Most people think of Yoga Poses For Weight Loss something that helps in losing weight and meditation to calm the mind, but there is more to it than just posing.
Yes, it's a given fact a lot of yoga poses result in weight loss. If done with dedication and discipline, yoga can help you lose weight and stay fit. While it is true that in comparison to other workouts, yoga burns lesser calories but some of the yoga flows, when done at a moderate to high speed, can make you sweat like a pig---like no other workout.
Along with weight loss, yoga also helps to relieve stress, which is one of the main causes of weight gain. When practiced regularly, it leaves you feeling relaxed, fresh and focused. Yoga brings your mind, body and breath in harmony, thereby eliminating stress from your life. We've prepared yoga poses for weight loss in this article.
Here are 10 easy yoga postures to lose weight. You can do these poses anywhere anytime:
Trikonasana (Triangle pose)
To perform this yoga asana for losing weight, stand straight with your feet wide apart and hands straight parallel to the ground. Now bend on your left side and try to touch your left foot with your left hand. Stay in this position for 10-20 seconds and repeat with the other side.
The twisting motion of this pose helps to improve the digestion and reduces the fat deposit from the belly. The pose engages the muscles of your legs and arms and helps you build more core muscles.
Upward dog
To perform this posture, lie flat on your stomach with hands extended forward and palms facing down. Now keep your hands right below your shoulders, lift your upper body and look up. Your lower abdomen and thighs should be flat on the floor.
Chair pose
Stand straight with your feet joined together and hands by your side. Now raise your arms above your head such that your palms face each other and now bend slowly from your knees, exactly like you'd do in a squat position. Your thighs should be parallel to the ground. Stay in the position for 10-15 seconds.
Boat pose
As the name shows that falls under the Yoga Poses For Weight Loss, your body looks like a boat when in this position. To perform the asana, lie flat on the ground with your hands by your side. Now slowly lift your upper body and legs, such that your body forms a V shape. Keep your hands straight, parallel to the ground. Stay in the position for 10-20 seconds.
Angle pose
Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by the side. Now raise your hands above your head and join them together. Bend from your torso towards your left with your hands joined together. Repeat on the other side. This is one of the Yoga Poses For Weight Loss considered to be effective.
Bow pose
To perform this asana from our Yoga Poses For Weight Loss, lie flat on the stomach. Now slowly start lifting your upper body, just like you do in cobra pose and simultaneously also lift both your legs. Now hold your legs with your hands and stay in the position for as long as comfortable.
Bridge Pose
Start by lying on your back, with knees bent and feet flat. With your heels firmly placed on the mat, lift your tailbone up such that your hips and lower back are off the mat. Place your hands under your hips and lace the fingers together. Use your glute muscles, hamstrings and abdomen to hold your bottom and back up. Release your fingers and slowly lower your tailbone back down. Relax and repeat this Yoga Pose for Weight Loss.
Child’s pose
This pose is comparatively easy to perform from all the Yoga Poses For Weight Loss and you can do it between other challenging asanas. Start by sitting on the floor in Vajrasana. Now lower your head down on the mat by resting your belly on the top of your thighs. If you are a beginner, your head might not touch the mat, but that’s okay. Stretch your hands forward, with your palms touching the front of the mat, right in front of your head. Hold the position for 10-20 seconds and relax.
Plank Pose
Lie flat on your stomach. Now slowly lift your body from the mat by using the pressure of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Your wrist should be on the mat and your shoulders should be right above your wrist. The position will look similar to a push-up position. Hold the Yoga Poses For Weight Loss position for a few seconds by keeping your abdominal area engaged and then slowly relax.
Corpse pose
Lie flat on your back with your arms on the sides and palms facing down. Focus on relaxing your body by inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Perform the pose in the end after performing all the asanas in our Yoga Poses For Weight Loss.
Yoga and calorie burning
While yoga isn’t traditionally considered an aerobic exercise, there are certain types of yoga that are more physical than others but still it does not beat the fact that some yoga moves attribute to losing weight.
Active, intense styles of yoga help you burn the most calories. This may help prevent weight gain. Ashtanga, vinyasa, and power yoga are examples of more physical types of yoga.
Vinyasa and power yoga are usually offered at hot yoga studios. These types of yoga keep you moving almost constantly, which helps you to burn calories from the yoga poses to lose weight.
Practicing yoga may also help you develop muscle tone and improve your metabolism.
While restorative yoga isn’t a physical type of yoga, it still helps in weight loss. One study found that restorative yoga was effective in helping overweight women to lose weight, including abdominal fat.
These findings are especially promising for people whose body weight may make more vigorous forms of yoga difficult.
Yoga helps with behavioral change, weight loss, and maintenance by burning calories, heightening mindfulness, and reducing stress. These factors may help you to reduce food intake and become aware of the effects of overeating.
How often should you do the yoga exercise to lose weight?
Practice yoga as often as possible in order to lose weight. You can do a more active, intense practice at least three to five times per week for at least one hour.
On the other days, balance out your practice with a more relaxing, gentle class. Hatha, yin, and restorative yoga classes are great options.
If you’re a beginner in this Yoga Poses For Weight Loss, start slowly and gradually build up your practice. This allows you to build up your strength and flexibility and prevent injuries. If you don’t have time for a full class on certain days, do a self-practice for at least 20 minutes. Allow yourself one full day of rest each week.
Combine your yoga practice with activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming for added cardiovascular benefits and it will surely give you the Yoga Poses For Weight Loss effective.
As part of your routine, avoid weighing yourself directly after a yoga class, especially if it’s a hot yoga class, since you may lose water weight during the class. Instead, weigh yourself at the same time each day.
Lastly, a healthy weight loss is always accompanied by a healthy diet. Yoga comes with a healthy outlook and diet for it to be entirely effective long term. Yoga really does have yoga poses for weight loss.