If you're going to yoga class three times a week to transform your body from flab to fab, fitness experts suggest you get off the mat and go for a run instead.
The exercise is continuing to gain popularity, but tests are proving yoga alone will not burn enough calories for significant weight loss.
One study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise found that while yoga increased muscular strength and endurance, along with flexibility and balance, it led to no significant improvement in aerobic capacity.
Professor John Porcari from the University of Wisconsin, who led the study, said:
"In order to improve aerobic capacity, essentially the efficiency of your heart and lungs, you really need to be working in the training zone where your heart rate reaches 70 to 80 per cent of your maximum. Based on what we found, the intensity just wasn’t there."
Researchers found that one 50-minute class with a group of intermediate-level yogis burned just 144 calories, which is comparable to a slow walk! A 50-minute power yoga class — said to be more aerobically-challenging — burned only 237 calories.
Last week, one of Britain's biggest celebrity personal trainers, Matt Roberts, let his less-than-favorable feelings toward the spiritual workout fly, saying:
"You may feel that you are keeping fit by doing a weekly yoga class, but you aren’t. The reason why everyone likes yoga is that it isn’t very hard. Yes, there are individual parts of your body that are being worked hard, but with every form of exercise you should ask yourself is it intensive enough? Is my heartbeat raised? Am I out of breath and sweating for at least 25 to 30 minutes at a time? The answer when you’re doing yoga is, I suspect, no."
Sounds like cardio is king when it comes to slimming down!
Have U experienced otherwise? Let us know how your body has benefited from regular yoga below!
Tags: ace, american council on exercise, fit, losing weight, personal trainer, research, study, weight loss, workout
