Yoga Vs. Aerobics Vs. Obesity

Does anyone remember Susan Powter? She was the intensely energetic infomercial maniac with a white buzz-cut who preached the gospel of whole foods and exercise to stay-at-home moms of the 90s.

She hit me like a wrecking ball

As your typical 90s youth I was a TV addict and I'm not ashamed to admit I sat through more than one screaming motivational speech by Susan Powter. Lean and full of energy with glowing skin and eyes and boasting a 130 lb. weight loss, it was undeniable that Susan was on to something. In fact, I owe the woman credit for several of the health fundamentals which turned my life around as a young adult. Hearing advice from Susan like we should avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store and eat only things that are still recognizable as they grew from the earth was likely an early influence in my decision to eat a raw food diet for three years.

It was Susan Powter who also taught me what the word "Aerobic" really means. Right around the same time I was first becoming interested in yoga, Susan was preaching that one of the keys to weight-loss and optimal health was your breath. As a lazy, overweight teenager I paid close attention. Without access to those old infomercials I can't quote her directly, but I distinctly remember the way Susan explained the concept of aerobic exercise, and it was something similar Wikipedia's definition:

Aerobic literally means "living in air",^[2] and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism.

If you don't think that's profound you should read it again. Oxygen does many wonderful things for the body. It cleans your blood and helps to eliminate toxins. It brings nutrients to cells. Many in the naturopathic community claim cancer can't survive in an oxygen-rich environment. So what does that have to do with yoga?

Hatha Yoga is breath with movement. In my opinion, Hatha Yoga (the system of yogic exercise commonly referred to as just "yoga") is not only an aerobic exercise, but the best and most effective aerobic exercise. I know many yogis would disagree with me; associating yoga with aerobics might even be borderline offensive. But when you get past the image of a supermodel bouncing around in a unitard, leg warmers and a headband to sell VHS tapes, it is easy to draw a connection to the mechanism of yoga and see how it fits within the spectrum of aerobics.

because I couldn't resist

In my understanding, the benefits of aerobic exercise come from increased respiration, which floods the body with oxygen, improves circulation, and increases metabolism. Though the main focus on aerobics is generally for its ability to "burn calories," I would argue that this should be considered more of a side effect; one that cannot be considered very efficient. Most fitness experts agree that the body quickly adapts to any exercise. In common aerobic endeavors like long-distance running and other steady-state cardio this adaptation equals a more efficient metabolism that burns less calories. Over time this form of aerobics can suppresses thyroid function and increase the stress hormone coritsol, which is associated with weight gain, specifically in the abdominal area.

This is where yoga is different. In an article I wrote for the Guardian Liberty Voice entitled Yoga Improves Obesity Symptoms Without Dietary Restrictions I cite a study in which yoga was shown to improve the symptoms of depression and anxiety in obese participants, as well as reduce their body mass index (BMI). Here's the kicker: the control group in the study practiced "aerobic exercise." While the control group also saw improvements, the results of the yoga group were two and three times greater than the results of the aerobic group.

What I didn't discuss in the article is the specific yoga practices used by the participants in the study, which I believe is the answer to why this type of aerobic (breathing) exercise is superior to all others. From the study:

The yoga group practiced a set of yoga techniques daily in the form of asana (postures) and deep relaxation technique, pranayama (breathing techniques), Ardhakati chakrasana, Padahastasana, Ardha chakrasana, Sarvangasana, Dhanurasana, Supta-vajrasana Matsyendra (Ardha matsyendra), Kapalabhathi pranayama, Anuloma Viloma Pranayama and Shavasana. 

 -Internal Journal of Yoga

This wasn't a hot, sweaty Vinyasa Flow Yoga class. Their routine wasn't designed to raise your heart rate and challenge your muscles; the participants in this study were performing basic stretches (postures) including laying flat on the floor. Yes, it was exercise, but I think the biggest difference from their practice and the aerobic group was the deep relaxation and pranayama. A gentle series of postures with a profound focus on breathing -- this is how the yoga group was able to lose fat (reduce obesity) and improve their psychological symptoms.

In conclusion, in the battle of Yoga Vs. Aerobics Vs. Obesity, I declare Breath the winner.