Generally, yoga is good for both fresh and already worked-out bodies. But for most fitness goals it is better to do yoga after a workout. This is because yoga involves stretches and movements that can tire your muscles and it will become tougher to do any other workout afterward.
Studies have shown that stretching before a workout can decrease performance. And Yoga has lots of them.
Overall it really depends on what your fitness goals are. If you want a flexible body, do yoga first, but if you want to run faster, jump higher, and lift more weights, do the other workouts 1st.
How to combine Yoga and other Workouts for Weight Loss?
Both yoga and other workouts like HIIT alone are enough to achieve the goal of weight loss.
You can take the help of these yoga asanas for weight loss or HIIT exercises that burn the most calories but there is a way to combine both and achieve the desired results in an easier way.
That way will seem difficult in the beginning if you are totally new to yoga and lack flexibility but remember these problems are only temporary.
The more you practice, the more your body will get used to it and become flexible to perform any kind of yoga.
Doing it every day or at least 5 days a week will bring a significant change in your body shape.
A 16 minutes video below is enough for you to get your whole body transformed. You can get in shape within a month with this combination of Yoga and HIIT:
As you saw, there is no before or after when it comes to yoga and HIIT in combination to lose weight.
It’s a constant switch and sometimes even a mix of both. Do give it a try!
I’m sure it won’t be possible to get through the whole 16 minutes of Asana in the 1st go but you can improve with time.
That’s the beauty of humans, consistency results in improvement over time. Perseverance is the way to success.
Should you do Yoga before or after Cycling?
Indoor cycling studios focus a lot on HIIT-style rides. These rides are good for increasing the heart rate and shaping the lower body.
If you are doing cycling and want to combine it with yoga again it really depends on what your goals are.
If the goal is to use yoga and improve the cycling experience and performance, you can take the help of the Yoga class in the video below:
Not only will the above Yoga class prepare you better for cycling but also it is good for your calf, glutes, lower back, mid-back, upper back, and chest.
Following this class of yoga before cycling will be much better than doing it after cycling. A fresher body is always better to begin yoga with.
How to manage Yoga and other Exercises?
For most people, interested in both yoga and other exercises, the schedule that works the best is to do yoga in the evening and other exercises in the morning.
This is where Yoga and other exercises are most effective. But fixing this schedule is not necessary!
Exercising for the long term is much more doable if you don’t go through a similar workout routine every day. Because then it will feel like a chore or an enforced duty.
You can sometimes switch and do Yoga in the morning and other exercises in the evening.
But make sure that your evening workout is not vigorous because then it can disturb your sleep and cause insomnia.
You can even change your fitness goals in the middle:
If you find something wrong with your fitness goals, e.g. if you are a regular swimmer, swimming every day will get you that swimmer’s body.
If you don’t like the shape of it and want muscles instead, you can quit or reduce swimming and switch to weight lifting exercises, to achieve a new fitness goal!
Best Schedule to Combine Yoga and other Exercises:
The best schedule for combining Yoga and other exercises is to keep switching between them from time to time.
Do one in the morning and the other in the evening and keep switching between them from time to time.
Or do yoga on day 1 and other exercises on day 2, and so on.
As long as you are on track with working out, everything is well and good!
There is more than one way of achieving fitness goals, that’s why we have so many different training programs.
Should you do yoga or weights first?
Do the weights first. If the goal is building muscles, there is no better way than weight lifting to do that. Yoga is good for your muscles’ flexibility and strength, but when it comes to gaining bone density and building muscles, weight lifting is matchless.
Also, you should be doing weight lifting first because it requires more energy, and can’t be optimally done with tired muscles.
Yoga on the other hand doesn’t require as much energy as weight lifting does.
What if you do Gym in the evening and Yoga in the morning will it harm your body?
No, it won’t harm your body. When you do gym in the evening, you need 2 things afterward to make the morning yoga session an effective one:
- healthy post-workout dinner, and
- a good night’s sleep.
That combination of food nourishment and sleep will recover your body well for a morning session of yoga.
Plus you’ll be capable to do yoga before or after breakfast. To practice yoga on an empty stomach, it is recommended to have a good nutritious dinner the night before.
Can you do Yoga and Exercise on alternate days?
Yes, you can do yoga and exercise on alternate days. It will make your workouts more manageable and there will be less chance of hitting fatigue levels or getting bored from exercising.
Also, it will be good for your body because with different modes of working out you can target different muscle groups.
Should you do yoga before or after HIIT?
HIIT is a tiring workout. It will lift your heart rate and burn calories even several hours after exercise. There won’t be any energy left after HIIT to do any other workout. That’s why it is better to do yoga first and HIIT later.
Check out our detailed article on yoga vs HIIT for weight loss.
Before you go…
We hope you found this article on yoga before or after a workout informative and helpful.
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of yoga and the best time to practice it, be sure to check out our article on “Best Time To Do Yoga“.
This guide delves deeper into the science behind the timing of your yoga practice and provides tips and strategies for making the most of your yoga sessions.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced yogi, you’ll find valuable information in this guide to help you improve your practice and achieve your fitness and wellness goals.