Your Yoga Practice Is About to Get Stronger: Yoga with Weights

If you had told me at any point during my nearly 30-year career as a yoga + wellness educator that I’d one day be adding weights to my yoga practice, I would have said, “Absolutely not.”

Fast-forward to today…and, well, you can see the picture above. 😄

Although I consider myself a bit of a yoga purist (you won’t find me at a ‘beer yoga’ or ‘goat yoga’ class!), I’m now in my mid 50s, trying to get back into better shape after a 2+ year journey with chronic illness. I need all the strengthening I can get. That said, I’m not really interested in going to the gym, nor do I want to feel overwhelmed by yet another exercise routine. The good news? A pair of light weights (or a resistance band) can turn many familiar yoga movements into opportunities to gradually build greater strength. And don’t worry, adding weights to your home yoga practice doesn’t mean turning your practice into a boot camp. In fact, the goal is really the opposite: small, intentional additions that complement the mindful movement you already enjoy.

Start Light

As I mentioned above, I have been healing from chronic illness for the past 2+ years. During that time, I was able to maintain my yoga practice, but I simply didn’t have the energy to add much else. Perhaps you find yourself in a similar situation, needing to get back to exercise after an extended period of illness. Or maybe you’re noticing the effects of aging–and menopause–creeping up on you (e.g. sarcopenia, osteopenia or osteoporosis). Whatever your circumstances, you may be realizing that it’s time to incorporate more strength training into your life. My advice: start light. That’s certainly what I needed to do. I have been experimenting with using small hand weights (usually just 2 lbs.) and resistance bands in my yoga practice. You could use 1 lb. weights, maybe 3 lb. weights, but I wouldn’t go any heavier than that–at least not at first. The point isn’t to see how much you can lift. It’s to introduce a little additional resistance and give your muscles a new reason to work

A Few Poses to Try

Here are just a few examples of the many poses I’ve been experimenting with, using light hand weights or resistance bands to add a little strength work to my yoga practice.

• Try holding light weights during Chair Pose. As I sit back into the pose, I might slowly press the weights overhead, or hold them back behind me…or do a controlled dynamic version of these static holds. This challenges my legs and glutes even more while adding work for my shoulders and arms.
• Warrior 2 is another easy place to add resistance. Holding a light weight in each hand while extending my arms (making sure not to overextend my elbows!) increases the demand on my shoulders and upper back. I may also add a simple biceps curl or overhead presses.
• For standing balances, such as Tree Pose, I like to add light weight in both hands to give my muscles another reason to stabilize. I might even add some dynamic movements with the weights to challenge my balance even more!
• You can even add more strengthening to floor poses. During Bridge Pose, I will sometimes place a resistance band across the front of my pelvis as I lift and lower my hips. Holding the ends on the floor with my hands adds in more challenge for my triceps.

These are just a few examples. Once you start looking at your familiar yoga poses through the lens of strength training, you may be surprised by how many possibilities you discover.

Ready to Start Getting Stronger?

The secret to adding weights to your yoga practice is simple: start lighter than you think you need and keep your focus on mindful movement and good alignment. It’s not about lifting heavy. It’s just about giving your muscles a little more to do. And perhaps most importantly, it’s about finding a way to incorporate strength training that feels enjoyable and sustainable—rather than like one more thing you have to do.

I’ve been enjoying incorporating light weights and resistance bands into my own practice so much that I’ve started bringing them into one-on-one work with my private clients. If you’re curious about adding weights to your own yoga routine, a handful of private sessions—either one-on-one or with a friend—could be a great way to learn the basics, experiment with different movements, and create a practice that feels right for your body.

Why not get some private sessions in with me before my upcoming Yoga for Lifelong Resilience online course begins on November 2, and then incorporate some weights into those practices? (The 30 minute Zoom sessions would be the perfect opportunity to experiment with them!) Contact me here for more details.