Does Yoga Build Strength? The Benefits of Slow, Controlled Movement

A student of mine was once told by his doctor that yoga doesn’t count as exercise because it’s not hard enough. Well, I’d say that doctor had either never done yoga or had only tried restorative yoga or yoga nidra!

If you’ve tried any other style of yoga (which covers most of the classes on offer), you might come home with a different idea. My student’s response to his doctor was, “It does count as exercise if you do it with my teacher!”

Yes, yoga moves slowly, with postures held for a while, depending on the style. In my classes, we typically hold a pose for five breaths or more. And you soon realise that holding a posture for longer can be hard work. Just think of Boat Pose or Warrior Pose.

On the other hand, moving with momentum can make an exercise feel easier. Momentum helps carry you through a movement, meaning you may rely less on your own muscular effort to control it. When you slow down and move with control, your muscles have to do more of the work.

Research suggests that spending longer under tension can help develop strength, even when the load is relatively light, such as your own body weight. And that’s exactly what we do in yoga.

Slow movement also means more controlled movement. You rely less on momentum, which helps you develop strength and control as you move smoothly from one posture to another, such as in Sun Salutations.

Take headstand, for example. Initially, you might need to kick up against a wall. But as you develop the necessary strength and control, you can gradually learn to enter a freestanding headstand without relying on the wall.

We’ve all seen gymnasts slowly press up into a handstand and lower themselves back down. You might even have seen advanced yoga practitioners slowly moving from Downward-Facing Dog, floating through the air and landing in a seated position.

So, the next time you’re holding a yoga pose and start to feel your muscles working, remember that you’re not just stretching. You’re building strength, developing control and learning to move with greater awareness. You don’t need to move fast or lift heavy weights to challenge your body. Sometimes, slowing down is what makes the difference.

Yes, yoga moves slowly. And that’s precisely where much of the strength is built.