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Blending yoga with other forms of exercise is becoming increasingly popular as more people discover the benefits of combining strength, cardio, and flexibility training. But when it comes to incorporating yoga into your fitness routine, timing can make all the difference. So is it better to do yoga before or after your workout?
To clear up the confusion, we had fitness experts break down the pros and cons. Here’s what they had to say about optimizing your routine for the best results.
Should you do yoga and another workout on the same day?
The short answer? Yes, you can do yoga before or after your workout. “It can be a fantastic way to get the best of both worlds. If you’re hitting the weights, doing cardio, or getting into some high-intensity moves, adding yoga on the same day can enhance those results,” says Tony Horton, celebrity trainer and founder of Power Life. “Yoga balances things out. It stretches tight muscles, helps with flexibility, and even speeds up recovery.”
But how you structure the two activities can vary based on your fitness routine. “It depends on your goals, the type of workout you are doing, and the type of yoga you are practicing,” says Tamara Teragawa, E-RYT 500, a yoga instructor and master trainer at YogaSix. For instance, she recommends doing yoga before a more intense workout to warm up your body, or afterward for restorative stretching.
If you do decide to add yoga to your daily workouts, just remember to fuel your body properly, says Eric Rakofsky, CPT, a NASM-certified trainer at C4. He recommends tailoring your diet based on the intensity of your exercise to ensure optimal fuel, hydration, and performance.
The benefits of doing yoga first
Here are the potential benefits of doing yoga before your usual workout:
- It warms up your body: Yoga primes your muscles for the activity to come, says Horton. Warming up boosts blood flow to large muscle groups, improves flexibility, and slowly increases your heart rate, all of which can enhance your performance during the workout that follows, per the American Heart Association (AMA).
- It can reduce your risk of injury: Easing your muscles into your upcoming workout also lowers your chance of injury, according to the AMA.
- It prepares your mind: Yoga doesn’t just warm up your body—it also helps you mentally dial in, promoting focus, mindfulness, and productivity throughout your workout, says Teragawa.
- It can enhance your form: “You’ll be more aware of your alignment and posture, which can actually improve your form throughout your workout,” says Horton.
Just be mindful of the type of yoga you’re doing, says Teragawa. “Something too slow and restorative may relax you and your muscles too much, but something powerful and vigorous may be too intense to do another workout on top of it,” she says. “Find the style and duration that works best for you.”
The drawbacks of doing yoga first
While there are advantages to starting with yoga, there are some potential downsides to consider as well:
- It can tire you out: If your pre-exercise yoga session is too intense, it could leave you feeling fatigued before your main workout. This can minimize your gains, says Rakofsky.
- It can hurt your performance: Deep stretches can relax your muscles to the point where they might not perform optimally, according to Teragawa. “Static stretching is often done with long holds and gets really deep in the body. This can temporarily weaken the muscles and reduce your ability to run, jump, or lift,” she says.
To avoid these issues, Teragawa typically recommends more dynamic, active yoga instead of static stretching. Just don’t go too hard, adds Horton. “If you’re going to do yoga before a workout, keep it light—more about breathing and stretching than deep, strength-focused poses,” he says.
“If you’re hitting the weights, doing cardio, or getting into some high-intensity moves, adding yoga on the same day can enhance those results.” —Tony Horton, celebrity trainer
The benefits of doing yoga after a workout
Doing yoga after your workout is a popular choice, especially if you’re looking for a way to wind down. Here are the benefits:
- It can speed up your recovery: Using yoga to stretch your body after a workout can help reduce lactic acid buildup and prevent stiff, cramped muscles, per the AMA. When it comes to strength training in particular, “doing a more focused stretch after a big lift can be super beneficial to eliminate muscle soreness and help prevent injury,” says Rakofsky.
- It can promote relaxation: Yoga post-exercise can help bring your heart rate down and transition your body into a state of relaxation, says Teragawa.
- It can improve flexibility: Because your muscles are already warmed up, doing yoga after a workout can lead to deeper stretches, improving overall flexibility and mobility, says Teragawa.
However, these benefits can also be subject to the style of yoga you choose. “After a hard workout, you won’t want to do a super challenging yoga practice,” says Teragawa. “You want to use it more as a cooldown to relax and recover.”
The drawbacks of doing yoga after a workout
While it might seem ideal to end your workout with yoga, there are a few potential downsides to consider:
- It’s possible to stretch too much: After a rigorous workout, your muscles are already warm, which can make it easier to overstretch, per the Cleveland Clinic. This can potentially lead to injuries if you’re not careful. Teragawa warns against forcing your body into deep positions immediately after a strenuous workout—instead, keep things gentle.
- It can shock your body: Going straight from a high-intensity workout to an overly slow, restorative yoga practice can be jarring. Transitioning too abruptly can temporarily contribute to difficulty breathing and muscle cramping since your heart rate and muscles haven’t had a chance to wind down, says Teragawa.
Once again, Teragawa recommends playing around to see what works best for your body as you cool down.
How to decide which option is right for you
Ultimately, whether you do yoga before or after your workout depends on your goals and personal preferences. “Get crystal clear on why you choose to do yoga on the same days you are working out,” says Teragawa. “Is it for physical benefits? Is it more of a mentality practice? Both? This will help guide you.”
If your goal is to warm up, improve flexibility and mobility, and get your mind into workout mode, then doing yoga beforehand may be best, she says. But if you prefer using yoga as a relaxation technique, a post-exercise practice may work better for you.
It’s also important to assess the type and intensity of your workouts. “If it’s super intense, dial back on the yoga and do a more gentle practice,” says Teragawa. “If it’s not going to be an intense workout, you may be able to have a little more intensity in your yoga practice.”
Listening to your body is crucial as well, Teragawa says—tailor your yoga practice to how you feel on a given day, adjusting as needed. However, what works one day may not be right the next, so don’t feel bound to the same routine. “Why not try it all? Be active and keep it exciting,” says Horton.