Not a fan of yoga? Try these gentle exercise alternatives for mind-body benefits

Done one downward dog too many, or was yoga never really your jam? Here are a few gentle exercise alternatives with similar mind-body benefits to try.

Seemingly everywhere you look, someone is suggesting you take up yoga for its health benefits.

On social media, slender and long-limbed influencers contort themselves into headstands and flexible poses, making it look like an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

While it’s not a prerequisite for vitality, there are certainly positives to taking up yoga, Therapy Fitness director and health coach Emma Masters says.

“The physical benefits are of increased flexibility and mobility, improved posture, improved circulation, increased strength and, in higher energy-based yoga classes, cardiovascular improvements,” Emma says.

“The mental benefits that come from yoga being such a strong mindfulness practice are stress reduction, decreased anxiety, mental resilience and overall calmness.”

While these might all sound fantastic, yoga is not necessarily everyone’s cup of herbal tea.

“Some people might seek out other slower-paced workouts with similar benefits, such as pilates, because they might prefer the history and background of one over the other – or perhaps they don’t enjoy the deeply rooted spiritual side of yoga,” Emma says.

Gentle exercise alternatives to yoga

Barre

For those who harboured dreams of becoming a ballerina in their younger years, barre might be a good bet.

Xtend Barre Australia brand manager Bridget Clark says the discipline is designed for those without a ballet background to enjoy the health benefits that dance can bring, and is generally a more energised workout – set to up-tempo music – than the more sedate style of yoga.

“Barre-style classes are based on the exercise movements a ballet dancer would do to strengthen the specific muscles needed to get through a strenuous dance routine,” Bridget explains.

“These exercises help to strengthen their joints, legs, core and arms, and target the deeper muscles to hold them in some of the intense positions they perform.”

Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis methods

Those who have gravitated towards a workout such as yoga for its gentle actions when recovering from illness and injury might like to look into the Gyrotonic method.

This practice promises greater strength, agility, freedom of movement and a greater range of motion.

It can be adapted around injuries, disabilities and age-related limitations, as it steers around any jarring movements or compressing the joints.

While the Gyrotonic method requires special equipment, its other workout method, Gyrokinesis, simply requires a mat and a chair.

• Early or late: Best time to exercise revealed

Pilates

Flow Athletic director and co-founder Ben Lucas says pilates is a similar low-impact form of exercise to yoga.

Props, such as loop bands and small weights, and the reformer machine may be used in pilates, and there is a focus on strengthening your core by pulsing in position.

“In yoga, you will often either hold a position for a long time or flow from move to move, whereas in pilates you may adopt a position such as a plank and then you may add to it to make it more challenging, such as adding a leg or an arm lift or some pulses,” Ben says.

Qigong

If you are happy with the spiritual side of yoga but are looking for a slightly different mind-body workout, qigong (pronounced “chee goong”) might be for you.

Both types of exercise share slow movements and breathing techniques as part of their practice.

Qigong is part of traditional Chinese medicine and concentrates on an awareness of your flow of energy.

A 2022 study noted qigong relaxes you by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, stimulates endorphins and improves immune function.

• Inner calm: Meditation for beginners: dos and don’ts

Contemporary dance

A form of dance that’s less regimented and more free-form than classical ballet, this style might suit if you are seeking the benefits of dance but want a more modern feel than the tutus and traditions of ballet.

Contemporary dance intersects with yoga in many aspects – flowing movements, coordinating gestures with breath, and managing energy.

Some teachers also incorporate yoga steps into their choreography.

Beginner classes for adults don’t assume any prior dance experience and incorporate floorwork, travelling movements, choreographed sequences, and exercises to improve strength and flexibility. The dress code is generally bare feet and loose-fitting, stretchable clothing such as leggings.

Written by Rebecca Douglas.