Should You Do Yoga Before or After a Workout?

Yoga is a fantastic form of mindful movement, both on its own and integrated into a more diverse exercise routine. Perhaps you can’t go more than a couple days without a steamy Vinyasa flow on the Peloton App, or maybe you prefer to ease into an evening restorative sesh on the regular. But when it comes to pairing asanas with the likes of runs, rides, lifts, and beyond, is it more beneficial to do yoga before or after a workout?

Keep reading for insights from exercise physiologists to find your ideal time to flow.

Benefits of Doing Yoga Before a Workout

Doing yoga before a workout can help you ease into your exercise routine. “Yoga before activity can help you to warm up connective tissues like muscle and tendons, increase your heart rate to ready your cardiovascular system, and get your mind focused on the tasks at hand,” explains Milica McDowell, a doctor of physical therapy, certified exercise physiologist, and VP of operations at Gait Happens.

According to McDowell, doing yoga before a workout may help to:

McDowell says that a warm-up yoga flow can be beneficial before a strength training session, endurance activities like running, and team sports such as pickleball. “I’d suggest coupling Vinyasas on the same day as another type of workout—ideally before it—to ready the body for the second type of exercise,” she says.

Essentially, more active, dynamic forms of yoga can help you get loose and limber before other physical activities like cardio or strength training. Dynamic yoga poses encompass the likes of transitions that include but certainly aren’t limited to:

Alexander Rothstein, an instructor and program coordinator of the exercise science program at New York Institute of Technology, also praises yoga’s potential as a warm-up activity before other exercise modalities. However, he cautions against overdoing things if yoga isn’t your main focus for the day.

“For example, be mindful not to perform too much yoga and fatigue yourself before running,” he says, which can end up negatively altering your form. “And when performing yoga poses, make sure not to overstretch as this can decrease a muscle’s ability to function for a period of time after the stretch, which will impact its performance during the run.”

Benefits of Doing Yoga After a Workout

Doing yoga after exercise can help you cool down and better prepare your body for recovery.

After cardio workouts such as running, practicing yoga can improve mobility in a way that sets your body up for future success. “Performing yoga after a run would help to prevent the run from causing excess joint and muscle stiffness,” Rothstein explains. (On the flip side, a bit of yoga before a run can help mitigate any flexibility or mobility issues that get in the way of proper form.) Yoga after a workout can also “serve as a beneficial cooldown, helping to decrease the risk of future injury and improve activities of daily living,” he says.

But the benefits of doing yoga after a workout aren’t limited to running and cardio alone. Even after a strength training workout, a yoga session—ideally a restorative or yin class—can lock in muscle warmth to optimize mobility and flexibility work, McDowell says.

“Using yoga to accelerate your post-workout recovery can create big benefits if you are working to increase your stamina, tolerance, or capacity, as well,” she continues. “Yoga can jumpstart fascial glides and help to bring nutrients to your muscles, helping them adapt to the workout you just performed.”

So, Should You Do Yoga Before or After a Workout? 

Whether you should do yoga before or after a workout comes down to your unique goals and limitations—one time window isn’t “better” than the other. Generally speaking, however, dynamic yoga flows can be beneficial to warm up and mentally prepare for your workout, while static and grounded yoga poses with longer holds can help you cool down and enhance muscle flexibility after a workout.

To figure out the best time window for you, Rothstein suggests reflecting on:

No matter which sequence you prefer on a given day or for certain goals, McDowell says doing yoga directly before or after the other workout is ideal if you prefer to couple them on the same day.

And remember, you can always practice yoga as a form of active recovery on days off from other forms of fitness. This route may be preferable for those who are either new to yoga or fitness, are easing back into physical activity, or have a history of injury.

Why Yoga Is a Great Addition to Any Workout

The physical practice of yoga is a great way to move, whether by itself or before or after another workout.

It’s also extremely versatile. “A unique aspect of yoga is the diverse number of options an individual can select from within their yoga practice,” Rothstein says. Depending on your needs, goals, and limitations, he continues, you can tailor your practice to focus around various health and wellness objectives, such as:

In short, yoga provides tons of benefits for your physical health and well-being. (Better yet, this is on top of mind and mental health benefits of the practice, such as enhanced neuroplasticity and a better mood.) 

But yoga is also a stellar complementary form of cross-training for a variety of sports and exercises. For instance, runners who have limitations with flexibility and mobility have a lot to gain from introducing yoga into their routines, Rothstein says.

And because there are so many benefits of yoga, you might pick up the practice with a single goal or two in mind yet walk off your mat with more perks than anticipated. “For example, when an individual is focusing their yoga practice on flexibility, they are getting a variety of additional benefits such as improved coordination, improved stability, and improved mental function,” Rothstein explains.

Whether you’re a yoga beginner or long-time practitioner, the Peloton App has thousands of guided yoga classes to help deepen your practice. With classes ranging from five to 75 minutes across an array of focuses, there’s something for everyone to explore.

The Takeaway

The physical and mental health benefits of yoga are plentiful. If you want to reap them while also following a well-rounded fitness regimen with cardio, sports, and strength training, it’s important to be mindful of what you hope to get out of doing yoga before or after another workout. The best course of action for timing and sequencing typically varies according to these considerations.

Generally, though, doing yoga before a workout can assist in warming up your body and getting your head in the game. On the other hand, doing yoga after a workout may help reduce stiffness, mitigate the risk of injury over time, and deliver nutrients to your muscles. 

“The best thing an individual can do for themselves is constantly and fully assess how they feel from different combinations,” Rothstein says. If your current pairing protocol works for you (even if it deviates from the general suggestion shared above), you don’t need to rush to fix what isn’t broken. Simply pay attention to your body’s needs, all the while being careful not to overtrain and get hurt.