Yoga vs. Strength Training
Here's the scoop on two popular exercise regimens
by Michele Stanten and Selene Yeage

Q: Is yoga just as effective as strength training sessions if I am trying to tone up and get in shape?

A: Maybe, if you've never done any strength training and the yoga you practice is challenging enough that your muscles feel as though they are getting fatigued as you hold the asanas, or poses. Like Pilates, yoga is an excellent toning tool, and beginners can make significant strength gains. But as you get stronger, you will ultimately reach a point where you need to push your muscles a bit harder to continue building lean muscle tissue. And the only way to do that is with weights.

To shape up and get fit, building muscle tissue is essential. Because of dipping hormone and activity levels, a woman typically starts losing about half a pound of muscle a year during her perimenopausal years. That loss can jump to a pound a year once she hits menopause.

Muscle tissue burns about 15 times as many calories as fat, even when you're not exercising, so as your lean muscle diminishes, your metabolism (your body's calorie-burning ability) drops. If you do nothing to stem the loss, you could wake up on your 65th birthday and find that you have lost half of your lean body mass and replaced it with twice as much fat!
The good news is that strength training can help turn the tide by elevating levels of human growth hormone and replacing lost muscle mass. And the rewards come quickly. A woman who trains all her major muscle groups twice a week can expect to replace 5 to 10 years' worth of metabolism-revving muscle in just a few months.

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Interesting post.

I took ONE yoga class, a few years ago, and I will take more eventually. What I noticed during that class was that it was very similar to weightlifting - it was all about posture, form and breathing. Add pieces of iron, and you have weightlifting.

I'm joining my first joga class in a few weeks...yes I'm back at the gym It was suggested by my physical theropist to improve my posture and the way I move before I do strength training. He said if you don't have proper movement with strength training it can mess up your back.

I know: I did strength training but because I had bad posture I tightened my back too much causing my bottom to stick out and upward. I have to lossen my back every morning so I can stand straight. Lesson learned

Yoga is a good complement to a comprehensive exercise routine. Is it a substitute for weight training? Probably not. There are muscle groups that are tough to build with just yoga alone. A good exercise plan should include core (yoga and ball exercises) weights, and cardio.