Anyone doing yoga every day + cardio/strength?

solevoix
solevoix Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all.

My goal is to do yoga every day (for physical/mental/spiritual health benefits) + do cardio/strength workouts (for cardiovascular/bone/muscle/mental health), but I'm having a hard time coming up with a schedule that works.

My goals are: Lose-10-15 pounds and keep it off; Manage chronic anxiety/depression; build strength as I'm getting older (38); maintain or improve cardiovascular health & fitness.

In addition to yoga, I usually do either Tracy Anderson Method (dance cardio + muscular structure-arms/legs/abs), Tonique, or Hip Hop Abs Extreme. Occasionally I'll throw in a HIIT workout. Typically my non-yoga workouts run about 60-90 mins (75 avg). My yoga sessions run the same.

I tried doing 2-a-days - cardio/strength in the morning and yoga in early evening or vice versa, but I find that I'm either too wiped from the morning workout or work/life interferes and I can't get the second workout done. So I contemplated doing one long workout in the morning, but I'm afraid that will be too long (2.5 hrs~ish) and I will end up not being able to get through it or will burn myself out pretty quickly. The other option is to shorten one or both workouts and combine them into a shorter overall session, but then I feel like I'm compromising the integrity of both.

So, what would you/do you do? Would you try harder to stick to two-a-days? If so, yoga in the a.m. + cardio in p.m. or the reverse? Try one long 2.5 hour workout and monitor the burnout factor? I don't know why I'm struggling so much with this schedule. Advice welcome!

Replies

  • kellzi89
    kellzi89 Posts: 65 Member
    I know how hard it is to keep to a schedule. If your good at getting up in the morning maybe decide which if the workouts are your most important for the day and do that one in the morning so that way if something does get in the way of the afternoon workout you have at least done the one you really wanted to do. Maybe you could do Yoga in your lunch break at work?

    I think 2 hours is to long for a workout you would be less effective as you tire out. I do 1 to 1 1/2 hours for most workouts at a time.
  • solevoix
    solevoix Posts: 5
    Thanks, Kellzi - my hunch is trying to cram both into one marathon session is not going to work. Like you say, more than 2 hours at a time is loooong. I don't think I'll have time to squeeze in yoga at lunchtime, plus I think I'd need more rest if I did a morning cardio workout. I think the 'problem' is that I realize yoga and cardio and strength all benefit me in very different ways, each of which is really important. So I'm being kind of neurotic in trying to schedule them into my life because I feel like I need them all! You're right that even if I did one of them in the a.m. and didn't get to do the p.m. workout, I'd still be ok. I guess it's the overall balance I need to aim for.
  • kellzi89
    kellzi89 Posts: 65 Member
    What i decided to do was alternate days between my cardio and strength, because I know that chances of me getting out of bed early enough to fit in a work out in the morning before work is 0. Some of the gym classes I have gone to incorparte yoga as part of the cool down maybe you could do that?
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    Yeah, I wouldn't do both. I tend to do yoga and that's my workout. Once in a while I'll do a half-hour walk with the hubs after dinner, but that's as much as it goes.

    I do cardio/strength training on different days -- and generally at least 4-5 days. Yoga I do maybe once a week, and I do need it to center me. Unfortunately, my favorite teacher left and I'm stuck with people I don't like as much (they tend to come over and talk to me because I'm the fat girl in yoga so they ask how I'm doing) so I'm looking for a better place.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,788 Member
    I do them both the same day. Usually 90+ min of yoga and 30-60 min cardio. I don't do strength training. If I'm doing a hard yoga session, than I like to do that first, but if it's an easy session, I do that after - or if I'm going to class, then it's obviously whenever class is. I separate them out: one in the morning and one in the evening. I think it's just something you get used to.
  • c_tap77
    c_tap77 Posts: 189 Member
    I haven't been doing yoga as much lately (I'm about to start back up again) but when I was, I was doing yoga with a video (I have a few anywhere from 20-30 min long) before work in the morning.

    After work I would alternate between doing a workout on the elliptical and an interval type video (right now it's 30DS).

    At most I spend 30-45 per session and it seems to work fairly well with my schedule. Any more than that and I think I would have an energy problem too.

    I always wanted to do yoga in the morning because it really helps with my posture and when I sit straight I have less pain in my lower back when I go to bed at night. But I don't think it would really matter what time of day you did which workout.
  • solevoix
    solevoix Posts: 5
    Thanks for the feedback everybody! It looks like I may just have to keep experimenting but I think I'm definitely ruling out doing both workouts back-to-back. Just too much. I may try again with the yoga in the a.m. and cardio/"muscular structure" work in the early evening. I'd rather do cardio in the morning frankly because it's when I have the most energy, but I feel I don't get as much out of doing my yoga at night. If I do yoga in the morning, I'm much calmer and more centered throughout the day. And ultimately that's most important. So, I'll re-commit to this schedule and see how I do. Yoginimary - I think I'm aiming for something like what you're doing. I think you're right that after awhile I'll get used to it and it will become routine.

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