Whether you perceive yoga to be better than running or vice versa is really a matter of opinion and what your fitness goals are. Any physical activity that gets your heart rate up is good for you and will help you to achieve the minimum guidelines for physical activity set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Both activities have distinct differences in terms of calories burned and other benefits. Understanding these features will help you to decide which activity is best for your personal fitness needs.
Running and Calories
The amount of calories you burn while running depends on your weight, how fast you run and for how long. The faster and longer you run, the more calories you burn. For example, a person weighing 150 lbs. would burn 684 calories running at 6 mph for one hour, 784 at 7 mph and 918 at 8 mph. A heavier person would burn more calories running at the same speed and over the same distance. For example, a 200 lb. person would burn 912,1,044 and 1,224 calories running at those same speeds for an hour.
Yoga and Calories
There are many styles of yoga, including physically demanding ashtanga yoga, power yoga, hatha yoga, bikram yoga and vinyasa yoga. A 150 lb. person will burn 240 calories in an hour of doing regular yoga, according to Donald Hensrud of MayoClinic.com, so you will not burn as many calories doing regular yoga as you would going for a run. However, Hensrud does not specify what he means by "regular yoga." In one hour, a 150 lb. person would burn 189 calories doing hatha yoga, 351 calories doing ashtanga yoga or power yoga, 477 calories doing bikram yoga and 594 calories doing vinyasa yoga, according to HealthStatus.com.
Strength and Flexibility
As well as burning calories, yoga has the added benefit of helping to improve strength in your muscles as you lift your body weight in certain poses to build strength. Yoga expert Rodney Yee explains in an article in online magazine Gaiam Life by Kelly Turner, a certified personal trainer that, "You're putting your body in positions and orientations that you ultimately have to support with your muscles. So you are lifting weights." You can improve your overall muscle tone with regular yoga practice. Yoga also improves flexibility thanks to the many stretching poses incorporated into all styles of yoga. With running, there are no gains in flexibility. You should do other exercises to help improve strength and flexibility so that you can run with minimal risk of injury. You can build strength by running up hills, which should be an integral part of any runner's training program to help build strength in the legs, according to CANI running.
Considerations
You should engage in physical activity at least three times a week, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. If you choose to do moderate physical activity, you should do at least two hours and 30 minutes per week spread out over three days. If you choose higher-intensity activities, you can shorten the time over the week to one hour and 15 minutes. Muscle strengthening exercises should be incorporated at least two days a week. You can fit sessions of both yoga and running into your fitness schedule to accomplish these objectives. Consider that running is a high-impact form of exercise that puts stress on your knee and hip joints. If you have weak knees and hips, consult your doctor and possibly include some joint strengthening exercises in your routine to help minimize the risk of further damage. Yoga is a low-impact exercise with a low risk of injury compared with high-impact forms of exercise, according to The Nursing School Catalog. Always consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regime.
References
- Health Status: Calorie Calculator
- The Nursing School Catalog: 77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga
- Gaiam Life; Can Yoga Replace Strength Training?; Kelly Turner A.C.E
- MayoClinic.com: Can I Use Yoga for Weight Loss
- MayoClinic.com: Strength Training
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines
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