How Yoga can Help You Improve at Gym?

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With recognizing India as an emergent superpower, the world has taken due cognizance of the power of yoga, the ancient form of exercise in India. Yoga has become a religion worldwide and its effects have been given values all over the world. If you still don't practise yoga and do gym thinking what could be the possible health benefits of it then let us take a look at how yoga can help you in your gym sessions.

Relaxing Your Mind

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While you are at the gym, the mirrors there can sometimes make you feel a little depressed if you failed to lift the desired weight or see others doing better than you. Yoga can help in controlling your spirit and mind. Yoga can make you feel relax and help you to overcome depression as no mirrors will be around you. You don't need to care about how others are doing and can explore all the movements of your body with every breath allowing you to lift yourself more with a relaxed mind.

Warm-up Benefits

The warm-up in gym sessions done with yoga makes the body flexible. A fabulous advantage is that it avoids the risk of any spasm of the muscle and also prevents cramps during an intense workout and weight lifting sessions. To do this, sit with cross legs on the yoga mat and keep your hands on your knees and rotate your body in the clockwise and anticlockwise direction, keeping the lower part fixed. This wonderful clip by Laura Plumb explains the science of yoga.

Veerbhardrasana for Strength

Also translated as the warrior's position, the asana helps you in strengthening your triceps, thighs and shoulders.

Steps-

•    Stand straight and widen your legs for nearly 3-4 feet and keep your left foot at 90 degrees and your right foot at 15 degrees.
•    Lift your arms and keep them parallel to the ground and then bend your left knee keeping your back straight and simultaneously breathing in and out.
•    Repeat the same steps by changing the position of your left and right leg.

Majariasana

Good to improve your blood circulation, you can perform majariasana, during a gym session when looking to get hold of your breath, It also improves digestion, and brings flexibility to your spine.

Steps-

•    It is also known as the cat stretching, so you have to sit like a cat on the ground such that your back forms the tabletop.
•    Raise your chin while your head goes backwards and as you lift your tailbone, inhale and stay still for a few seconds.
•    While exhaling, move your back in the form of an arch and keep your chin downwards. This process is a little prolonged.

Exercise for Abs

Yes, you read it right. there's yoga for abs as well. A few of them are aking to the plank and bridge exercises. Bridge training steps involve-
•    Lying on back with knees up.
•    Keep your arms on the side and lift your body up towards the ceiling.
•    Interlock your hands below your back and take a deep breath.
•     As you move down to grab your knees with your arms, move towards the left side and then to the right side.

Ardha Hanuman Asana

This exercise is used as supplementary to the deadlifts when you want to gain extra strength for deadlifts. It is one of the best yoga postures to try.

Steps-

•    Kneel on your left knee, and your left feet talus should touch the ground.
•    As you move forward with your right feet, try to touch the ground on the side of your right feet with your fingers
•    Inhale and exhale in that position for nearly a minute and after that change your position.

Utkatasana

This is the simplest yet most effective pose to try. This posture will strengthen your lower back, thighs, legs, and knee muscles. You need to imagine that you are sitting on a chair and relaxing in that position.

Steps –

•    Lift your arms to keep them parallel to the ground.
•    Keep your arm in that position and trying to sit by bending your knees imagining that you are on a chair.
•    In the posture, try to maintain it and keep your spine straight.

Shavasana

The meaning of 'Shav' is a dead body, this asana helps in reducing the anxiety and maintaining blood pressure.

Steps-

•    To perform this asana, lie on the bed or yoga mat without using any cushion or pillow under your neck.
•    Keep some distance between your legs and keep your arms at the side.
•    Inhale and exhale slowly and keep a track on your breath.
•    Repeat the same process for 20 minutes daily, and you will see a considerable change in your body.
Many other yoga postures are used to increase concentration, shredding fat off your body, and many to keep you as fit. The Yogsanas, as mentioned, when combined with gym exercises help you to perform better at the gym.

For a detailed understanding, please go through these sources.
Yoga Adds to Your Workout
The Health Benefits of Yoga