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outdoor yoga: is this workout worth it?
outdoor yoga combines the known mental and physical benefits of the popular workout with nature, but there are some drawbacks.
jun 27 2022
3 minute read
yoga, as a practice, started in northern india more than 5,000 years ago. getty
outdoor yoga is a warm-weather alternative to the usual indoor yoga classes that are staples of gyms worldwide.
instead of being in the studio room of the gym, yogis, as yoga practitioners are known, can get some fresh air and sunshine while holding the warrior poses.
where did outdoor yoga come from?
yoga, as a practice, started in northern india more than 5,000 years ago, according to yoga basics . back then, yoga was quite different to what is practised in gyms today, with songs, mantras, and rituals to be performed. later, the idea of sacrificing the ego through knowledge, action, and wisdom emerged.
the practice evolved over thousands of years to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. in the 1800s, yoga masters travelled to the west and shared what they knew in chicago, and the yoga movement later spread.
what are the health benefits of outdoor yoga?
outdoor yoga provides a mix of benefits from the activity of yoga itself, to being in the outdoors.
yoga can aid in strength, balance, and flexibility, according to johns hopkins . additional benefits include pain relief, eased arthritis symptoms, improved heart health, better sleep, more energy and stress management. yoga is also a great anti-inflammatory workout, as many of the poses promote cardiovascular health.
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“there’s been a major shift in the last five years or so in the number of cardiologists and other professionals recognizing that these benefits are real,” hugh calkins, director of the cardiac arrhythmia service at johns hopkins, said in an article on the yoga-heart connection .
being outdoors has its own set of health benefits as well.
lower blood pressure, mood boosts, immune system boosts, and reduced levels of stress and anxiety are just a few of the benefits of the outdoors, according to participaction . and just 30 minutes of outdoor time per day can lower blood pressure and pulse, reported a study published in the national library of medicine on the effects of forest bathing — or spending time outside fully immersing yourself in nature.
and don’t forget the community benefits that often come with a yoga class, the schedule and the same people, which are equally health-promoting — the sense of community can help with emotional development, according to health yoga .
what are the downsides to outdoor yoga?
as with any workout regiment, there is always a risk of injury when exercising. especially when just starting out, there is a risk of neck and head pain from rotation. c ertain yoga poses can also put pressure on bones, making people with knee, neck, hip and back pain vulnerable to osteoporosis. bone compression, fractures, and disk degeneration are also possible.
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and people who participate in outdoor may risk sunburn or heat-related issues, which is something to bear in mind as warmer outdoor temperatures grow more common during canadian summers. similarly, doing hot yoga indoors, during which a studio may be at more than 40 per cent humidity and near 40 degrees celsius, can cause heat-related issues, including dehydration and light-headedness. stretching in warmer weather may also make it easier to overstretch, increasing the likelihood of a pulled or strained muscle.
while increasing flexibility and range of motion is seen as one of the key benefits of yoga, some of the more flexible practitioners may find that having it as the only form of exercise can lead to joint instability .
how do i know if it’s right for me?
if the aforementioned health benefits are appealing, or you have a condition that may be alleviated by a combination of stretching and body-weight training, then yes, yoga — both indoors and out — could be for you.
yoga is also a great workout for people of all exercise levels, as there are simple beginner poses that just require widening feet and stretching the legs, and far more complex poses that are a lot more difficult to describe with the written word — how far you go really depends on you.
chris arnold is a toronto-based writer.
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