Why Ashtanga Benefits Health And Fitness

Yoga is undoubtably excellent for increasing flexibility, but one of the great ashtanga benefits is that this style also gives you a workout in the more traditional sense.

In this way, it is somewhat different to the more static styles of yoga such as iyengar and hatha.

Whilst they develop flexibility and improve overall body composition, they don't help with cardiovascular training and endurance, and unless you consciously choose to use more 'power yoga' postures, they don't necessarily develop great muscular strength.

On the other hand, the benefits of ashtanga yoga include the ability to become strong and muscular in a relatively short space of time.

Certain poses in yoga, called the 'power poses' for this reason, help train muscles. And ashtanga yoga has a lot of them incorporated in its' routines. For example, the salute to the sun sequences, which start each of the series, strengthen the deltoids, triceps and pectoral muscles.

A further benefit of ashtanga yoga training is that you won't build bulky muscles. However, you do develop an increase in the size and density of muscle fibers. This has a positive effect on both strength and endurance - good hallmarks of a rounded physical fitness program.

The very nature of the way the ashtanga series were designed mean that they satisfy the caveats every yoga practice should if your aim is also to be physically fit in the traditional sense. The constant movement, and the pace mean you build up a sweat and get a cardiovascular workout. This is an intensity you control, however, and easing up on the pace means less of a workout for your heart.

Ashtanga benefits extend beyond traditional fitness, however. The combination of the heat generated with the stretching allows the muscles to soften. You can thus go deeper into a stretch than you would be able to otherwise. The heat is also said to have a cleansing effect of the body. It certainly helps with circulation, and many of the poses also help with metabolism. The focus and breathing help develop concentration and coordination as well.

It is easy to see why ashtanga is so popular, especially amongst those who want a more vigorous and traditional workout with the unique benefits that yoga can bring. To get real fitness benefits, however, you need to be doing 3 to 5 sessions per week each lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour. The ashtanga series take about that long to do. Just remember to hold each position for 5 or 6 breaths, no more, so you don't lose the dynamism and heat generated.

Refernces: Australian Yoga Life, March - July 2007