In this century everyone seems on a quest to lose weight and be healthy. While there are plenty of physical activities that can help you do that, such as running and weight training, yoga has often been overlooked. But the truth is, yoga can be a great tool for losing weight if done correctly. It not only burns calories but also enhances mental focus, balance, and flexibility. In this article, we’ll explore how yoga can help you achieve your weight loss goals and how to make the most out of your practice.
What is yoga?
This practice is also called accurate pose practice for mental and physical discipline which mainly originated in India. The word “yoga” is made from the Sanskrit word Yuj which means “to unite”. Yoga is a systematic practice structured to cultivate mental and physical well-being. In nutshell, it is a kind of exercise routine of ancient times.
The greatest work of yoga is to encourage happiness and health. The practice of yoga can help to improve your physical health by increasing flexibility, strengthening muscles, and improving your breathing. Yoga minimizes anxiety, stress, and depression so that you can be healthy mentally. Yoga simply means some combination of physical postures (asanas), Meditation (dhyana), and Breathing exercises (Pranayama).
Yoga can be beneficial for weight loss by helping you to develop a healthy relationship with food and your body. When you practice yoga regularly, it can help to increase your body awareness and help you to become more attuned to your hunger cues.
The benefits of yoga
Yoga is more than just a series of poses and stretches. It’s an ancient practice that can help you achieve physical, mental and emotional balance. So, yoga is a wonderful tool for weight loss.
There is N number of styles of yoga, but each has a tremendous impact to burn calories, developing muscle strength, and promoting flexibility. As mentioned it improves mindfulness which makes you choosy when it comes to a healthy diet and keeps you away from junk food that is directly proportional to weight loss.
Yoga can help you lose weight by:
-Burning calories: A regular yoga practice can help you burn calories and lose weight. A study stated that those who practice yoga for 30 minutes per day burn high calories than those who are not in habit of doing yoga.
-Improving your flexibility: Yoga helps improve your flexibility, which can make it easier for you to be active and burn calories.
-Increasing your muscle strength: Yoga helps build muscle strength because of its steady and slow movements and deep breathing which instantly warm up muscles and enhance blood flow. Even holding a yoga pose will build the strength of muscle and burn white fat.
-Developing mindfulness: Mindfulness is simply showing awareness of eating behaviors and improving self-control. It helps you to muster all your focus to your breath while attempting each pose of yoga to give deep intensity to it.
The best yoga poses for weight loss
When it comes to weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, incorporating yoga into your weight loss journey can be extremely beneficial. Not only can yoga help you burn calories and tone muscles, but it can also help you develop a healthy relationship with food and your body.
There are a variety of yoga poses that can help you lose weight, but some are more effective than others. Here are 7 of the best yoga poses for weight loss:
Chair Pose: This pose also known as Utkatasana in Sanskrit is great for toning the legs and glutes while also increasing heart rate and calorie burn. It simultaneously strengthens your shoulders and can correct your body balance.
Benefits of chair pose;
1. Boost Stamina,
2. Improves lung capacity,
3. Stimulates blood flow,
4. Strengthen muscles,
5. Promote balance
Warrior I Pose; Warrior I is an excellent pose for burning calories while also strengthening the arms, legs, neck, ankles, shoulders, and core muscles. It also encourages respiration and good circulation.
Triangle Pose: The triangle pose also known as Trikonasana helps to lengthen and stretch the muscles while also working the obliques and sides of the waistline. The lateral motion of this asana burns fat and builds more muscles in the hamstrings and thighs.
Crescent Lunge Pose: Crescent lunge is a great calorie-burning pose that also works the thighs, glutes, groin, hip flexors, hamstrings, and abs.
Benefits of crescent lunge pose–
1. Stretches psoas muscles,
2. Alleviate sciatica pain,
3. Boosts endurance and lower body stamina,
4. Opens chest and shoulders
Boat Pose (Paripurna): Boat pose is a challenging abdominal exercise that not only helps to tone the stomach muscles but also burns a significant number of calories.
Benefits of boat pose-
1. Stimulates thyroid, prostate glands, intestines, and kidney,
2, Strengthen hip flexors and spine,
3. Improves digestion and balance,
4. Build up confidence,
5. Can relief stress
Camel Pose (Ustrasana): Camel pose is an amazing backbend that helps to open up the chest and lungs while also working the deep abdominal muscles.
Benefits of camel pose-
1. Provide relief in hernia,
2. Strengthening overall muscle of the body,
3. Corrects the posture of the body,
4. Increase the flow of oxygen,
5. Alleviate throat muscle called the larynx
Seated Forward Bend: Seated forward bend is a great pose for stretching and burning excess fat in the tummy as in this posture your stomach is completely compressed. It also improves the digestive system
Yoga poses for beginners
Yoga poses for beginners can be a great way to ease into a yoga practice. If you’re new to yoga, start with these basic yoga poses. Once you’ve mastered these poses, you can move on to more advanced poses and eventually build up to a full-fledged yoga practice.
- Mountain Pose: Mountain pose is a great place to start your yoga practice. It’s a simple pose that helps to center the mind and body and ground yourself in the present moment. To do a mountain pose, stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides. Gaze forward with a soft gaze and take deep breaths in and out through your nose.
- Downward Dog: Downward dog is one of the most well-known yoga poses. It’s a great way to stretch the back, shoulders, and hamstrings, and it can also help to calm the mind. To do downward dog, start on all fours with your hands and knees shoulder-width apart. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips up and back until your body forms an upside-down “V” shape. Keep your arms straight and press evenly into your hands while you breathe deeply in and out through your nose.
- Warrior I: Warrior I is a powerful pose that helps to build strength in the legs and open up the hips. It’s also a great way to improve balance and focus. To do
If you’re looking to add yoga to your weight loss journey, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it’s important to find a style of yoga that you enjoy and that fits your fitness level. There are many different types of classes available, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one that’s right for you.
It’s also important to remember that like any form of exercise, consistency is key. In order to see results, you need to practice regularly. A good goal is 3-5 times per week, although even just once or twice per week can be helpful.
