Why Everyone Needs to Stop Saying Yoga Doesn't Count as a Workout

“How are you so strong? You must do something else besides yoga!”

This phrase is as common to me as is “Do you have a dog named Toto?” when I tell them I’m originally from Kansas. I’d like to laugh and say people are clever, but these sayings are old and have no foundation in truth.

Can you be incredibly strong thanks to yoga alone?

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Here’s the thing that the mainstream world doesn’t understand about yoga: All yoga doesn’t revolve around gentle stretches, chants, and seated meditation. There’s a general misconception that yoga will make you flexible and limber but not fit and strong, when in fact yoga is the perfect way to balance out your strength with your flexibility.

All of these styles of yoga, plus even more, are incredibly powerful approaches to the yoga practice. They all use movement in connection with breath, focus, and balance.

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Of course, I'm not saying that your other forms of exercise, like lifting or running, should be chucked. Just understand that yoga isn’t a day off from working out. You can use yoga as a way to balance out your regular routines, but the yoga practice will 100-percent count as your daily activity to sweat and take care of your body.

Also: You probably don’t want to meet an angry yogi in a dark alley by yourself.

Get thee to a yoga class!

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