Yoga is excellent for what it does: flexibility, mobility, balance, body awareness, and mental health. It's not a substitute for resistance training, despite popular framing that it 'builds strength'. The loads aren't high enough to drive meaningful strength or bone density gains.
What yoga genuinely improves
Flexibility (range of motion across multiple joints). Balance (proprioception and small stabiliser muscles). Stress reduction (parasympathetic nervous system activation). Posture awareness. Mind-body integration.
Vinyasa and Ashtanga styles add modest cardiovascular work. Hot yoga adds calorie burn but no special metabolic benefit beyond temperature stress.
Where it falls short on strength
Bodyweight maximum loads. Even challenging poses (chaturanga, headstands, arm balances) plateau quickly — once you can do them, repetition doesn't add load. Resistance training adds weight progressively; yoga can't, beyond practice volume.
Yoga doesn't drive significant bone density gains because the load on bone isn't high enough to trigger osteoblast activity. For perimenopausal bone health, weighted resistance training is necessary.
How to combine them well
Two strength sessions weekly (45 min each). One yoga session weekly (60-90 min) for mobility and recovery. Add a short daily mobility routine (10 min) if joints stiffen. This combination covers strength, flexibility, and mental health without overtraining.
Yoga and strength training aren't competitors — they're complements. Most women benefit from doing both, in different proportions depending on goals.