Does yoga help people who lift weights?

Short answer

Yes. Twice-weekly yoga for 10 weeks improved flexibility and balance, and yoga also improved sleep quality. Its effect on strength is small, so it works as an add-on to lifting.

Does yoga help people who lift weights?
'Yoga → better flexibility and recovery → better results' — does this formula hold?
Lifters often hear they should add yoga because lifting leaves them stiff with tight lower backs. Others say yoga does little to build strength. We checked what yoga actually changes.
26 people, 10 weeks of yoga
Flexibility and balance improved
Of 26 people, 14 added yoga 2 times a week for 10 weeks. The yoga group improved in the sit-and-reach, shoulder flexibility and one-leg balance, while the 12 who did no yoga showed no change.
Holding strength went up too
21 people, 8 weeks of yoga
Of 21 people, 10 did 24 hot yoga sessions over 8 weeks. Their strength holding a deadlift position and their lower back and hamstring flexibility increased, and body fat dropped slightly. Heart-lung fitness and grip strength did not change.
But the strength effect was small
1,471 people: very small after adjustment
A 2026 analysis that pooled 21 studies with 1,471 people first found yoga increased leg strength. But after adjusting for unpublished studies, the effect shrank to barely meaningful.
It did help sleep
27 trials, 2,142 people
A 2024 analysis that pooled 27 trials with 2,142 people found yoga, along with Pilates and traditional practices like tai chi, meaningfully improved sleep quality compared with no exercise.
For back pain, it matched other exercise
Some people's pain got worse
An analysis of 21 trials with 2,223 people with back pain found yoga eased pain and improved function a little versus no exercise, with no difference from other back exercise. Side effects such as worse back pain hit 43 per 1,000 with yoga versus 9 with no exercise.
Bottom line: yoga helps as an add-on
Lift for strength; yoga for flexibility, balance and sleep
Yoga raised flexibility and balance and improved sleep quality. Its effect on strength was small. Keep lifting as usual and add yoga about 2 times a week for flexibility and balance.