Should You Practice Yoga Before or After Weight Lifting?

Yoga is a wonderful, mind-boosting exercise that can help facilitate weight loss. However, that doesn’t mean that you should start practicing yoga before or after a workout. If you already know what you’re doing, practicing yoga may help you to relax and focus on your weight-training routine. If you’re new to yoga, it may be a good idea to practice it before you exercise, as you can learn how to safely do yoga without interfering with your weight training.

In case you haven’t already guessed, this is a variation of the original “Should you practice yoga before or after weight lifting?” question from the question and answer site Quora. The key difference is that this post will include a short discussion of the benefits of each, and a conclusion.

There is a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to whether or not you should practice yoga before or after you exercise. Some people say that yoga should be done before, while others say should be done after, and some suggest that you should do it both before and after your workout.. Read more about yoga before or after weights and let us know what you think.

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You’ve just completed a sweaty yoga session and are eager to get your hands on some weights. But you may be wondering if you should weight train before or after your yoga session. Although your body may feel warmer after your yoga session, you may not have the stamina to complete a round of strength training. Perhaps a restorative yoga practice after weight training seems more appealing than a pre-lifting practice. 

Yogi practicing yoga before weight lifting

So, should you do yoga before or after you exercise weights? The answer is that it depends on whether you’re doing more dynamic yoga before or after your weight-lifting exercise. It’s best to do more dynamic yoga before weight lifting and more restorative yoga after. In general, however, it is preferable to plan your yoga practice after weight lifting or to do yoga the day before or after weight lifting. 

The majority of muscular tension and stiffness occur when muscles are cold, which is why a thorough warm-up before weight training is critical. Warming up your body, getting your blood flowing, and loosening your joints are all part of the warm-up process. If you skip this step, you may be putting yourself at danger of harm. 

Warming up has a number of advantages, including:

  •   Circulation improves
  •   Conditioning of the body and mind 
  •   Warms the muscles.
  •   This improves your oxygen intake.
  •   Your lungs will be in better shape for your exercise if you do this.
  •   Increases the capacity of your heart
  •   Injuries, strains, and stiffness are less likely to occur.
  •   Relaxes your whole body. 

 

What Kind of Yoga Should You Avoid Before Lifting Weights?

It’s not a good idea to stretch your muscles before lifting and weight training. Avoid restorative, yin, or traditional Hatha practices that emphasize lengthy holds and muscular lengthening. Stick to a yoga routine that focuses on warming up your body, such as a dynamic sequence that moves in sync with your breathing. 

 

What Kind of Yoga Should You Do Before Lifting Weights?

While it is usually recommended that you do your yoga practice after you exercise weights, some yogis choose to utilize their practice to warm up before lifting. If you decide to do this, keep to a dynamic or vinyasa-based practice and avoid lengthy holds that stretch and relax your muscles.

Vinyasa yoga is a kind of yoga where you move one breath per movement and generate heat in your body. This continuous movement generates heat and effectively warms up your body in preparation for weightlifting.

 

The Best Yoga Warm-up Before Lifting Weights 

Keep your body moving with a vigorous vinyasa practice if you opt to do yoga before lifting weights. This will increase your body’s heat production and warm up your muscles without overstretching or relaxing them. Prior to your weight-lifting workout, try this short vinyasa sequence. 

Here’s a fast and effective yoga warm-up you can do before you raise your weights: 

3 Sun Salutations A

Sun Salutations are an excellent method to warm up your body and prepare it for more challenging postures. Always remember that you may change the postures to suit your requirements!

yogi practicing sun salutation flow in morning yoga

A Sun Salutation is performed in the following manner:

  • Begin in Mountain position at the top of your mat. Lift your arms and look up as you inhale.
  • For a forward fold, exhale. For a midway lift, inhale.
  • Step back to plank position and descend to a modified or full Chaturanga with an exhale.
  • Upward Facing Dog inhale, Downward Facing Dog exhale. Take three deep breaths and hold them for three seconds.
  • Look forward at the end of your breath and step or leap to the top of your mat.
  • Exhale to forward fold after a midway lift. I
  • Exhale as you rise to your feet and place your hands in a prayer posture.

Vinyasa Flow in a Hurry

We’ll move into this fast vinyasa sequence once you’ve finished your rounds of sun salutations to get you warmed up for your weight lifting workout!

1. From the Down Dog to the Three-Legged Dog

Raise your right leg and step your right foot forward in between your hands from Downward Facing Dog. Maintain a powerful rear leg and keep your heel off the ground.

yogi practicing dowen dog to three legged dog

 

2. Lunge at a High Level

On your inhale, rise to High Lunge. To achieve a deeper stretch in your hip flexor, make sure your leg is bent at 90 degrees and your core is lightly engaged.

Yogi practicing High Lunge

 

3. Warrior 2 to Warrior of Peace

Root your back heel down and open into Warrior 2 as you exhale. Reach your right arm forth, back, and up for a Peaceful Warrior on your next inhalation. Take your hands to the floor and flow into a vinyasa as you exhale. Rep the process on the other side. This sequence may be repeated three times. 

yogi practicing warrior 2 to peaceful warrior

 

4. Twisted Chair + Chair

We’ll end the series with Twisted Chair as the last position. To get ready, do the following:

  • Begin with your feet together in the middle of your mat.
  • Sit down and stretch your hands up to the heavens with your biceps near your ears as you inhale.
  • Keep your chest up and spine long by relaxing your shoulders and drawing your belly button in. Stay for three deep breaths.
  • Take your hands to your heart in a prayer posture on your fourth inhalation. Twist to the right and connect your left elbow to your right knee as you exhale.
  • As you rotate, keep your spine long and your heart open to the right.
  • Stay for three breaths, then return to the middle and repeat on the other side. 

yogi practicing chair to twisted chair

 

 

Yoga Poses to Do While Lifting Weights

Consider doing yoga while you’re doing weights. This is certainly something you can accomplish! Some yoga postures and sequences are comparable to core or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and you may integrate them into your workout. Alternate one session of weightlifting with one set of some of the following exercises:

Plank to Downdog

Your core and upper body are worked as you go from Downward Facing Dog to Plank Pose. To start your blood flowing, do a few repetitions. 

yogi practicing down dog to plank

To practice Down Dog to Plank, do the following:

  • Begin in the Downward Facing Dog position.
  • Shift forward into Plank Pose with your breath as you inhale.
  • Return to Downdog as soon as you exhale.
  • Rep 5 times more. 

 

Pushups Chaturanga

Pushups are difficult, and this variation with Chaturanga arms will work your muscles even harder. As you strengthen your upper body and core, you may do this with your knees on the floor. 

Yogi practicing Chaturanga

To do Chaturanga Push-ups, follow these steps:

  • Begin in plank position.
  • Return to Plank position by lowering to Chaturanga and pushing yourself back up. 
  • Rep 5 times more. 

 

Plank

This pose may be found in any Vinyasa or Power yoga session. Breathe deeply for 30 seconds in this position to increase your mental and physical power. 

Yogi practicing Plank pose

To do a plank, do the following:

  • Maintain a strong core and make sure you’re generating a continuous line of energy from your head to your toes.
  • Hold the plank position for 30 seconds and gradually increase to 1 minute. 

 

What Kind of Yoga Should You Do After Lifting Weights?

After a hot gym workout, nothing beats a good, lengthy, and soothing stretch. After weight lifting, a restorative or yin yoga practice in which you remain in each pose for a longer length of time is ideal. You may perform this immediately after your workout or as a recovery exercise the following day. 

Yoga after weightlifting may be helpful and make you feel better in your body because: 

  • Your body has been warmed up in preparation for your yoga practice. 
  • After pumping up your blood with weights, your circulation improves.
  • After a stronger yang weight lifting exercise, a yin yoga session may help to balance your body.
  • Cooling down by stretching the body lowers the chance of injury.
  •   After lifting weights, you have a better understanding of your body. 

 

After weightlifting, the Best Yoga Cool-Down 

It may feel great to release the muscles that you spent so much time tightening during your weight lifting exercise. You can open up your hamstrings, clear up space in your lower back, and calm down your whole body. Before you leave the gym, do this yoga cool-down: 

Pose of a Child

Child’s Posture is an excellent pose to practice to relieve back and neck stress as well as improve general relaxation. 

Yogi practicing Childs Pose

Child’s Pose should be practiced as follows:

  • Begin by spreading your knees as wide as your mat and touching your big toes.
  • Place your hips on your heels and move forward with your hands until your forehead reaches the mat. Relax your shoulders and relax your arms on the mat.
  • Take 5-10 deep breaths and hold them for 5-10 seconds. 

 

Cat/Cow

Cat-Cow is an excellent way to relieve stress in the neck, shoulders, and spine. Feel free to explore and move your body in various ways to feel for any stiffness that may be preventing you from releasing it.

yogi practicing cat-cow after weight lifting

To practice Cat-Cow, follow these steps:

  • Begin by placing your hands under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Make sure your foundation is solid, your arms are straight, and your spine is in a neutral position.
  • Arc your back, gaze up, and raise your chin away from your chest as you inhale.
  • Draw your belly button in, press the mat away from you, and tuck your chin to your chest as you exhale.
  • Rep 5 times more. 

 

Pose of a Pigeon

Pigeon Pose is a great way to stretch your hips and glutes after a hard exercise. If folding forward all the way seems too difficult, use blocks or stack your fists to adjust to your body’s requirements!

Yogi practicing Pigeon pose

To learn how to play Pigeon, follow these steps.

  • Raise your right leg up and place your right knee behind your right wrist in Downward Facing Dog.
  • Lower your lower body to the mat and maintain your left leg straight behind you.
  • Square your hips and make sure you’re not sitting on your right foot before lowering your upper body.
  • Place your elbows or your forehead on the mat.
  • Repeat on the other side after 5-10 breaths. 

 

Folding Forward

Seated Forward Fold is an excellent posture for loosening tight hamstrings. To truly engage the hamstrings in this position, keep your chest wide and bend forward from your hips.

Yogi practicing Seated Forward Fold

Seated Forward Fold should be practiced as follows:

  • Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you on your mat. Legs, ankles, knees, and toes should all be relaxed.
  • Lift your chest and extend your spine by inhaling. Exhale and move your hands forward, allowing your upper body to fall forward as well.
  • Consider lying down with your tummy on your thighs and your chest on your knees.
  • This passive stretch will help you relax your whole body.
  • Hold your breath for 5-10 seconds. 

You may do yoga before or after you exercise weights; just make sure you pick the appropriate style! Restorative postures should be saved for after your weightlifting exercise, while a more active practice should be done before lifting weights. Every day is different, so pay attention to your body and give it the practice it need.

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Mariel is a yoga instructor and writer living in New York City. She has been teaching for ten years and has been a lifelong student of the old art.

Yoga is a practice that appeals to many people, but few know that it can help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals. An increasing number of studies show that yoga helps improve flexibility and balance and can benefit people who suffer from joint health problems and exercise-induced injuries. It can also help improve strength and joint stability, which is useful for weight training and other fitness activities.. Read more about should you do yoga before or after eating and let us know what you think.

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