Fitness experts recommend combining yoga and pilates with strength training

Fitness experts and academics suggest that while yoga and pilates offer significant benefits for balance, mobility, posture, and mental health, they should not replace traditional strength training.

Marcos Vázquez, a fitness trainer, notes that yoga and pilates may not provide the same positive impact on bone mass in women as weight-bearing exercises with progressive overload. Similarly, José Antonio Pérez, a professor of physical exercise at the University of Alicante, emphasizes that these disciplines are excellent for flexibility and concentration but are not substitutes for strength training.

For specific athletes, such as cyclists, yoga can be a valuable tool to improve hip mobility, body control, and recovery. It helps counteract the repetitive, static movements of cycling by addressing muscle stiffness in the hamstrings, glutes, and calves, though it remains a complement to sport-specific training rather than a replacement.