Comparative study of the exercise and yoga

(Cover all the forms of exercises)

 Yoga is an ancient discipline designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual. Exercise is considered as an acceptable
method for improving and maintaining physical and emotional health.
 Exercise is a process of physical activity in order to improve one’s health.

Yoga Compared to Conventional Exercise

Yoga
Parasympathetic nervous system dominates
Sub cortical regions of brain dominate
Slow dynamic and static movements
Normalization of muscle tone
Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
Low caloric consumption
Effort is minimized, relaxed
Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
Non competitive, process-oriented
Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the
infinite)
Limitless possibilities for growth in self- awareness
Exercise
Sympathetic nervous system dominates
Cortical regions of brain dominate
Rapid forceful movements
Increased muscle tension
High risk of injury
Moderate to high caloric consumption
Effort is maximized
Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
Imbalanced activity of opposing groups
Competitive, goal-oriented
Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the
toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
Boredom factor

YOGA

The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means "to join" or "to yoke".

Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion. Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system of
development for the body, mind, and spirit. The continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of
peace and well-being, and also a feeling of being at one with their environment.

Yoga is a systematic conscious process for accelerating the growth of a human being from his animal
level and ultimately to divinity. The practice of yoga makes the body strong and flexible; it also
improves the functioning of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and hormonal systems. Yoga brings
about emotional stability and clarity of mind.

In short yoga is a systematic methodology for an all round personality development-physical, mental,
intellectual, emotional and spiritual components of man. In the practice of Yoga the ultimate aim is
one of self-development and self-realization.

Benefits of Yoga:
Yoga focuses first on the health of the spine. The spinal column houses the centre of the nervous
system, which plays an important part in the working of the human machine. The most important work
of the Yoga postures are in strengthening and purifying the nervous system, particularly the spinal cord
and nerve ganglia.

The cells of the nervous system are toned and their pathways polished so that their activity is
enhanced. Every cell of every organ and muscle is revitalized and supplied with fresh blood while being
drained efficiently of waste products. There is much less possibility of toxic build-up, either on the
cellular level or in the organs themselves.

By promoting the health of the organs, including the glands of the immune system, the body’s ability
to resist disease is enhanced. Normal exercises and aerobics emphasize stress on the muscles
combined with quick harsh movements. Yoga by contrast avoids such movements, which tend to
trigger lactic acid production in muscle fibres.

TYPES OF EXERCISE

Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the
human body:

1. FLEXIBILITY EXERCISE

Flexibility exercises, such as stretching, improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.

STRETCHING:

Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle (or muscle group) is
deliberately elongated, often by abduction from the torso, in order to improve the muscle's felt
elasticity and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle
control, flexibility and range of motion. Stretching is also used therapeutically to alleviate
cramps.

Increasing flexibility through stretching is one of the basic tenets of physical fitness.

Yoga involves the stretching of major muscle groups, some of which require a high level of
flexibility to perform, for example the lotus position. Stretching can strengthen muscles, and in
turn strong muscles are important to stretching safely and effectively.

Stretching can be dangerous when performed incorrectly. There are many techniques for
stretching in general, but depending on which muscle group is being stretched, some
techniques may be ineffective or detrimental, even to the point of causing permanent damage
to the tendons, ligaments and muscle fibre.
Benefits

 There are many beneficial stretches that can improve range of motion (ROM) in athletes,
especially runners.

 Also, certain stretching techniques and protocols prevent injuries when performed (within
15 minutes) prior to exercise.

 It is also suggested that one stretching exercise may not be enough to prevent all types of
injury, and therefore, multiple stretching exercises should be used to gain the full effects of
stretching.

 It has also been suggested that "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation” (PNF)

stretching yield the greatest change in range of motion, especially short-term benefits.

Research and controversy

 Over-stretching or stretching to a point where pain is felt may be inappropriate and

detrimental. Effects on performance, both short- and long-term, may include
predisposition to injury and possible nerve damage. Other research concludes that active
stretching routines will reduce muscle-tendon viscosity and increase muscle compliancy
and elasticity. In sports activities where there are little or no short-stretching cycles,
(bicycling, jogging, etc.) stretching routines may be detrimental to athletic performance
and have no effect on reducing injuries.

 Stretching may also cause ischemia in muscles, which reduces oxygen levels and the ability
to remove metabolic waste. Higher levels of metabolic waste create a catalyst that
contracts muscles. This may cause muscle injury in individual performance.

2. AEROBIC EXERCISES

Aerobic exercises, such as cycling, swimming, walking, skipping rope, rowing, running, hiking or
playing tennis, focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance.[6]

CYCLING:

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking. The use of bicycles is transport, recreation, or for sport.

Benefits

The physical exercise gained from cycling is generally linked with increased health and well-
being. Bicycles are often used by people seeking to improve their fitness and cardiovascular
health. In this regard, cycling is especially helpful for those with arthritis of the lower limbs who
are unable to pursue sports that cause impact to the knees and other joints.
Cycling up and out of the saddle, on the other hand, does a better job by transferring more of
the rider's body weight to the legs.

However, excessive cycling while standing can cause knee damage. Cycling on a stationary cycle
is frequently advocated as a suitable exercise for rehabilitation, particularly for lower limb
injury, owing to the low impact which it has on the joints. In particular, cycling is commonly
used within knee rehabilitation programs.

Injuries

Acute physical trauma includes injuries to the head and extremities resulting from falls and
collisions. Since a large percentage of the collisions between motor and pedal vehicles occur at
night, bicycle lighting is required for safety when bicycling at night.

The most common cycling overuse injury occurs in the knees, affecting cyclists at all levels.
These are caused by many factors:

 Incorrect bicycle fit or adjustment, particularly the saddle.

 Incorrect adjustment of clipless pedals.
 Too many hills, or too many miles, too early in the training season.
 Poor training preparation for long touring rides.
 Selecting too high a gear. A lower gear for uphill climb protects the knees, even though
your muscles are well able to handle a higher gear.

Excessive saddle height can cause posterior knee pain, while setting the saddle too low can
cause pain in the anterior of the knee. An incorrectly fitted saddle may eventually lead to
muscle imbalance. A 25 to 35 degree knee angle is recommended to avoid an overuse injury.

Overuse injuries, including chronic nerve damage at weight bearing locations, can occur as a
result of repeatedly riding a bicycle for extended periods of time. Damage to the ulnar nerve in
the palm, carpal tunnel in the wrist, the genitourinary tract or bicycle seat neuropathy may
result from overuse.

SWIMMING:
Swimming is an activity that can be both useful and recreational. Its primary uses are bathing,
cooling, fishing, recreation, exercise, and sport.

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. Because the density of the human body is very
similar to that of water, the water supports the body and less stress is therefore placed on
joints and bones. Swimming is frequently used as an exercise in rehabilitation after injuries or
for those with disabilities.

Resistance swimming is one form of swimming exercise. It is done either for training purposes,
to hold the swimmer in place for stroke analysis, or to enable swimming in a confined space for
athletic or therapeutic reasons. Resistance swimming can be done either against a stream of
moving water in a swimming machine or by holding the swimmer stationary with elastic
attachments.

Swimming is primarily an aerobic exercise due to the long exercise time, requiring a constant
oxygen supply to the muscles, except for short sprints where the muscles work an aerobically.
As with most aerobic exercise, swimming is believed to reduce the harmful effects of stress.
Swimming can improve posture and develop a strong lean physique, often called a "swimmer's
build."

Risks

There are many risks associated with voluntary or involuntary human presence in water, which
may result in death directly or through drowning asphyxiation.

An adult with fully developed and extended lungs has generally positive or at least neutral
buoyancy, and can float with modest effort when calm and in still water. A small child has
negative buoyancy and will either sink rapidly or have to make a sustained effort to stay near
the surface.

 Hypothermia where the person loses critical core temperature, leading to unconsciousness
or heart failure.
 Dehydration from prolonged exposure to hypertonic salt water, less frequently salt water
aspiration syndrome where inhaled salt water creates foam in the lungs that restricts
breathing.

 Other adverse effects:

 Infection due to water-borne bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
 Chlorine inhalation (in swimming pools).

WALKING

Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower
than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the
body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step.

Although walking speeds can vary greatly depending on factors such as height, weight, age,
terrain, surface, load, culture, effort, and fitness, the average human walking speed is about 5
kilometres per hour (km/h), or about 3.1 miles per hour (mph). Specific studies have found
pedestrian walking speeds ranging from 4.51 km/h to 4.75 km/h for older individuals to
5.32 km/h to 5.43 km/h for younger individuals. A pedestrian is a person who is walking on a
road, sidewalk or path.
Health benefits of walking

Sustained walking sessions for a minimum period of thirty to sixty minutes a day, five days a
week, with the correct walking posture, reduces health risks and has various overall health
benefits, such as reducing the chances of cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and
depression. Life expectancy is also increased even for individuals suffering from obesity or high
blood pressure. Walking also increases bone health, especially strengthening the hip bone, and
lowering the more harmful bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and raises the more
useful good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Studies have found that walking can also
prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.

SKIPPING ROPE OR JUMP ROPE

Skipping rope or jump rope is the primary tool used in the game of skipping played by children
and many young adults, where one or more participants jump over a rope swung so that it
passes under their feet and over their heads. This may consist of one participant turning and
jumping the rope, or a minimum of three participants taking turns, two of whom turn the rope
while one or more jumps. This is called long rope. Sometimes the latter is played with two
turning ropes; this form of the activity is called Double Dutch and is significantly more difficult.

Jumping rope helps strengthen the arms and shoulders. Combination of an aerobic workout
and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for
athletes, especially boxers and wrestlers. Individuals or groups can participate in the exercise,
and learning proper jump rope technique is simple compared to many other athletic activities.
The exercise is also appropriate for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. Jumping rope is
particularly effective in an aerobic routine combined with other activities, such as walking,
biking, or running.

Jumping rope is an activity not only suited for competition or recreation, but also for a
cardiovascular workout, similar to jogging or bicycle riding. This aerobic exercise can achieve a
"burn rate" of up to 700 calories per hour of vigorous activity, with about 0.1 calories consumed
per jump. Ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running an eight-minute
mile. Jumping rope for 15–20 minutes is enough to burn off the calories from a candy bar.
Jumping rope can avoid the knee damage which may occur during running, since the impact of
each jump or step is absorbed by both legs.

ROWING
Rowing is a sport in which athlete’s race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean,
depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The sport can be both recreational,
focusing on learning the techniques required, and competitive where overall fitness plays a
large role. It is also one of the oldest Olympic sports.

Fitness and health

Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sports that exercise all the major muscle groups,
including quads, biceps, triceps, lats, glutes and abdominal muscles. Rowing improves
cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and
muscular: although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athlete's
increased power tends to be more significant. The increased power is achieved through
increased length of leverage on the oar through longer limbs of the athlete

Rowing is a low impact activity with movement only in defined ranges, so twist and sprain
injuries are rare. However, the repetitive rowing action can put strain on knee joints, the spine
and the tendons of the forearm, and inflammation of these are the most common rowing
injuries.

RUNNING

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing a human or an animal to move rapidly on

foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running
cycle both feet are off the ground.

A characteristic feature of a running body from the viewpoint of spring-mass mechanics is that
changes in kinetic and potential energy within a stride occur simultaneously, with energy
storage accomplished by springy tendons and passive muscle elasticity. The term running can
refer to any of a variety of speeds ranging from jogging to sprinting.

Because of its high-impact nature, many injuries are associated with running. They include
"runner's knee" (pain in the knee), shin splints, pulled muscles (especially the hamstring),
twisted ankles, Achilles tendinitis, and stress fractures. Repetitive stress on the same tissues
without enough time for recovery or running with improper form can lead to many of the
above. Runners generally attempt to minimize these injuries by warming up before exercise,
focusing on proper running form, performing strength training exercises, eating a well balanced
diet, allowing time for recovery, and "icing" (applying ice to sore muscles or taking an ice bath).
Foot blisters are also common among runners. Specialized socks greatly help to prevent
blisters.

Another common, running-related injury is chafing, caused by repetitive rubbing of one piece of
skin against another, or against an article of clothing. One common location for chafe to occur
is the runner's upper thighs. The skin feels coarse and develops a rash-like look.

Benefits of running

Potential weight loss, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases), improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced total blood
cholesterol, strengthening of bones (and potentially increased bone density), possible
strengthening of the immune system and an improved self esteem and emotional state.
Running, like all forms of regular exercise, can effectively slow or reverse the effects of aging.
Running can assist people in staying in shape and improving body composition. Running
increases your metabolism. Different speeds and distances are appropriate for different
individual health and fitness levels. For new runners, it takes time to get into shape.

The key is consistency and a slow increase in speed and distance. While running, it is best to
pay attention to how one's body feels. If a runner is gasping for breath or feels exhausted while
running, it may be beneficial to slow down or try a shorter distance for a few weeks. If a runner
feels that the pace or distance is no longer challenging, then the runner may want to speed up
or run farther.

Running is frequently recommended as therapy for people with clinical depression and people
coping with addiction. A possible benefit may be the enjoyment of nature and scenery, which
also improves psychological well-being.

HIKING
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking
trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide.

Hiking may produce threats to personal safety. These threats can be dangerous circumstances
while hiking and/or specific accidents or ailments.

Diarrhea has been found to be one of the most common illness afflicting long-distance hikers in
the United States.

Dangerous hiking circumstances include losing the way, inclement weather, hazardous terrain,
or exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions. Specific accidents include metabolic
imbalances (such as dehydration or hypothermia), topical injuries (such as frostbite or
sunburn), and attacks by animals, or internal injuries (such as ankle sprain).

3. ANAEROBIC EXERCISES

Anaerobic exercises, such as weight training, functional training, eccentric training or sprinting,
increase short-term muscle strength

WEIGHT TRAINING

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of
skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity (in the form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight
stacks) to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction.
Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups and
types of movement.
 Weight training differs from bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, power lifting, and strongman,
which are sports rather than forms of exercise. Weight training, however, is often part of the
athlete's training regimen.

Health benefits

A study published in 2009 revealed that weightlifting may reduce the symptoms of
lymphedema in women who have undergone a mastectomy. For decades prior to the study,
women were told to "avoid heavy lifting" as it was thought that it would increase the risk of
developing lymphedema.

Weight training has also been shown to benefit dieters as it inhibits lean body mass loss (as
opposed to fat loss) when under a caloric deficit.

Weight training also strengthens bones, helping to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. By
increasing muscular strength and improving balance, weight training can reduce falls by elderly
persons as well.

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
Functional training is a classification of exercise which involves training the body for the
activities performed in daily life.

Functional training involves mainly weight bearing activities targeted at core muscles of the
abdomen and lower back. Functional training attempts to adapt or develop exercises which
allow individuals to perform the activities of daily life more easily and without injuries.

Benefits

Functional training may lead to better muscular balance and joint stability, possibly decreasing
the number of injuries sustained in an individual's performance in a sport. The benefits may
arise from the use of training that emphasizes the body's natural ability to move in six degrees
of freedom. In comparison, though machines appear to be safer to use, they restrict
movements to a single plane of motion, which is an unnatural form of movement for the body
and may potentially lead to faulty movement patterns or injury.

Components of a functional exercise program

To be effective a functional exercise program should include a number of different elements:

 Specific to the sport - Any program must be sport specific, working to develop and maintain
sport specific strength.
 Integrated – It should include a variety of exercises that work on flexibility, core, balance,
strength and power.
 Increases Core Stability – Core stability is crucial for any sport or activity. A stable core allows
for more efficient transference of power from the lower to upper body, and an increased ability
to maintain correct athletic posture over long periods of time.
 Progressive – Progressive training steadily increases the strength demand from workout to
workout. While most people are aware of the need for this in relation to traditional strength
training, it is sometimes overlooked in functional training. For functional training is also means
varying speed of movement to make it more sport specific.
 Periodized – Functional training for competitive athletes needs to fit into their competitive
cycle of competition. In broad terms this means that they will vary their program throughout
the year to achieve optimal results, peaking for competitions or races and building in recovery
time also.
 Individualized – An athlete’s program needs to be designed for them. The only way to do this is
to work with a coach or trainer who specializes in the particular sport and can custom design a
program. A qualified personal trainer can easily include functional training in their clients'
exercise programs, whether they are recovering from an injury or preparing for competition.

ECCENTRIC TRAINING

Eccentric training is the lowering phase of an exercise. For example, in a bicep curl the action of
lowering the dumbbell back down from the lift is the eccentric phase of that exercise — as long
as the dumbbell is lowered slowly rather than letting it drop.

There are three distinct phases in the movement of muscles and tendons: isometric (no
movement), concentric (contracting) and eccentric (lowering). All three of these stages in
muscles movements have an effect on muscle tissues and tendons (tendons are what attach the
muscle to the bone).

Eccentric training focuses on slowing down the elongation of the muscle process in order to
challenge the muscles, which can lead to stronger muscles, faster muscle repair and increasing
metabolic rate.

Eccentric movement provides a braking mechanism for muscle and tendon groups that are
experiencing concentric movement to protect joints from damage as the contraction is
released.

Eccentric training is particularly good for casual and high performance athletes or the elderly
and patients looking to rehabilitate certain muscles and tendons.

Findings

Several key findings have been researched regarding the benefits of eccentric training:
 Eccentric training creates greater force owing to the “decreased rate of cross-bridge muscle
detachments.” Patients and athletes will have more muscle force for bigger weights when
eccentric training.
 Eccentric contractions use less energy and actually absorb energy that will be used as heat or
elastic recoil for the next movement.
 Older individuals are less vulnerable to injury from eccentric exercise, primarily because of the
reduced strain on muscle-tendon groupings as compared to traditional concentric exercise.
 Stretching of the muscles and eccentric training provides protection from injury or re-injury.
 Eccentric training has proven to be an excellent post rehabilitation intervention for lower-body
injuries.
 Subjects report less weariness from eccentric training than from concentric training.
 Total body eccentric training can raise resting metabolic rate by about 9 per cent, with the
greatest magnitude in the first two hours.
 While energy costs remain low, the degree of force is very high. This leads to muscles that
respond with significant increases in muscle strength, size and power.

SPRINTS

Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are
among the oldest running competitions. There are three sprinting events which are currently
held at the Summer Olympics and outdoor World Championships: the 100 metres, 200 metres,
and 400 metres. These events have their roots in races of imperial measurements which were
later altered to metric: the 100 m evolved from the 100 yard dash, the 200 m distances came
from the furlong (or 1/8th of a mile), and the 400 m was the successor to the 440 yard dash or
quarter-mile race.

Human physiology dictates that a runner's near-top speed cannot be maintained for more than
thirty seconds or so as lactic acid builds up and leg muscles begin to be deprived of oxygen.