Yoga as cross training or rest?

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aforbes
aforbes Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
I have typically used walking as my primary form of exercise, with a day of power yoga and a day of gentler yoga to balance things out. I recently added a heavy bag back into my workout routine. This week I started the Couch to 5K program. I'd like to keep the heavy bag routine on one of the non-run days and add a long power walk on another non-run day (that's 5 days of workouts so far). So, the question is...does yoga count as cross training or as a rest day? I'm thinking maybe the more gentle, stretching yoga is a rest day? Unfortunately, that doesn't ever really give you a day off...

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  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i count it as a rest day. my heart rate doesnt get up high enough for me to consider it a workout. plus since it's mainly restorative i think of it the same as using the foam roller

    also, rest day doesnt mean that you have to be completely immobile. you have to determine intensity by YOUR body. i still have "workouts" on my rest days and it things like walking 3-4 miles to run errands and get groceries. maybe to some people that' a strenuous wrokout, but it's not to me.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
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    I'd say it's perfectly fine to do yoga as a "rest" day. I recommend you investigate "active recovery" as I would think this would qualify.
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
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    I think it depends on what type you are doing if it is more of a relaxing stretching yoga then yes on a rest day should be good, but if you doing something like Bob's Warrior Yoga I consider that a workout. I do some sort of stretching/yoga on my rest day each week when I wake up helps me start the day

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