Yoga for Muscle Endurance and Strength

What is the best exercise for building muscle endurance and strength?

Some people will say weight training. Others will point to cardiovascular training. Yet others will say it’s a combination of both. Then of course, there are the more esoteric forms of exercise such as kickboxing, Tae-Bo, and Capoeira, all of which help you to build your muscle endurance and strength.

However, what is lesser known is that there is another form of exercise that is equally effective when it comes to building muscle endurance and strength. This exercise is actually one of the oldest forms of exercise known to mankind. It was developed by sages and mystics in the forests of ancient India more than 5000 years ago. This muscle endurance exercise is known as yoga.

Most people who are not familiar with yoga will be very surprised by this statement. This is because the general perception of yoga is that it is a series of stretching poses that is okay for ancient Indian mystics and bored housewives - hardly the kind of exercise that will help build muscle endurance and strength. This is wrong.

Muscle Endurance Exercises

The dynamic and static stretching movements that are such an integral part of yoga are also one of the best ways of building flexibility and muscular strength. The deep breathing techniques that are practiced along with these poses also help to increase your stamina and improve endurance. In fact, the faster paced variants of yoga, such as Bikram Yoga and Power Yoga, can give any of the popular forms of cardiovascular exercise a run for their money.

The benefits of performing yoga extend far beyond building muscular endurance and strength. With regular and proper practice you will come to realize that yoga has a beneficial effect on almost all aspects of your life, not just the physical. You will not only become stronger and fitter, your concentration will improve and you will become calmer and more in tune with your surrounding environment. Such is the power of yoga.

Yes, you won’t build bulging muscles with yoga. Those can only be achieved through weight training and proper nutrition. However, if you are looking to become stronger and fitter and improve your stamina, you should seriously consider adding yoga to your muscle endurance training routine. Yoga is also one of the best ways to get that lean and ripped look and to discover the elusive six pack abs in you.

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