Muscles contraction in yoga workout
We are familiar with the concept that yoga provides the human body with much-needed exercise and mental well-being. What we are not familiar with is the use of different muscle groups that enable us to achieve the said result. In this blog, we shall flow through the various muscles contraction in yoga workout that makes your yoga successful.
1. Isotonic contractions
An isotonic contraction is such in which the tension is virtually the same but the length of the muscle changes. An isotonic contraction is different from an isokinetic contraction in the sense that in isokinetic, the spread of muscle does not change. Furthermore, the isotonic contraction falls under two categories called concentric and eccentric.
a) Concentric contraction
The shortening of the muscle is known as concentric contraction. This movement is very common in numerous yoga workouts and other exercises. You might be wondering what this muscle contraction in yoga workout means. Fret not, as we shall explain this to you. For example, the standard bicep curl is a great example of concentric contraction.
The movement commences with the arm perfectly stretched. As the bicep contracts, its end heeds close to bend the elbow and bring the hand close to the chest. The idea behind concentric contraction is that the muscle generates more strength than the object. This strength enables the arm to pick the barbell/dumbbell.
b) Eccentric contraction
Another important muscle contraction in yoga workout is eccentric contraction. It takes place when the muscle ends to move away from one another during the period of contraction. We shall look at the same bicep curl example as before. When the biceps contract, the triceps lengthen simultaneously. Many people are under the impression that the triceps are relaxed but that is not the case.
In this muscle contraction, the muscles are generating less force in comparison to the resistance. Because less force is generated, it allows the biceps to perform its functions and bring the hand closer to the chest.
2. Isometric contraction
The isometric muscle contraction is prevalent when the muscle ends stay at the same distance from each other. Let’s use the bicep exercise as our standard example in this case too. Assume that you keep the hand in a steady position for a few moments before releasing it. On the top, the muscles neither elongate nor shorten. They remain static. This muscle contraction in yoga workout in which the muscle is static is the isometric contraction.
MUSCLE CONTRACTION AND YOGA
While practicing yoga, we hold poses for longer durations. As a result, our muscles tend to develop isometrically. For the muscle to progress eccentrically and concentrically, the body needs to transition through various poses. You might be wondering, ‘Do we do that?’ I’ll provide you some examples which will shed some light on that matter.
- When you progress from a plank to a push-up position, you move from being static to active.
- Moving up and down while staying in a chair pose.
- Practicing one pose after the other
There are various poses in yoga that allows you to train your muscles. It is up to you to generate the required strength, conditioning, and leverage to experience muscle contraction in yoga workout.
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU ARE ACTIVATING MUSCLE
If you are a yoga practitioner, then here are some key points that you should consider while practicing yoga. By considering these points, you will gain an idea about how to experience muscle contractions.
- Check whether you are thoroughly moving your joints
- Do you experience any hindrances while using your joints?
- Are there any blank points in your yoga?
- Identify the methods and tools that you can use to fill these gaps.
Well, these are the key points that you need to know about muscle contraction in yoga workout. We hope that after reading this, you will greatly improve your yoga.