Exercise and yoga are the two ways to stay fit, but there are many differences between physical exercise and yogic practices in terms of the end goal and the specific benefits they can have on your mind and body.
What is Physical Exercise?
The ultimate objective of physical exercise is to improve blood circulation, which is beneficial to a person’s overall health. In addition, some types of exercise are helpful in preventing diseases or illnesses by reducing unwanted body weight. Physical exercises strengthen muscles and improve athletic skills. Regular physical exercise can boost your immune system and also improves mental health as well.
Benefits of Yoga Practice:
On the other hand, yoga is not only related to physical health, it deals with the spiritual, physical and mental well-being of a person. Yoga helps to purify the mind. It is the process of absolute purification to remove impurities from the body. There is no harm in performing yogic practices and other physical exercises side by side. Check out some Points to Remember Before Doing Yoga Practice.
Don’t practice both immediately one after another. Give a pass of half an hour between both. Adopt yogic practices as a way of life and gain happiness in life by becoming more steady, healthy, and versatile. Let’s know the difference between physical exercise and yogic practices.
Difference between physical exercise and yogic practices:
| Physical Exercise | Yogic Practices |
|---|---|
| 1. Build mainly voluntary muscles progressively and increase their power. | 1. Increase tone of voluntary and involuntary muscles and improve the functional capacity of ligaments, tenders, and small internal muscles. |
| 2. Increase physical endurance. | 2. Besides physical endurance, help to increase stress competence. |
| 3. Control obesity. | 3. Control obesity. |
| 4. Increase resistance to disease. | 4. Increase resistance to disease. |
| 5. Lead to a competitive spirit. | 5. Non-competitive. |
| 6. There is a repetition of actions. | 6. Actions are varied. |
| 7. Involve contraction of muscles. | 7. Involve the relaxation of muscles. |
| 8. They are kinetic. | 8. They are static. |
| 9. During physical exercises- • Pulse rate and blood pressure increases. • Myocardial work increases thereby bringing strain on the heart by overdoing. | 9. During Yogic practices • Pulse rate and blood pressure remain steady. • Heart gets massaged due to the actions of diaphragm thereby improving the tone and function of the myocardium. |
| 10. Recreative but energy-consuming, hence one feels tired after exercise. | 10. Release energy to revitalize the body, hence one feels refreshed after yogic practices. Also, bring soothing effects on both body and mind. |
| 11. Improve respiratory function. | 11. Improve respiratory function. |
| 12. Improve autonomic balance. | 12. Improve autonomic balance. |
| 13. Ischaemic C. G. changes and often decreases. | 13. Ischaemic E. C. G. changes and decreases. |
| 14. Need not be practice daily. | 14. Need to be practiced daily. |
| 15. Can be continued up to a particular age. | 15. Can be performed at any age except during childhood. |
| 16. Skill limited to particular exercises only. | 16. Due to their influence on brain and glands, neuromuscular co-ordination improves which in turn helps to develop varied skills. |
| 17. Quicken return of venous blood. Improve glucose tolerance. Reduce cholesterol. Help to increase longevity but with exertion. | 17. Quicken return of venous blood. Improve glucose tolerance. Reduce cholesterol. Help to increase longevity without exertion. |
| 18. Aim at strength, ability, speed and health. | 18. Aim at better neuromuscular coordination and control over the autonomic nervous system and a feeling of wellbeing. |
Conclusion:
The important benefits gained through physical exercise can be achieved from yogic practices but some particular ones gained through yogic practices cannot be achieved from physical exercises.
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