Many people think yoga is all about being flexible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do yoga because I can’t touch my toes.” (That’s actually even more reason to start yoga, but that’s not the point here! And yes, I know the term yoga has gone so mainstream that anything involving stretching gets classified as yoga—but let’s not get into that debate right now.)
In many ways, it’s not entirely wrong to associate yoga with flexibility. A lot of yoga postures stretch you in different ways, and it feels great. I love starting my morning with Downward Dog for a full-body stretch—it’s the best way to wake up!
Flexibility is incredibly beneficial. On a day-to-day level, it can ease aches and pains and make moving around more comfortable. For athletes, it’s a game-changer. If you’re focused on one or two sports, you’re likely overusing certain muscle groups, which can lead to tightness and imbalance. Flexibility helps counteract this and can even improve performance.
For seniors, flexibility can maintain muscle and joint health. Improved ease of movement reduces the risk of falls—which can often have serious, long-term consequences.
But here’s the thing: after practising yoga for a while, many people discover they’ve gained much more than flexibility—they’ve built strength too. And for me, that’s an essential part of the practice.
I’ve always been naturally flexible, so when I first started yoga, I found a lot of the poses quite easy. But I quickly realised that strength was my real challenge. Many yoga poses, like standing postures and sun salutations, require significant strength, and as your practice deepens, so do the demands on your body.
When you move on to more advanced poses, you’ll notice they require a balance of flexibility and strength. If you’re naturally flexible like me, this is where working on strength—and engaging your uddiyana bandha (your abdominal core)—becomes essential. Stretching without strength to support it isn’t just ineffective; it’s dangerous. You need strength to anchor your stretch.
If you’re relying solely on flexibility, your teacher will likely spot it. Don’t be surprised if they tell you to ease off your deepest stretches and focus on engaging different muscles instead. Flexibility without strength isn’t satisfying, doesn’t lead to real progress, and can even result in injuries.
Now, should you do other strength training outside of yoga to help you advance? Maybe. Some people do, and some teachers recommend it.
Personally, I don’t. It’s not that it’s a bad idea—I just don’t have the time or the inclination. Yoga is more or less the only physical exercise I truly enjoy, so if I have extra time, I’d rather do more yoga.
That said, I’ll admit I could use a bit more cardio (which is why I attempt—and I do mean attempt—to run in the winter). But I am strong, and I can feel the muscles I’m working when I practise asanas, so I know I’m on the right track.
So do yoga for flexibility, and do yoga for strength. They are both important and yoga serves both.
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