Workout Tips for Kapha Dosha — Fitness and Ayurveda

In this downloadable Ayurvedic exercise guide (English and Spanish), you’ll learn the key workout tips for Kapha dosha and how to apply them, so you can get fitter and support your weight loss efforts.

This is how to do it.

A balancing approach to moving a Kapha body: The Prana Method

We all know that exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

But, if you are Kapha, learning how to work out specifically for your body type can be confusing and challenging.

When you first discover you are Kapha dosha, you also learn that you should stick to stimulating forms of exercise, like brisk walking, running, or hiking, which are wonderful to equilibrate a dense Kapha body type.

Yet, we want to look fit, prevent or mitigate muscle loss, and have strong bones, which are certainly valid Kapha concerns that you need to address. These considerations are applicable for Vata and Pitta constitutions as well.

As much as these activities are Kapha-friendly, there is a better way to build a fit body, lose fat, and increase muscle mass — regardless if you are a 20 or 60-year-old Kapha individual.

With strength training, progressive overload, plyometrics, and steady forms of cardio you can have beautiful and sculpted legs, arms, and glutes and a solid core to help you prevent back problems in the future.

Further, by using calming and grounding asanas, you can prevent tightness, boost your inner and outer flexibility, and increase your range of motion.

We’ll integrate these forms of movement to produce the best results in a heavy Kapha body.

This unique methodology will be available soon in Prana app.

Kapha vs. Exercise

Kapha differs from exercise in almost every attribute.

This means that according to the principle of Opposites Create Balance, Kapha body types benefit vastly from engaging in vigorous and challenging fitness routines. Incorporating the right workout plan is, therefore, fundamental to reach a balanced state in both body and mind.

Since Kaphas tend to feel slow and sluggish, working out consistently and energetically will in time liquify the excess fat, help the body become lighter, and increase endurance levels.

The keywords are intensity and potency.

When you incorporate these attributes to your movements, almost certainly, you are pacifying an aggravated, lethargic Kapha dosha.

Energetic forms of strength and resistance training, deep breathing, plyos, a rapid tempo, and grounding asanas are all important to get the many benefits exercise can offer this constitution.

Exercise is also an integral part of Ayurvedic reduction therapies, which are highly beneficial for Kapha constitutions.

Fitness tips for Kapha

The question is how to apply deliberately the favorable exercise attributes to your workout sessions.

Here is the answer:

Sharpness

Kapha dosha feels slow and sleepy. Hence, you should try fast-paced movements to stay active, healthy, and fit.

• The ideal time to exercise is at the Kapha time, from 6 am to 10 am. Kapha is generally heavy and gross, however, at this time the qualities are even more intensified.
• Practice a swift and intentionally fast tempo. Tempo is the speed of each movement you perform. A fast-paced tempo is vital to help you increase your stamina, improve strength, and lose weight. Tempo must be dynamic, but without compromising good form.
• Add plyometric movements to tone your entire body, burn calories more efficiently, improve cardiovascular health, and boost your metabolism.
• Include a grounding session at the end of your resistance training. This is important to avoid a possible Vata or Pitta aggravation and prevent injuries.

Hotness

Kapha is damp and cold, so it’s essential to ensure your fitness routine diminishes those attributes.

• Take short breaks throughout your workout.
• Drink room temperature water infused with pomegranate seeds. Avoid cold water as it will increase the cool quality.
• Breathe deeply throughout each movement to stimulate the lymphatic system and support your body in the detoxification process.
• Increase your repetitions / time under tension. Kapha dominant people have the highest endurance of all the doshas and can perform any exercise for a longer period of time.
• Favor full-body movements. These exercises (e.g., barbell thrusters or single arm dumbbell thrusters) are excellent to stimulate and heat your body.

Mobility

A fantastic way to bring balance to a sturdy Kapha dosha body is by increasing the quality of mobility.

• For example, perform unilateral exercises, such as single leg deadlifts or lunges.
• Make sure that you engage in a starting session where you conduct proper muscle activation and increase your range of motion for each exercise.
• Furthermore, low-impact, steady-state-cardio routines are also ideal. Steady cardio is a remarkable way to benefit from your inherent Kapha endurance and strength.
• Foam rolling. Rolling out the lactic acid with a foam roller, after a stimulating workout, can do wonders for your tight muscles. This breaks up scar tissue and improves circulation.

Fun and engaging

It’s normal to feel lack of motivation after you have already started a fitness program. Specially if you are Kapha.

• Above all, choose a fitness routine that feels challenging and varies.
• If you can, workout from different places. Home, gym, a park.
• In addition, find a workout partner to increase your accountability.
• Motivate yourself with cute workout outfits and weekly progress pictures.

Embrace duality

Learning more about your Kapha dosha is empowering and will eventually, and with practice, make you approach fitness in an Ayurvedic way. Duality exists in every part of our being. The sooner we embrace the opposing forces within ourselves, the faster we will, intuitively, reach a balanced state.

Workout Tips for Kapha Dosha

Fitness guide for Kapha

Ideal workout routine for Kapha

Comprehensive Workout

• Prep session: do a short activation circuit (2-5 minutes) to engage the muscles you will be training. This is the perfect time to connect your mind and muscles and become fully present.
• Training session: initiate your workout routine. Consider the tempo of each exercise, which is the speed in which you perform each repetition. Perform each movement in an invigorating and controlled way.
• Grounding session: finish with a few grounding movements. Stretch, massage, feel your body, breathe deeply, and relax. Do a plank at the very end.

Watch this video

To see the three key components of an ideal Kapha pacifying workout

Rejuvenation for Kapha dosha

Rejuvenation should be a special component of an adequate Ayurvedic fitness routine for Kapha dosha.

The emphasis is to increase Ojas, or our primary vitality, and improve the balance of mind and body.

These are some Ayurvedic strategies you can use to ensure that you get in the best shape of your life, while avoiding the exacerbation of Kapha.

• Workout from 5 to 6 days a week. Make sure you leave at least one day to rest. Furthermore, your muscles need to recover and grow, and that means you have to get sufficient sleep.
• Exercise from 45-60 minutes with a fast intensity.
• Give your joints some extra attention. Massage them with mustard oil to protect them.
• Practice green therapy. Spend time in nature!
• Have milk decoctions to increase your energy and vitality, like Ashwagandha, which is particularly beneficial to enhance muscle tone and elevate athletic performance.
• Practice solar alternate nostril breathing before and after your workouts.
• Make planks the cherry on top to your exercise session.