Difference Between Exercise And Yoga

Yoga and exercise are both common ways to keep in shape today, but there are some differences between the two in terms of their ultimate goals and the particular advantages they can provide for your mind and body.

8 Differences between Non-Yogic Exercise And Yoga

Here we are giving 8 important differences between non-yogic exercises and yogic exercises.

1. Inner Consciousness

Yoga is that by which the physical and mental body remains fit and one gets connected to inner consciousness which leads one to do excellent.
Exercise is that by which one keeps the body physically fit and done for different reasons like building muscles or developing athletic skills, or losing weight. Muscles may elongate but do not get flexible as in yoga asana.

2. Jerks and Foces

No jerks and force in yoga asanas. People do this with concentration and a focused mind.
Non-yogic exercise uses jerks and force. The mind becomes more aggressive, and egoist and develops competition leading to desires/ disturbing the mental body.

3. Flexibility

Muscles, ligaments and joints become flexible, lubricated become active during stretching and loosening in Yoga. Also improves the nervous system as the mind is more calm and peaceful compared to doing exercises etc.
Exercise develops muscles and makes the body physically strong for a particular desired organ, like developing arm muscles, lifting heavy weights etc. It increases digestive power.

4. Uniform growth of physical body

Yoga works on Involuntary Muscles and improves their function and uniform growth of the physical body. With asanas overstretching of muscles does not happen rather compression and loosening balances and keep the tones of muscles strong due to the free flow of blood circulation.
Quite often a person overdose exercises due to excess violence on body organs in exercises like gym, the organs can give pain in old age, skin gets loose and the body gets disfigured. Some muscles develop more while some get weak. Thus during weight/lifting muscles can overstretch and can damage tissues, which convert to lactic acid, changing blood ph levels and weakening the heart. Overdose of working out to excel in sports leads to the weakening of body energy.

5. Inner peace and calmness

The parasympathetic nervous system gets activated and inner consciousness is awakened in Yoga. It gives inner peace and calmness. Yoga charges the body every morning so that it can work effortlessly during the entire day.
In non-yogic exercises, the Sympathetic Nervous system remains active and the brain is engaged more in winning or losing emotions.

Also Read: Happy Life: Embracing Your Inner Child Is The Secret Of Happy Life 

6. Calories burnt

Calories spent during yoga are 1 to 3 calories per minute.
In exercise, one spends 2 to 14 calories per minute. Heart rate, BP and breathing intake are more in exercises.

7. Impact on the Nervous system

The gravity of the earth produces more cleaning and removal of toxins from blood due to reverse blood circulation like in Shirshasana (headstand pose) or Sarvangasana. All the central nervous system gets healthy due to asanas.
During youth, there is a need to strengthen muscles and body organs, but exercise should be done within limits. Sports persons have to exceed the limits to win medals. Exercises must be done along with asanas and pranayama.

8. Impact on BP, Heart rate and Breathing

In yoga BP, Heart rate and breathing remain normal.
Heart rate, BP and breathing intake are more in exercises. The heart has to pump more with exercise. This weakens the heart in the long run.

Also Read: Yoga: A Natural Way To Keep Healthy