You have to find out what feels best for you. I know a lady who loves doing one certain type of yoga before she goes to bed, whereas I found it best as a wake up starter in the morning. (It does however depend on what yoga you are practicing as to the time you perform it) Then I would fit in my weight and aerobic training in the afternoon.

If you are looking for a weight/aerobic training program you can find specialised PCOS plans in my book.

Hope that this helps and have great fun with your training!

Gemma
Personal Trainer for women with PCOS
Author of the PCOez Fitness ebook.