Yoga & Exercise Questions

[Hubert]

I run when I feel rajasic tensions accumulating in me. No bad feeling, anxiety, worry resists a 5 km run. I just go with the flow, and the mind quiets.
Now that I have good physical condition, I often use specific asanas right after, to relief the tigh as it becomes stiff, also it brings the inner peace back.
I don't count this as practice, though, it usually lacks the subtle effects of a morning session.

[xela]

I know a lot of people who run and practice asana, but when I became very serious about yoga I stopped running. I find that anything other than yoga affects my practice in a negative way.

Only sometimes (very rarely) do I even "crave" a good run.

[yogiforlife]

I just don't feel fit if I don't jog. I enjoy it so much. I find so many similiarities between jogging and Yoga and not in the physical sense but my mindset while I am doing them.

[BayAreaGuy]

Originally Posted by yogiforlife

I just don't feel fit if I don't jog. I enjoy it so much. I find so many similiarities between jogging and Yoga and not in the physical sense but my mindset while I am doing them.

Same with me, I love the feeling of a long run and a great sweat. Makes me feel good physically and mentaly. Plus the runners high.

[Jo]

I get enough sweating in power yoga so don't need to run, but I really enjoy dancing and find both quite complimentary for each other. I can definitely cope alot better with all the stresses of dance now that I do yoga. I like to do different things once in a while just to see where my body's at. I find doing something completely different even just once can show you alot. Every so often I'll do a spin class or something out of my league. I'm often trying new things, but before I started yoga it would take a week to recover. Now, yoga has helped me to adapt to different situations and tasks,I don't suffer. The only thing I find super challenging when I do a spin class is the sprint cycling. That really feels foreign to me. I can handle the hills (I think that's where the yoga helps). I enjoy a nice meditative walk too.

[yogiforlife]

I couldn't agree more, I've often made that analogy. Yoga works so many things that it enables you to cope or work through things different or new that your body is not used to. It doesn't matter what it is, swimming, biking or jogging, a long lay-off from any makes the return to it difficult. Regular Yoga practice makes it less difficult. Or if you're trying something new you've never tried before, the background in Yoga in very beneficial.

[Fin]

The impulse to do things in addition to your yoga practice indicates that you have extra energy or that you are not receiving enough “battering” in your day to day life.

When I was a lot younger I used to jog & I can see the “high” you can get from it but today I do wonder if some of the mischief done to my back & hips is a result of all those days of jogging indulgence.

I know jogging is stimulating and refreshing (I did a lot of it during my late 20’s) but I do wonder if hammering your vertebrae/spine in that fashion + the pressure on your hips is setting the scene for problems in later years (after 50 yrs old)? I see too many over 50's with back problems!

Yoga came to me late in life if I had embraced yoga earlier I would NOT have jogged! A good long brisk walk everday + occasional long hill walks is great for me (but mind you i am a vata). A lot of Pita types have a lot of excess energy & need to find ways of burning it .

I am 56 yrs old I think a lot of my back problems & hip problems (which I am now recovering from via yoga) are a direct result of weakening my skeletal & muscle system by jogging.

I blush as I say this since you are all so wonderful people & I wish you all well in your sadhana.

Namaste & Best Wishes,
Fin

[prjose56]

Originally Posted by xela

I know a lot of people who run and practice asana, but when I became very serious about yoga I stopped running. I find that anything other than yoga affects my practice in a negative way.

Only sometimes (very rarely) do I even "crave" a good run.

Hi,

Do you feel that your yoga practice is enough of a cardiovascular workout? I'm wondering if I need to add some running or cycling to my routine in order to maintain good cardiovascular fitness.

Thanks.

[cyclezen]

Originally Posted by SugarKane958

What other exercise do you do to go hand in hand with your Yoga routine?
(Cardo?)
How often do you do it, and how do you feel it compliments your yoga??
Just looking to figure out my weekly routine! Thanks guys!
-Whitney

To my mind, just about everything can go hand in hand, when considering a period of a week of more (as opposed to 'stuffin a day' - a saying my wife and I came up with after she spent her first week with me - in our younger daze...)
as the screen name implies, I like cyclin a lot for most everything physical (and cardio). Not a runner, but given the right mood, the large open spaces next to my 'Yurt' are a joy to plow through at any speed.
Until this spring I had this crazy idea that competiting in cycling events was lotza fun, even being in the later 50's. The actual competing is a Ton O' Fun. The very structured training and the countless hours spent driving to and waiting to compete are NOT/no longer much fun. So now I'm more on the loosie-goosie side of 'performance' cycling - and totally enjoying the wheeled experience moe betta. Still doin a ride about 4 days a week.
A good hike or surf session always fits. I try to get one of those every week. A walk, hand-in-hand with the Ball&Chain . Its a list too long to list and well more than what will go into a good week - "Stuff A Week"??? notta bad idea
Last few years I've taken to what I've learned from the local Herons (da bird Herons) and I'll find a nice, advantageous spot out in nature and just stand there for 20 - 30 minutes, without any movement, just observing. Its incredible what the world will strut by you, if you aren't racin through it yourself. Counters our common conception that the only way to 'see' things is to 'travel' there...

A 'plan' is always a good start point for me, as long as I give enough flexibility to connect the heart to the head.
Yoga? has become a great connector and is always accessible.

namaste

[siba.sethy]

Hi,
I do work outs in gym regularly. Now i want to practice pranayam also.
Can I continue both? Should I do pranayam first or Gym work outs first?
Plz answer me.