Do you want to get rid of the excess weight without signing up for expensive gym memberships? If your idea of staying fit depends on the consumption of organic, natural food and a lifestyle free of any toxins, doing yoga for weight loss exercises is just for you. Yoga goes much beyond the typical asanas and breathing exercises, for the modern mind, it is a body-weight based workout.
Yoga requires you to use own body-weight to provide more resistance power to the muscles. It is what helps you develop a toned physique and get rid of the excess weight. There are numerous exercises in yoga that help you get rid of the excess fat without using any stimulants or fat burners.
Keeping the last statement in mind, yoga experts have come up with the best information on how yoga helps you lose weight. First, let us understand how exactly does yoga help you lose weight and live a healthy life.
How Yoga Helps You Lose Weight For Beginners
Do you know that fat loss is a result of multiple factors at play? There are eating habits, your body’s activity level, metabolism, and hormonal changes. Yoga helps you make this possible by making changes on a deeper level.
Taking into consideration the last statement, given below is how yoga helps you lose weight.
1. Minimizes Cortisol Level
The notorious hormone that raises the stress levels in your body, Cortisol is also the culprit behind you gaining unwanted belly fat, especially around the midsection area. In other words, increased cortisol levels lead to increased insulin levels, which in turn leads to unnecessary weight gain.
Moreover, when you are stressed, it causes you to overeat foods high in fat and sugar, which causes unwanted weight gain. Numerous scientific and medical studies show that yoga practice reduces the blood cortisol level. Yoga is a high-intensity activity that causes less stress on your body.
2. Helps Build Muscles
Do you know there are numerous yoga for weight loss poses that offer a great body weight workout? It is one of the best workouts that helps you develop strength and at the same time build muscles.
Moreover, yoga helps you develop lean muscles which places less stress on your joints. Yoga is highly beneficial if you suffer from joint-related problems like Arthritis. In the long run, the more muscles you gain, the more calories you burn.
3. Offers A Great Cardio
A painful truth is when you want to burn fat, caloric deficiency has to be there. With the cardio you do in a yoga session, burning fat is a possibility. However, for this you have to choose the right yoga style. For example, you can try Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga that includes numerous strength building exercises.
4. Promotes Healthy Eating
One of the benefits of doing yoga is it promotes mindfulness, which helps you develop better eating practices and strengthens your impulse control. There are different styles of yoga to lose weight for beginners that work on the prefrontal cortex of your brain. The daily practice of yoga decreases your cravings for unhealthy food and make healthy eating a part of your life.
5. Develops Metabolism
Your level of physical activity has a big impact on your body’s metabolism. Yoga has a great impact on adrenal, which is responsible for producing cortisol. A lower cortisol level does not makes your body store fat for later use as it deactivates the fight or flight mode.
Moreover, the faster muscles you gain, the faster is your metabolism which means you can burn more calories and lose the unnecessary weight.
However, for you to reap the benefits of this morning yoga for weight loss it is necessary you do the right type of yoga.
Best Yoga Styles To Lose Weight
As there are numerous styles of yoga, it is a bit difficult for a newbie to choose the right one for losing weight. Yoga experts have come up with some of the best yoga styles to help you get rid of the excess weight.
1. Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is similar to Bikram yoga, the difference here is it is not done in a heated room and every beginners yoga for weight loss asana done here is different. Moreover, it is a physically demanding yoga style with faster results.
Yoga experts recommend you get acquainted with the basic yoga asanas before starting this yoga style. The reason being Ashtanga yoga is a highly structured form of yoga where the teacher expects you to possess complete knowledge of every pose.
2. Hot Yoga
An effective yoga for weight loss exercises that is quite popular with Vinyasa yoga practitioners in the west is Hot Yoga. A difference between Bikram yoga and Hot yoga is the classes are shorter with more variety of poses. Yoga experts recommend you come with a water bottle and towel to a Hot yoga class.
3. Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga consists of a total of 26 poses that you do in the same order in every session within a room temperature of 105 degrees fahrenheit. You combine these yoga poses with two different breathing exercises which help you transition from stillness to moving meditation.
One thing you can be sure of in Bikram yoga class is you would sweat profusely, so come with a water bottle and towel.
4 .Vinyasa Yoga
There are numerous evening yoga for weight loss styles, one of which is Vinyasa yoga. It is a dynamic workout that offers you both mental and physical health benefits. Every movement in Vinyasa yoga is combined with the right breathing technique and helps you get into a flow state. You transition from one yoga asana to the next which keeps your heart rate up and lose weight.
Since you are aware of the best yoga styles which can help you get rid of excess weight, let us now look at the yoga asanas that you should do to attain this goal.
Yoga Exercises To Lose Excess Weight
As stated above, yoga has numerous asanas that provide you a plethora of health benefits. Some help you sleep better at night, while some help you stay fit.
Considering the last statement, yoga experts have come up with some effective yoga for weight loss exercises.
1. ArdhKatichkrasana
An effective yoga for weight loss asana that helps your body develop flexibility and cut off the excess fat from the waist.
Steps To Practice Ardhkatichkrasana
- Stand on the yoga mat with both feet apart shoulder-width apart.
- Maintain your body balance while standing on both your legs.
- Inhale deeply. Move your left hand to the back and place it on the right side of your hips.
- Your right hand should rest on the shoulder of your left arm.
- Extend your gaze as much backward as possible.
- Maintain this yoga posture for some time. Exhale normally.
- Come back to the starting position after you exhale.
- Repeat the same motion on the other side.
2. Plank Pose
If you want to get toned abs, do the Plank Pose.
Steps To Practice Plank Pose
- Start on all fours on the yoga mat.
- Place your feet back. Keep the heels lifted.
- Get into the push-up position by placing your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Engage your core and hold this pose for 30 seconds.
Note: This is the best yoga pose to not just strengthen your core, it also helps burn the unwanted belly fat.W
3. Marjariasana
If you are looking for a beginners yoga for weight loss that improves your digestion, tones your abdominal, and relaxes your mind, do the Marjariasana.
Steps To Practice Marjariasana
- Come onto the yoga mat on all fours. Form a table shape with your back as the tabletop and hands and feet as the legs of the table.
- Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor with both hands directly under your shoulders. Your knees should be hip-width apart.
- Look straight ahead.
- Inhale. Raise your chin and tilt your head back.
- Push your navel downwards and raise your tailbone. Compress your buttocks.
- Hold the Cat Pose and take deep breaths.
- Next, do a counter movement. Exhale. Drop your chin to your chest and arch your back as much as you can. Let your buttocks relax.
- Hold this position for some time. Come back to the starting position.
Note: Do at least five to six rounds of this yoga asana for maximum benefit. Yoga experts recommend you follow slow and graceful body movements to make this yoga asana powerful.
4. Shitali Pranayama
As the name suggests, Shitali Pranayama keeps your body cool, and helps you enter into a state of deep calmness and relaxation. This is the best evening yoga for weight loss you should make a part of your daily routine.
Steps To Practice Shitali Pranayama
- Sit on the yoga mat in a cross-legged position. Keep both palms on your knees.
- Roll your tongue from the side to form the shape of a narrow tube.
- Inhale slowly. Fill your abdomen with fresh air, then the chest and at last the neck region.
- Pull your tongue inside your mouth and close your mouth.
- Bend your neck forward and lock your chin.
- Hold your breath for some time.
- Exhale slowly through your nose.
Note: When you fold your tongue, make sure the edges almost meet at the center on the top.
5. Bhujangasana
Also known as Cobra pose, this yoga asana helps cut off the fat in your upper body and abdominal muscles.
Steps To Practice Bhujangasana
- Lie face down on the yoga mat. Keep your feet flat on the floor and palms on either side.
- Press both hands into the floor. Make sure your fingers are just below the shoulders.
- Pull your shoulders slowly and slightly backwards.
- Focus on your abs and bend a little more backward.
- Keep your hands, hips, and feet placed firmly on the mat.
- Lift your upper torso and keep your chin upward.
- Hold this position for 4 to 5 full breaths.
- Push higher with each exhale.
Note: Yoga experts recommend you should not do this yoga asana if you are pregnant.
However, there are three factors that play a crucial role in helping your lose weight with yoga.
3 Key Factors Responsible For Weight Loss
For you to lose weight with yoga for weight loss exercises, these are the three key factors.
1. Consistency
For you to see actual results with yoga, especially with weight loss, you have to be consistent. Consistency is the day in and out efforts done by you without skipping a single yoga session to see any kind of results. With yoga, you have to train your muscles, burn calories, and lose fat.
Yoga experts recommend you should practice at least three times in a week with each session of a minimum of 30 minutes.
2. Eating Habits
The whole – 80% weight loss happens in the kitchen is actually true. You simply cannot lose weight even with yoga if your daily intake is of 2000 calories. In other words, you have to pay due attention to the food you put into your body.
Yoga experts recommend you consume whole foods, and get rid of processed foods. This is how yoga for weight loss exercises would help you get rid of those extra fat.
3. The Effort
Even if you practice yoga for weight loss on a daily basis, but not putting in any effort then don’t expect results. Remember, for you to reap the benefits of a particular type of exercise, you have to give it your all.
For example, if you are not feeling your heart rate increase, muscles aching or breaking a sweat; either you are not trying hard enough or you are not doing the right type of yoga.
Conclusion
Yoga is a holistic approach that helps you build a stronger connection between the mind and body. For you to get rid of unwanted fat, make sure to include these yoga for weight loss exercises into daily schedule.
