Yoga and Strength Training: Why I Believe They Work Better Together

One question I am asked quite often is whether yoga alone is enough.

Sometimes the question comes from women who have been practising yoga for years and genuinely enjoy it. Sometimes it comes from women who have recently started strength training and wonder if they should continue with yoga. A few even feel they have to choose between the two because they don't have enough time to do everything.

I understand the confusion because for a long time I looked at them as two completely different forms of exercise myself. Yoga belonged to one world and strength training belonged to another. Yoga felt calm, mindful and deeply connected to overall wellbeing, while strength training seemed to be associated mainly with gyms, weights and building muscle.

The more I learnt, the more I realised that this way of looking at them was far too simplistic.

Today, I don't see yoga and strength training as two different paths. I see them as two practices that beautifully complement each other, with each one giving the body something that the other cannot.

Yoga came into my life much before strength training did. It helped me reconnect with my body at a time when I needed it the most. It improved my flexibility, helped me breathe better, reduced stiffness, made me more aware of my posture and, perhaps most importantly, gave me a sense of calm that extended far beyond the yoga mat. Over the years, it became much more than a form of exercise. It became a way of taking care of both my physical and mental health.

As I entered my forties and started studying fitness more deeply, I began understanding another aspect of health that I hadn't paid enough attention to earlier—strength.

I learnt about the natural loss of muscle mass that happens as we age, the importance of preserving bone health, especially for women, and the role strength plays in helping us remain active and independent as the years go by. That understanding encouraged me to introduce regular strength training into my own routine.

Interestingly, I never felt that strength training replaced yoga. If anything, it made my yoga practice better.

There are yoga postures that require not just flexibility but also stability. Holding a plank, balancing in Vrikshasana, moving through Chaturanga or maintaining good alignment in Warrior poses all require strength. As I became stronger, I noticed that I could hold these postures with greater ease and control. My body felt more stable, and I wasn't relying only on flexibility to move through my practice.

At the same time, yoga gave me something that made strength training feel safer and more enjoyable.

Because yoga had improved my mobility and body awareness, I became much more conscious of how my body was moving during strength exercises. I was able to maintain better posture, move with control and pay attention to my breathing instead of simply rushing through repetitions. Recovery also became easier because stretching, relaxation and mindful breathing were already a natural part of my routine.

The more I experienced this combination, the more convinced I became that these two practices are not competing with each other. They are supporting each other.

I sometimes explain it to my students in a very simple way.

Imagine building a house.

Strength training builds strong walls and a solid structure. Yoga makes sure that structure remains balanced, flexible and resilient. A house needs both. Strong walls without flexibility may eventually develop cracks, while flexibility without strength cannot provide enough support. Our body works in a very similar way.

This has become even more meaningful to me as I have grown older.

In our thirties and forties, many women begin noticing changes in their body. Hormones start shifting, recovery takes a little longer than it once did and maintaining muscle becomes more important than ever. At the same time, we also want to improve mobility, reduce stress, protect our joints and keep stiffness away. When I look at these changing needs, I honestly don't think one form of exercise can do everything.

Yoga helps me move well.

Strength training helps me move strongly.

Together, they help me move confidently.

Over the years, I have also realised that fitness doesn't have to become an all-or-nothing approach. We often feel that we need to find the one perfect exercise that will solve every problem. I don't think our body works that way. Just as we don't eat only one food every day to meet all our nutritional needs, I don't believe one type of movement has to meet every physical need either.

Some days my body enjoys a challenging strength workout.

Some days it needs a slower yoga practice.

Some days a long walk feels exactly right.

Instead of forcing myself to follow the same routine every day, I have learnt to listen to what my body needs while making sure that both strength and mobility remain a regular part of my week.

That shift has made fitness feel much more sustainable.

I no longer exercise because I am trying to compensate for what I ate the previous day or because I want to reach a particular number on the weighing scale. I move because I genuinely enjoy feeling capable. I enjoy knowing that my body is becoming stronger without losing its flexibility, and more flexible without sacrificing its strength.

Whenever someone asks me whether they should choose yoga or strength training, my answer is usually another question.

Why choose?

If you enjoy yoga, continue practising it.

If you have never tried strength training, consider adding it gradually to your routine.

You don't have to become a bodybuilder, and you certainly don't have to give up your yoga mat. A couple of strength sessions every week, combined with a regular yoga practice, can make a remarkable difference to the way your body feels over time.

Looking back at my own journey, I don't think yoga and strength training have changed me in two separate ways. Together, they have helped me build a body that feels strong enough to meet the demands of everyday life and flexible enough to enjoy it. They have taught me that health isn't about choosing one philosophy over another. It is about bringing together different practices that support us through different stages of life.

Perhaps that is why I no longer see them as two different forms of exercise.

To me, they are simply two different expressions of the same intention—to take care of my body with enough wisdom that it continues to take care of me for many years to come.