Weight Training
YOGA AND WEIGHT TRAINING
As we know Yoga is more that just sculpting your physique.
However in reference to the common narrative that we should be doing 'strength training', 'we should be lifting weights', I don't think yoga is well represented, perhaps even misunderstood.
When we practice yoga we place our body in positions and orientations that you support with your muscles. You are literally lifting weights, your weight. With traditional weight training, as your muscles adapt to the resistance and become stronger, that weight is no longer a challenge, you will have to add more weight to achieve the same results. Over time this can put too much load on the skeletal system.
Yoga is a more balanced way to do strength training. It is a form of functional fitness (also a current catch phrase), that moves our body in the ways it was designed to move, ensuring that it functions properly. Yoga tones muscles all over the body, in balance with each other; repeating and increasing the duration you hold the asanas for, also increases muscle endurance.
WHICH YOGA ASANAS ARE GOOD FOR DEVELOPING STRENGTH
Any asana, supporting your body weight, develops strength. We have listed some below, but not limited to.
LEGS
Virabhadrasana 1 & 2 - strengthens all the leg muscles, large and small.
Vrksasana & Virabhadrasana 3 - holding your entire body on one leg, particularly effective.
ARMS
Purvottanasana
Adho Mukha Vrksasana & Urdha Mukha Svanasana - strengthens all the arm muscles, large and small.
Vasisthasana - holding your entire body on one arm, particularly effective.
ABDOMEN
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
Jathara Parivatanasana
Navasana
BACK
Salabhasana
Dhanurasana
Chatush Padasana
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR MUSCLES STRONG?
SCIENCE SAYS
The muscle-bone crosstalk via biochemical signals regulates skeletal muscle and bone metabolism, probably participating in the development of musculoskeletal diseases.
In this review, we discussed the possible role of myokines and osteokines in the development and treatment of osteosarcopenia, as well as fracture healing.
Importantly, due to the compelling effects on improving the mass, strength, and functions of skeletal muscle and bone, as well as accelerating fracture healing, myostatin, irisin, RANKL, and SOST show great potential to serve as molecular targets for osteosarcopenia-related fracture treatment.
WHAT IS BONE METABOLISM
In osteology, bone remodeling or bone metabolism is a lifelong process where mature bone tissue is removed from the skeleton and new bone tissue is formed. These processes also control the reshaping or replacement of bone following injuries like fractures but also micro-damage, which occurs during normal activity.
EFFECTS OF MUSCLES ON BONE METABOLISM
Skeletal muscles and bones, the largest tissues in the body of a non-obese person, comprise the musculoskeletal system, which allows mobility and protects internal organs. Although muscles and bones are closely related throughout life, observations during development and aging and in human and animal disuse models have revealed the synchronization of tissue mass such that muscle phenotype changes precede alterations in bone mineral density and strength.
This review discussed that mechanical forces, which have been the traditional research focus, are not the only mechanism by which muscle-derived signals may affect bone metabolism and emphasized the significance of skeletal muscles as an endocrine organ that secretes bone-regulatory factors.
Consequently, both mechanical and biochemical aspects should be considered to fully understand muscle–bone crosstalk. This review also suggested that specific myokines could be ideal therapeutic targets for osteoporosis to both increase bone formation and reduce bone resorption; moreover, these myokines could also be potential circulating biomarkers to predict musculoskeletal health.