This morning at the annual joy that is a gyno appointment, my new doc asked me all the typical questions: Do you smoke? Do you take any medications? Do you workout? To the last one, I proudly answered (for the first time to a doctor) that yes, I do engage in a regular physical activity. She asked what, and I said yoga.

To my surprise, she responded yeah, that’s good for stress, but what do I do for my heart? You know, cardio? And I stared at her blankly for a moment before finally shrugging and asking her what I should be doing. She responded, oh anything–go hiking.

This isn’t the first time recently that I’ve listened to someone question yoga’s validity as a workout. This past weekend, I was chatting with the wife of a friend, and she asked me what I’ve been up to lately. I talked about starting to really get committed to yoga practice, and she said she that’s all about stretching and being really relaxed, right?

Frankly, I don’t yet have the vocabulary or physiological understanding to give the response I want to, the answer I honestly feel is true. That response is yes, yoga is a workout. A real one. One that is relaxing, sure, but more than that. It is one for my heart.

Apparently, I’m not alone. Last Thursday The Washington Post had an article about excuses for avoiding yoga. Excuse number 2 is yoga “isn’t a real workout”:

On this point, many yoga teachers agree with you, because they see yoga as more than just a workout. Sure, there are physical benefits, such as the coveted yoga butt, which often draw people to yoga in the first place.

“But what surprises people are the more subtle things, like focus and patience,” says Debra Perlson-Mishalove, who owns Logan Circle’s Flow Yoga Center.

While you’re waiting for those things to emerge, however, you’re going to sweat. Take it from Washington Nationals pitcher Brian Bruney, who started attending yoga classes during the off-season. “I felt like I was in good shape, but one workout told me that I wasn’t. I was sweating bullets and just exhausted,” says Bruney, who suspects that’s because body weight exercises aren’t so easy when you’re 225 pounds.

Several poses should look familiar to anyone who has spent time in a gym. Take chaturanga, the yoga push-up that targets the triceps. Chair pose is like a squat, except your feet are together and your arms are up. Warrior poses are lunge variations. Hold any of those and you’ll gain muscle. String them together and you’ll really build some heat, also known as cardio.

And don’t forget about the subtle benefits. A stronger body makes for a better football player or dancer. So does a stronger mind.

Other than the soft-pitch (ha) response from the yoga instructor, I found this somewhat helpful, at least for responding to friends. But I need something with a little more scientific weight before getting cheeky with my doctor. And I know there has to be information that demonstrates yoga’s ability to raise heartrate as much as will a walk in a goddam park.

Ok, enough ranting–I need to do some actual digging now. I’ll let you know what I find, and please, please don’t hesitate to add links to articles about the medical validity of yoga in the comments.

Particularly links about this so-called yoga butt. :)