Why Yoga Doesn't Build Strength After 50

Why Yoga Alone Isn't Enough After 50

Yoga is FABULOUS.

I love it and I am glad you love it too!

I practice yoga- and have practiced yoga for decades.

But yoga is NOT enough for strength.

Most women that just do yoga can't do a pushup.

Here's what I've been saying for 25 years as both a strength coach and a yoga teacher: yoga alone is not enough.

Not for women over 50 who want to stay strong, mobile, and healthy.

That's not an attack on yoga.

I LOVE yoga.

It's just the truth about what yoga does — and doesn't do — for your body after 50.

If You Do Yoga and Still Feel Weak, You're Not Crazy

I've watched this play out over and over for 45 years.

Women who practice yoga consistently — sometimes every single day — and still struggle to do basic things that require strength.

Still winded on stairs.

Still can't get up off the floor without grabbing something.

Still feeling like their body is quietly letting them down, even though they're showing up and doing the work.

That's NOT a motivation problem.

Most women I speak to are highly motivated- they go to yoga classes or practice yoga at home.

They just need to supplement their yoga practice with strength and mobility training.

Yoga is fabulous — super fabulous, honestly — for the breath, the mindfulness, the stretch. Your nervous system loves it, especially with all the stress women are navigating these days.

I'm not here to take that away from you.

But you can be incredibly flexible but not strong.

And truth- life is easier when you are strong.

Flexibility and strength are two different things.

And after 50, the strength piece doesn't take care of itself.

Yoga And Strength Over Age 50

Here's the part that we need to remember.

After 50, your body loses muscle faster than it did in your 30s and 40s.

Not because you're doing something wrong — because that's what happens hormonally.

Your bones need resistance to stay dense.

Not stretching — resistance.

Something that is challenging enough to create a response.

Your muscles need to be loaded progressively, meaning you have to keep giving them a reason to stay strong.

And balance — which protects you from falls — needs to be actively trained, and although balance is often included in some yoga classes, many women skip it because it is not explained and introduced progressively.

The Importance Of Smart Strength and Mobility Training

Here's where many women get stuck.

They know they need more than yoga.

They try a gym class, a random online program, or maybe a bootcamp.

And it doesn't work — or worse, they get hurt, get sore in the wrong places, and quit.

That's not you failing.

Most strength programs weren't designed for a woman over 50 with real body limitations — a bad knee, a cranky shoulder, a lower back that doesn't love certain positions.

They were designed for younger bodies or for people who've been lifting for years.

What works is smart strength and mobility training.

Exercises that give you real options.

A teacher who explains why you're doing what you're doing — not just counting reps at you.

Workouts that challenge you without wrecking you.

The Combination That Actually Works

About 25 years ago, I realized there was a simple solution hiding in plain sight. Take the mindfulness of yoga — the breath awareness, the body attention, the patience — and apply it to smart, progressive, results-oriented strength training. Use them together.

Mindfulness without strength leaves you calm but fragile. Strength training without mindfulness can be unsafe, especially as your body changes. Together, they're exactly what a woman over 50 needs: you get the stress relief and body awareness from yoga, and you get the bone health, muscle strength, metabolism support, balance, and posture work from smart strength training.

Not hours and hours of it. Not grueling. Not a program designed for a 28-year-old. Smart, effective exercise that actually works for your body — and that you understand well enough to keep doing.

Keep the Yoga — Add What's Missing

Nobody is telling you to quit yoga.

Keep it.

The breathwork and mindfulness are genuinely valuable — especially now, especially with everything on your plate.

But if you want to carry your groceries, take that hike, do a pushup, get up off the floor with ease, keep up with your grandkids, and feel like yourself in your body again — you need to add smart strength training designed for how your body actually works after 50.

RESOURCES:

Find out about our online program HERE

Sample an online STRENGTH class HERE

Looking for our in person classes in Pacifica- go here