Saumya

Yoga can be a very efficient warmup before a morning workout. Although an ideal yoga session is aimed at stimulating both body and mind, some asanas can be helpful in getting the body ready for an intense workout. 

If your schedule allows for a 60-90 minute workout everyday, a combination of 20 minutes pre-workout yoga, 30-45 minutes of workout and a 15 minutes of cooldown yoga asanas and breathing exercised can be planned. This can also be combined with a 60 minutes Power Yoga session twice a week without any workout. This can help you have a balanced workout throughout the week giving enough time to the musles to heal.

While this depends on the type of asana and the capability of the person, a general rule of thumb says a minimum of 30 seconds for any asana. Please note that this does not apply for Surya Namaskara as it is more of a flow and hence positions are not meant to be held for any more than 1 second.

Sukham Sthiram or holding a position comfortably is what should be the goal for any asana. This means you should be able to breathe normally while holding that asana.

If the only objective is weightloss then exercise has shown to give better results than yoga. However yoga has certain advantages over other forms of exercise in the sense that it stimulates both body and mind. It is suggested to combine regular exercise/gym sessions with yoga practice of at least 2 days a week to maintain a balanced progression towards a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga has an added adavantage over other forms of exercises as it engages both both your body and your mind. The yogasanas are designed to enable mindful exercising that involves a combination of breathing and concentration while stimulating the muscles at the same time. Practising 45-60 minutes yoga in the morning keeps your body energized and mind active for the entire day.

While any type of exercise helps in improving sleep, yoga has the adavantage as it helps relax both your body and your mind. The yogasanas are designed to enable mindful exercising that helps declutter the mind while stimulating the muscles. Practising 45-60 minutes yoga in the morning keeps your entire day energized and 15-30 mintues relaxed yoga followed by Yoga Nindra would help in getting a relaxed sleep.