Is Yoga A Sport?

In short, most people agree that: No, yoga is not a sport.

According to Google, the definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Although there is some level of debate among people on whether it is or not.

Is Yoga A Sport?

Here are the most popular arguments people make.

Yes, yoga is a sport.

It requires practice.
You need both physical and mental strength.
There are health benefits.

No, yoga is not a sport.

There isn't any competition.
No rules exist in yoga.
It's more of an exercise.

Why Is Yoga Not Considered A Sport?

The definition of a sport includes four key aspects.

Physical exertion
Skill
Competition
Entertainment

Let's dive into each of these core components that define whether an activity is a sport.

Physical Exertion: Some may argue whether or not yoga requires any physical exertion. Although, I'd say there is some level of activity involved with yoga. It definitely does not compete with something like soccer or running, but some yoga poses do get your heart rate up.

Skill: To become a yoga master it takes lots of practice. Yoga without a doubt requires skill to be good at. The main reason people take yoga classes in the first place is to improve their skills.

The first time you try yoga, you'll probably look like this:

Competition: An aspect that disqualifies yoga as a sport is that there really isn't any competition. One person may be better at yoga than someone else, yet there are not very many yoga competitions held.

Entertainment: Along with competition, yoga also lacks the entertainment aspect of a sport. There are no camera crews or spectators at a standard yoga class. In general yoga is not broadcasted for people to watch.