Originally published October 17 2005
Americans enjoy the calorie-burning benefits of yoga
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Power yoga and hatha yoga will help you burn calories, but the real benefit of yoga, according to experts, is flexibility.
Yoga is excellent for improving shoulder and trunk flexibility, arm muscles, and overall balance --- but as an aerobic, calorie-burning fitness practice, it only gets a B-minus.
The most common type of yoga practiced in the U.S., hatha yoga, burns about 144 calories during a 50-minute session, about the same energy output as a slow to moderate walk.
By comparison, even the low-key Curves workout burns 184 calories in just a 25-minute session.
If you like yoga but want to sweat a little, so-called "power yoga," can burn 237 calories during the same 50-minute session, and it can raise your heartbeat up to 62% of your maximum heart rate.
However, even this doesn't qualilfy as aerobic exercise.
The nonprofit American Council on Exercise (ACE), from whose recent study these results were derived, praises yoga as an overall healthy activity, especially for relaxation and relieving aches and pains.
But the ACE cautions would-be practitioners to be realistic about their goals and consider other activities if weight loss, cardiovascular health, or muscular strength are high priorities.
But if you are currently sedentary and want to ease into physical activity, or if you need to get your exercise in at home, yoga can be an excellent choice.
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