So what should you go for when you’re starting your weight loss journey? A gym membership or a personal yoga practice? Ideally you’d do both, but gyms aren’t affordable or convenient for some, and yoga can be a little slow and non-competitive for others. So what if you’re stuck between the two? Yoga Versus Gym? What’s best for your weight loss? Here are our pros and cons for both weight loss boosters!
Gym:
Pros:
- Lot’s of different equipment if you bore easily
- Most have a variety of classes included in memberships
- You don’t have to make appointments, just turn up
- Social environment that can have a competitive spirit that helps reach goals
- You can use expensive cardio equipment you wouldn’t be able to have at home, e.g. treadmills, spin bikes
- It’s good for quick fat/water weight loss
Cons:
- Cost: most gyms are over £20/$30 per month
- Can be busy and loud
- If you like working out alone, gyms are rarely empty
- You won’t have an attentive instructor with you unless you pay more for a trainer
- Travel: You have to get there (and pay to get there in most cases!)
Yoga:
Pros:
- You can do it anywhere, at home, in or outdoors
- You can do it solo or in a class
- It’s as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it
- It’s as relaxing or as demanding as you make it
- You need minimal equipment, or none
- Yoga loosens up as well as strengthens the body, giving that ‘lighter’ feeling and making other exercise easier
- Yoga has a mindfulness and calming element, as well as spiritual encouragement to achieve balance and reach your goals
- It tones you up fantastically
Cons:
- You need instruction to start
- Many classes have a spiritual element (we know some people aren’t into that at all!)
- It’s non-competitive, and you can’t compare your progress to peers
- It’s a constant flow, not bursts of cardio
- You can accidentally attempt things way too advanced for you
- You don’t socialise during it
- The variety and differences of styles can make it confusing for beginners
