Yoga Or Gym? How To Choose, Or Do Both

Yoga or gym: the short version

If you already lift weights, do you still need a yoga class? Yoga and the gym do different jobs, and plenty of people do both. A gym session is usually built around strengthening. A yoga class works on strength too, and adds balance, stretching, breathing and attention in the same hour. So the real question behind yoga or gym is what you want your week to cover. We sell yoga classes, and we would rather say so. We are not saying yoga replaces the gym, or that either one is better.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our Men And Sport notes.

Yoga or gym, in short

• Short answer: they do different jobs, and many people do both.
• What yoga adds: balance, stretching, breath and attention, as well as strength.
• Same day: Chris suggests leaving at least a few hours between a hard gym session and a class.
• If you are tight: poses can feel stiff at first, so go slowly and use props.
• Guidelines: Australian adults are asked for muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week.
• Hurt at the gym? Tell your teacher, and talk to your doctor if you wish.
• Next step: try a class in the studio or LIVE online.

Yoga or gym: what does each one work on?

A gym session usually works on strength, one muscle group at a time. A yoga class works on strength, balance, stretching, breathing and attention together. People go to a gym for measured weights, machines and a clear plan. Those are fair reasons, and nothing here asks you to give them up.

In yoga, a lot of the strength comes from holding your own body in a pose. Chris’s view is that you do not need expensive sets of weights to get strong, because you can lift your own body. Handstand at a wall is one example, and it is built up in small steps with a teacher. A yoga class also asks you to balance, to stretch and to breathe smoothly while you work. That mix is the main difference.

Does yoga build muscle? Research has looked at that, and we keep the details in our note Can Yoga Build Muscle?. For the longer story on strength, see Yoga For Strength.

What do the Australian guidelines ask for?

The Australian guidelines for adults 18 to 64 ask for muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week, and 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate physical activity a week. They are on the Australian Government health website. They are a useful yardstick for any week of exercise. Our classes are not designed to tick that list, so if you follow the guidelines closely, read the page and choose what fits you.

Can you do yoga and the gym on the same day?

Yes, but Chris suggests leaving at least a few hours between a hard gym session and a yoga class. Her reasons come from teaching, not from a trial.

• A hard gym session winds up the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” side) and leaves you tired.
• A yoga class can be demanding too, so you want to arrive rested.
• Yoga also teaches you to use the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest, digest and recover” side). If you are worn out, it is harder to settle into that.

So an easy way to organise it is to put the two apart, a morning and an evening, or on different days.

What if you are tight from lifting?

Poses can feel stiff at first, and that is normal. Chris’s view, from years of teaching, is that regular weight training can leave the hamstrings, hips, neck and shoulders tighter if they are not stretched as well. In class, belts, blocks, bolsters and chairs let you reach a pose without forcing it. Backbends that open a tight chest are one example, and we cover them in our note on backbend yoga.

If you do both, Chris suggests giving more time to stretching and to calming. Restful poses and slow, even breathing are how yoga looks after the calming side of the nervous system. That is what the gym tends to give less attention. And whatever else you do, make sure you get enough good yoga to feel the full mix of benefits.

Who should start where?

Start with the one you will actually turn up to, and add the other when you are ready. A few simple pointers:

• New to both: a beginner yoga class teaches the basic poses step by step, with props.
• Already lifting: nothing about starting yoga asks you to stop. Tell your teacher what you do and how you feel.
• Hurt your shoulder, back or knee at the gym: tell your teacher before class. Poses can be adapted with props. Talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish.
• Comparing options in Darwin: our page on yoga fitness classes alongside a Darwin gym explains how our classes work.

See a doctor straight away for pain after a fall or a heavy lift that does not ease, numbness or weakness in a limb, or a change in bladder or bowel control.

Yoga or gym in Darwin and live online

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin and LIVE online. Come as you are, tell the teacher what else you do in your week, and we will help you fit yoga around it.

Yoga or gym: questions people ask

Can I do yoga and gym together?

Yes. Chris suggests leaving at least a few hours between a hard gym session and a yoga class, because gym tires you out and yoga is often quite demanding. If you do both, give more time to stretching and calming.

How long should I leave between the gym and a yoga class?

At least a few hours, in Chris’s view. A hard gym session winds up the sympathetic nervous system and tires you. You want to arrive at yoga rested, so you can settle into the calming side of the practice. This is her advice from teaching, not a trial result.

Will yoga feel hard if I lift weights and feel tight?

It can at first. Tight hamstrings, hips, neck and shoulders are common in people who lift. Teachers use belts, blocks, bolsters and chairs so you can reach a pose without forcing it. Go slowly and tell your teacher what you do.

Is a yoga class hard enough to be a workout?

It depends on the class. Holding poses can leave your legs shaking, and some classes add flowing sequences. Chris has led short bursts of handstands and dog pose sequences in an experienced class that raised a sweat. Beginner classes start with simpler poses.

What do the Australian guidelines say about strength?

For adults 18 to 64, they ask for muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week, plus 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate physical activity a week. Our classes are not designed to tick that list, so read the guidelines and choose what fits you.

What if I hurt myself at the gym?

Tell your yoga teacher before class so poses can be adapted with props. Talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish. See a doctor straight away for numbness, weakness in a limb, a change in bladder or bowel control, or pain after a fall.

Do I have to give up the gym to do yoga?

No. Students often ask us this, and starting yoga does not ask you to stop anything. Tell your teacher what else you do so classes can be set up around it.

Where can I try yoga alongside the gym in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree: in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more, and online, for anyone new.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and it is not about any one person. If you have an injury or a health condition, talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources

• Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Physical activity and exercise guidelines for adults (18 to 64 years). health.gov.au
• Chris Lalor, Flametree Yoga Studio. Teaching notes on doing gym and yoga together, shared on the Flametree Facebook page, 30 December 2023.