Yesterday just after finishing my yoga class recording the same place got occupied by a fitness group. Nature does not like emptiness, right?
I have not done many workouts like that, except for a couple of HIIT workouts and occasional chest workouts from Youtube. So I was quite surprised to see that the exercises are basically the same, just done way faster and in a very, very repetitive fashion.
Repetitiveness in exercise? While some people like it, I find it very boring. Imagine doing pushups. In the beginning, you start with under 10. You feel bad because you should be able to do more. However, if you are working on them consistently before you know you will end up doing 20, 50, 70, and then 100+ just to get the same level of engagement with the body. And then imagine doing it every single day. Just to maintain the skill. And how about the legs, back and other parts of the body. All of the body needs regular attention. So 100 reps for each part? No thank you.
That’s what I love about yoga asana – I don’t have to repeat exactly the same thing to maintain my body in shape – strong and flexible. There is plenty of variety in yoga. And while yoga is not a perfect match for everything (it’s not a substitute for other training in case you have some specific goals, like running marathons, etc.). It is a very well balanced and wholistic practice which also offers a great depth already build into it.
So coming back to the sameness of postures made during yoga & fitness class. At the end of the day, mindset is what matters. So keep doing whatever empowers you to truly take care of yourself! Whatever label you put on it (yoga, fitness, gym, running, etc.). Does this make sense?