James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
Time magazine takes aim at yoga. And a lot of people ain't going to like what reporter Pamela Paul concludes:
The truth is, yoga, regardless of the form, doesn't offer a comprehensive way to get fit. According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, a national nonprofit organization that certifies fitness instructors and promotes physical fitness, dedicated yoga practitioners show no improvement in cardiovascular health. It's not the best way to lose weight either. A typical 50-min. class of hatha yoga, one of the most popular styles of yoga in the U.S., burns off fewer calories than are in three Oreos--about the same as a slow, 50-min. walk. Even power yoga burns fewer calories than a comparable session of calisthenics. And while yoga has been shown to alleviate stress and osteoarthritis, it doesn't develop the muscle-bearing strength needed to help with osteoporosis.Fortunately, most of the people I know who practice yoga just want to stay limber and do what they can to keep their backs from going on out them as they head into their 40s. And it's hard to argue with that.
All of which boils down to yoga being harmless, if not embraced too enthusiastically by someone who hasn't stretched for 15 years. The real problem, one that Paul doesn't explore, sets in when yoga is offered as part of a larger program of alternative care, including reiki, reflexology and other such dubious treatments. And that can present a serious risk to those who shun proven healthcare approaches in favor of pseudo-scientific claptrap.
Incidentally, and in case anyone was skeptical about the motives of the American Council on Exercise, it does offer yoga courses.
Comments
But there's no way to quantify the bliss that comes from a good practice!!
Yoga is way better than harmless. True, it would be foolish to use yoga as a substitute for health care, but how widespread is that? Dissin' yoga under the label pseudo-science seems like a search for a target.
Posted by: Mark Powell | October 9, 2007 10:52 PM
Like many things, yoga has many variations. Hatha and Ashtanga being only two of the more popular. I am fond of the saying "You don't get old, you get stiff". Yoga, if practiced on a frequent, regular basis, provides significant benefits for flexibility, strength and muscle tone. Granted, it does not get your heart racing, but that is really not the point in Yoga, so that really isn't much of a criticism. Yoga is, among other things, about balance. It isn't a magic bullet. News flash: runners often practice yoga to maintain flexibility.
Posted by: Andrew Fox | October 15, 2007 12:37 PM
News Flash - Yoga means "Union". If you dont understand that concept, its pointless me trying to make you understand!Putting Yoga in a classification of "pseudo-scientific claptrap" shows nothing but ignorance.Yoga is based on Yogic science over 7000 years old.
It has nothing to do with physical fitness per se, its only goal is to prepare the body for union in/and during higher states of meditation.
Posted by: ganesh | October 21, 2007 1:49 AM
I did not mean to imply yoga was pseudoscientific claptrap. I think if you re-read, you will see I was referring to Reiki, reflexology other genuine claptrap.
Posted by: James Hrynyshyn | October 23, 2007 12:17 PM