Yoga Vs Exercise

Before understanding the difference of between Yoga & Exercise, it is necessary to understand how Yoga and exercise functions.
What is Yoga?
Yogasanas are mostly thought of as a form of exercise. However merely naming it as exercise or tagging as workout is not sufficient for this science created by our Indian sages. Yoga is a technique which places physical body in positions that cultivate awareness, relaxation, concentration and meditation. It is a science created by our Indian Sages after thorough observation and understanding of how animals live in harmony with their environment and with their own bodies. They understood, through experience, effects of particular posture and how hormonal secretion can be stimulated and controlled by it. It is a discipline which ensures complete well-being of a person.
What is Exercise?
While exercise aims to build your body muscles, physical strength and endurance, it involves any physical activity or exertion that causes muscle and certain vital organs in body to become energized. Most of the exercise improves blood circulation which helps person in improving his overall health and fitness. It also helps in getting rid off from that unwanted weight and flabs surrounding your body.
Let’s understand the difference between two in detail –

1. Effects on Internal Organs & Glands
Asanas are designed to have specific effects on internal organs and glands which helps in improving their functioning further improving the overall health of person.
Exercise has negligible impact on internal glands.

2. Type of Nervous System Involved
Yoga involves Parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for stimulating digestive secretions, dilating blood vessels and slowing the heart rate further giving the feeling of relaxation.
Exercise involves Sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for reducing digestive secretions, contracting blood vessels and fastening the heart rate further giving the feeling of tiredness.

3. Oxygen Consumption
Yoga focuses on breathing techniques and gradual formation of asanas. Proper breathing techniques led to reduced oxygen consumption.
Exercise, especially the one that involves cardio, results in increased oxygen consumption.

4. Response to Metabolism
Yoga arrest catabolic energy and is anabolic in nature. It promotes constructive metabolism and is capable of conserving energy.
Exercise is catabolic in nature. It is capable of breaking down energy further reducing metabolism.

5. Risk of Injury
Asanas involve less risk of injury because it has very less impact on muscle and ligaments
Exercise involve high risk of injury with the cardio, weight training and extensive work out regime which puts pressure on muscle and ligaments.

6. Muscle Toning
Yoga doesn’t contribute much towards this parameter. However, there are poses which improves muscle strength.
Exercise strongly helps in toning and pumping muscles.

7. Who all can Perform Yoga & Exercise?
Yoga can be performed by anyone. Its not important to be healthy to perform yoga. Diseased and Older community are rather benefitted by Asanas and breathing techniques.
Mostly a healthy life can do Exercise as most of the activities are of difficult tangent.

8. Calorie Consumption
Yoga results in low calorie consumption which is why people performing Yoga religiously starts consuming less food as compared to people who exercise.
Calorie consumption is high in exercise which is why people are mostly famished after exercising.

9. Equipment needed
Exercise typically need equipment which limits one’s performance.
Yoga is self -sufficient. Even yoga mat is not a must-need thing.

10. Type of Movement
Yogasana generally calls for gradual and slow movements.
Exercise involves performing rapid and forceful movements.

Conclusion
Yoga and Exercise both play pivotal role and contribute immensely in individual’s physical health and fitness. But if we look carefully there are some physical activities and postures in exercise which transmutes from yoga. While Exercise does not involve any such aspect that can contribute in Yoga. Yoga in itself is complete and whole. Practicing and mastering it leads to complete coordination, harmony and stability of body, mind, emotions and spiritual aspect. And that’s where ‘Yoga’ derived from ‘yuj’ meaning union is accomplished.