yoga enough for cardio?

[nube]

I go to hard yoga classes (ashtanga and similar) 3 -5 times a week. Is this enough for cardio? I am naturally motivated to do a lot of yoga, and I don't usually really enjoy running, and also feel it is quite hard on my knees, while yoga rather builds up my body. Also I live in north-Europe so half the year the climate is not very outdoor running friendly. Should I still do cardio as well?
Does anyone have any viewpoints on this?

[Cochonette]

I have never tried yoga, but from the looks of it yoga has nothing to do with cardio and counts zero percent toward that. You need to get your heart rate up and your lungs working hard. If you don't like to run, then riding a bike would work. Or jumping jacks, but I personally cannot stand those.

[curiouslyrandom]

I have never tried yoga, but from the looks of it yoga has nothing to do with cardio and counts zero percent toward that.

Not quite. As someone who does practice yoga, I'd say yes, you can certainly get enough cardio if you tailor your practice right. I'd wondered about it myself, but the yoga teachers I know and a friend who is a personal trainer have explained to me that yoga is really all you need.

Most people in the West use yoga to increase flexibility and relax, but there are so many different forms that can do just about anything you want.

[Andrew Brunelle]

At least do some brisk walking in addition to yoga. Yoga really doesn't get your heart pumping, does it? If it does, you're probably out of shape, or have asthma or some other respiratory/heart problem. Cardio should get your heart really moving. Something like biking or running or fast walking. Yoga is kind of lightweight, although it isn't bad for you in other ways. It is very good for your breathing and body. But it's not enough to have the benefits of cardio.

Unless you have some kind of physical disability that limits your mobility, you should try racewalking and maybe even jogging. That will definitely add benefits to your heart and body.

[ginkgo]

For optimum health many celebrities do yoga, weight lifting and cardio. The best cardio is the stuff (forget the name) where you go all out for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

[curiouslyrandom]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

At least do some brisk walking in addition to yoga. Yoga really doesn't get your heart pumping, does it?

Yes, it does.

If it does, you're probably out of shape, or have asthma or some other respiratory/heart problem.

No.

Cardio should get your heart really moving. Something like biking or running or fast walking. Yoga is kind of lightweight, although it isn't bad for you in other ways. It is very good for your breathing and body. But it's not enough to have the benefits of cardio.

Have you ever done any of the more demanding yoga practices?

I apologize if I sound defensive about this, but it seems that most people have a very limited idea of what yoga actually is and how much variation there is available.

[Curtis2011]

I too can vouche for yoga being some serious exercise.

The only yoga I have ever done is the ~1.5 hour segment of yoga in the P90X routine, but that stuff is pretty damn hard at least for a beginner. I couldn't even do the whole thing the first time I tried it.


I would be concerned about it though if you want to get decent cardiovascular exercise. Yoga does get your heart rate up but no matter how hard it is, I doubt it will be the same type of aerobic exercise as jogging or jumping rope would be.

My opinion: Yoga, depending on how hard the yoga is that you are doing, is probably about 30 to 60% of how much cardio you should ideally be doing.

[SireneB]

In my Kundalini yoga class, we do something called the aerobic Har set. It's a continuous set of very short fast exercises that are interspersed with something close to jumping jacks. A lot of Kundalini is done quickly and vigorously and gets the heartrate up. That said, I don't think it would be enough to lose weight - I haven't. But I've maintained my weight easily doing only yoga for exercise for the last 9 months (considering I had lost 70 pound prior to starting it, and my body would normally try to gain that back, this is significant).

[Medea33]

Gah. This is a blanket answer to those of you who don't think yoga is sufficient for cardiovascular health: Yeah, it really is. (I had that in caps before, but manners made me change it. Imagine me raising my voice a little, though. )

The OP referred to Ashtanga and similar styles. That means a vigorous, fast moving practice, flowing from one pose to another, with little time for rest until the end. The heart rate is elevated interval style, which is extremely efficient. Think of it as a series of sprints, with excellent posture.

So, 60 to 90 minutes (the usual class length) of Ashtanga style yoga three to five times per week is sufficient cardio, no jumping, racewalking, jogging, brisk walking or bike riding required.

[goldberg]

Originally Posted by nube

I go to hard yoga classes (ashtanga and similar) 3 -5 times a week. Is this enough for cardio? I am naturally motivated to do a lot of yoga, and I don't usually really enjoy running, and also feel it is quite hard on my knees, while yoga rather builds up my body. Also I live in north-Europe so half the year the climate is not very outdoor running friendly. Should I still do cardio as well?
Does anyone have any viewpoints on this?

Depends on what sort of Yoga you do. Ashtanga is the most cardio one I believe.

If you are looking for a cardio workout, just do some high intensity interval training (hiit). The great thing about hiit is that it can tailor to most work outs. E.g. if you are swimming then do one lap as fast as you can and the next at normal speed. Also hiit is quick

[Groundless]

Originally Posted by nube

I go to hard yoga classes (ashtanga and similar) 3 -5 times a week. Is this enough for cardio? I am naturally motivated to do a lot of yoga, and I don't usually really enjoy running, and also feel it is quite hard on my knees, while yoga rather builds up my body. Also I live in north-Europe so half the year the climate is not very outdoor running friendly. Should I still do cardio as well?
Does anyone have any viewpoints on this?

Why are you doing your exercise? If it is to improve your utilization of your VO2 capacity then the more the better. If it is to achieve a relaxed mind/body yoga is perfect. If it is for fat loss, don't bother as exercise has not been proven to help lose fat over the long-term.

[Leesah]

I've never felt the same doing yoga as I do when I'm running or doing aerobics or something. If my heart rate were up that high doing yoga I'd think something was very wrong. So in my opinion yoga isn't a cardio workout. But perhaps ashtanga is more like cardio than I'm thinking it to be - I haven't tried it. I youtubed and the ashtanga yoga workouts on the videos I saw wouldn't be cardio. The teachers were calm, breathing and moving slowly and talking throughout - now, I've never known an aerobics or spinning teacher look/sound like that. The intermediate level looked more intense though (and there was a narrator talking) so ... maybe. I guess give it a try and if you feel like you feel when you run, it probably is cardio.

[RomanHD]

When people and doctors talk about cardio, they usually mean exercise where your heart rate remains fairly CONSTANT. So even the hardest yoga in the world would not be considered cardio.

[joelr]

There are many levels of "cardio", you can't really say what is "enough".

It depends on what results you want. It's a lot better than just sitting all day.

I've taken many classes, especially on vacations, the poses can be hard but personally I don't consider the yoga I've done to be cardio. It's really hard at times actually. But I would still go for a cardio run afterwards.

But if my Dad was doing yoga every day that would be a huge improvement in his daily cardio routine. Right now it consists of walking to the bathroom and letting the dog out AND in.

[nube]

wow, thank you for all the replies and nice to see a discussion. I was talking to my sister about whether yoga is enough for cardio, as she does not see it as a cardio exercise. So I was mostly just curious and looking for viewpoints.
I do yoga for many reasons, some psychological, and also to stay fit and because it makes me calm and happy. I also like the combination of exercise and philosophy, and the fact that I am learning to listen to my body and building it up. As I mention I go to hard 90 minutes ashtanga classes that gives me a good workout.
I also walk a lot everyday (usually between 10000-20000 steps) so that might be enough, and I work quite physically hard as a gardener during the summer. I got a lot of good ideas for other types of cardio exercise from this thread so thanks

[Gracestars]

Bikram yoga gets your heart pumping, no doubt about it. One of the poses is apparently equal to 15 mins of running. You have to be able to handle a 90 min class in 40 degree heat though!

[livelove18]

I have taken heat yoga classes before and I was exhausted after the workout! The difficult poses combined with the hotter room temp made the workout quite strenuous. Yoga is amazing for your body and especially your MIND. It helps you focus more and concentrate. That said, for a full cardio workout I'd do a 10- 15 minute jog before the yoga workout and that combined with the stretches will be great.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

For optimum health many celebrities do yoga, weight lifting and cardio. The best cardio is the stuff (forget the name) where you go all out for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

I think you are referring to HIIT (high intensity interval training), which is usually sprinting for 30 seconds and jogging for 60 seconds.

[Lifeisamazing]

Could anyone who has been doing yoga for a while enlighten me with the benefits of it and with some resources to help me get started with it? I've never really read anything about it but I assume it's stretching and deep breathing combined? Basically like meditating? My reason to do it would be to relax myself. I'm very impatient and hyperactive, would like a little relaxing for an hour or so a day.

[nube]

This site is very good Yoga Journal: Yoga Poses, Classes, Meditation, and Life - On and Off the Mat - Namaste
I would recommend going to an intro course somewhere first, to learn the basics and some techniques you can use. If you are very restless you might benefit from classical yoga that focuses more on breathing and meditation, rather than the harder more physical variations such as ashtanga. But it is good to have a teacher to discuss it with.
For me the benefits is being more calm in all situations, less anxious, more focused, having better thought control, the tightness in my neck and shoulders disappears. It seems it benefits everything else in my life, like studying, relationships etc. I have even started using yoga analogies like "breath into the situation". It is kind of a little reflection on life, the practice starts with sun salutation and ends with corpse pose. It is nice to have an exercise form that has so much meaning and is so gentle on the body, and that can be very soft or very strong. There is also something called yoga-healing. As one of my teachers used to say, if you have a problem, physical or mental, yoga will find it, and help the body/mind heal itself.

also found a good article on whether yoga is enough excercise : Yoga Journal - Yoga Asana Columns - Is Yoga Enough to Keep You Fit?

[Lifeisamazing]

Thanks! Yes, classical yoga sounds for me. I definitely don't need it to burn calories.

I'll check those links and might possibly attend a class in my gym.