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Many people are committed to going to the gym regularly for weight training or cardio, but never realize how much practicing yoga could make their existing workouts more effective. You don’t have to become a yoga fanatic or roll out the mat every day to reap the benefits. Simply adding in one or two yoga classes per week could be enough to enhance the results you are already getting from your regular routine.

Check out these five ways that yoga will complement your workout regimen:

Yoga activates slow-twitch muscle fibers
When weight training is done quickly, it activates fast-twitch muscle fibers. That increases your muscle power and speed. Yoga, when done slowly, activates your slow-twitch fibers, which improves your endurance. By adding yoga to your workout mix, you will ensure that all of your muscle fibers are being developed, and you will gain an enviable combination of power and endurance.

Yoga reduces risk of injury
Practicing yoga develops both strength and flexibility without straining your muscles. Yoga helps reduce stiffness and soreness during weight training and can also help you avoid injury in a variety of athletic activities. Even if you were to get injured, you should be able to recover faster if you’ve been practicing yoga.

Yoga teaches you to focus
Holding challenging poses, doing breath work, and practicing meditation all help you to develop powerful concentration skills. These skills can enhance any other physical activities that you pursue – giving you an edge in competitive sports and enabling you to get the most out of your strength training and cardio sessions.

Yoga teaches you to breathe
Working with the breath is an important part of every yoga class. Learning to become aware of and control your breath is a transferrable skill that you can use in other kinds of training. The benefits of breath training include increased oxygen, which gives you more energy and greater endurance.

Yoga helps build discipline
Yoga teaches you to become more aware of what is going on in your body. It also teaches powerful methods of relaxation. These benefits combine to give you greater control over your mental state. In turn, this helps you develop the kind of self-discipline that will enable you to persist and progress with your strength training and cardio work.

The benefits of a weekly yoga class go far beyond gaining flexibility. A simple yoga practice can make all your other gym activities more effective and more enjoyable. Yoga also will enhance your life outside of the gym – letting you move through your day with greater mental and physical ease.

Wondering where to start? Try a free yoga class at any one our SOLDERFIT locations!