By Dr. Marium Murad – Maya Yoga Samudraa Student
Some forms of exercises have become an essential part of today’s healthy, active life style. Every one of us needs physical movement to maintain our body’s flexibility, our muscle tone and our youthful appearance. The main purpose of exercise is to stimulate the cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal systems in order to prevent the onset of disease. We would like to stay away from dreaded words “cholesterol, obesity, blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, etc”
A wide variety of exercise choices are available to us. As the world is fast becoming a “global village;” options we never considered before are becoming increasingly popular. In western countries, asian traditions are gaining recognition. Like wise yoga is attracting huge interest. Based on centuries of ancient teachings and backed by modern medical facts, increasing numbers of individuals are now turning to yoga. But how does “yoga” compare with “aerobic exercise”?
Excercise
- Focus is on muscular development for a youthful body.
- Consists of strong, forceful muscular movements producing lactic acid build up in muscle fibres causing fatigue and continued cramps.
- The purpose of a work out is to raise your heart rate in to your “target zone” to achieve cardiovascular benefits.
- Movement of major muscle groups that increase adrenaline production which leads to mental stimulation.
- Healthy body must “sweat” for proper functioning.
- “No pain, No gain”.
- Relies on aerobic exercise to increase the heart rate. If body is unaccustomed to this new level of physical exercise, it burdens the heart to sustain circulation.
- Aerobic jumps and jogging put a strain on the knees and ankles.
- Vigorous exercise exceeds muscle’s circulation limits, causing fatigue and exhaustion. Breaking into sweat – fast respiratory rate with increased heart rate characteristics of a “good” workout.
- Cool down consists of slower exercises motions, aim is to bring the heart rate to normal state.
- Before starting any exercise program, advisable to get a general physical examination and a “OK” from your doctor to start exercising.
- The aerobic teacher always pushes his students to higher aerobic levels with increasing difficulty.
Typical exercise class: • warm up • aerobics • cool down - Aerobic exercise disperses body energy, therefore sweating & exhaustion.
Yoga
- Focus on the physical body as a vehicle for the passage through life.
- Opposes strong muscular movement, muscle stiffness or injury.
- After each yoga posture you relax to normalize heart rate and respiration; before continuing to the next posture. The target of yoga is to maintain flexibility of the spine.“You are as young as your spine is flexible”.
- Helps the mind to be calm and relaxed, while maintaining mental concentration.
- Healthy body is when all organs function normally under control of a clear conscious.
- Emphasis on simplicity. “Simple in Living, High in thinking” (Gandhi).
- Slow pace doesn’t strain the heart. Rest periods in between successive postures.
- Slow sustained stretches push venous blood up the leg veins. The contracted muscles prevent back flow.
- Muscular fatigue is counteracted by coordinating breathing (inhalation/ exhalation) while moving in/out of each posture, and relaxation in between two successive postures. No excessive sweat, increased heart rate or breathlessness. However you would feel refreshed and relaxed after a yoga session.
- After each yoga session, relaxation consists of lying down motionless with eyes closed on your mat. The aim is to relax the body and mind simultaneously.
- No pre-check up required. Interestingly Dr Mehmet Oz (renowned heart surgeon from USA) has his patients do yoga for quick weight loss before surgery.
- Yoga teacher progresses on individual capability, not by standard charts. Never force a posture.
- Typical yoga session: • stretching warm up • yoga postures • breathing exercises
- Yoga conserves body energy therefore cooling and relaxing.
Which ever you decide to follow is entirely up to your personal taste. However the popular food now is “fusion,” blending flavours of different cultures to produce new recipes. So why not try another culture. Yoga just might surprise you! It’s an experience worth trying.
