YOGA TIPS

WEIGHT LOSS WITH YOGA

Have you tried every kind of diet there is and failed? Does exercise seem to do nothing for you? If you answered yes, maybe you should try yoga! Yoga is great way to lose weight, keep it off and alter your consciousness in a positive way for your body. Through regular and sustained yoga practice, you can even maintain a more slender physique.

Yoga has long been thought of a great way to increase flexibility and relieve stress. In recent years, however, many people have also seen the wonderful weight loss benefits yoga has. Specific positions (asanas) can target areas such as the abdomen, the waist, and the thighs. Specific asanas that will target the abdomen are the abdominal lift, the child pose, and the cobra pose. The downward- and upward-facing dog poses, the hero pose, and the angle pose will all help tone the hips and the thighs.

Any physical activity burns calories. Just sitting here reading this, you are burning calories. During yoga you can burn up to 345 calories per hour. While significantly less than other more strenuous exercise, yoga works all the muscles in the body and tones them more evenly. Often seen as a low impact form of exercise at the beginner level, yoga can be performed by almost anyone!

Dieting can certainly help with short term weight loss, but a sustained program of yoga can help with long term weight loss. Specific asanas can help increase your metabolism. The Salutation to the Sun, the Pose of the Moon, the Cobra pose, the Bow Stretch, and Spinal twist all work to increase your metabolic rate and stimulate the endocrine system.

The best types of yoga for weight loss are considered to be the most physical. Ashtanga, Bikram, and Power Yoga are considered to be the most physical types of yoga. If you’ve never done yoga before, these may not be the best place to start. The most common form of yoga practiced is Hatha Yoga. After you are comfortable with this style of yoga, you may already start to notice the changes in your body. Some yoga instructors of schools even offer a course directly targeted to weight loss.

Exercise alone will not get you from a size 14 to a size 10. Regulating and changing your diet is also an essential part of any weight-loss program. Common sense dictates that the fewer calories you take in and the more calories you burn will result in weight loss. While yoga will help tone your body and change its physiology, if you eat an entire chocolate cake after your workout you will not see the true benefits.

Many people also find that the meditation and breathing exercises they learn during yoga helps them to increase their will power. Instead of giving in to their cravings they perform a breathing exercise or maybe even meditate. Try this: clear your mind and breath deeply; repeat to yourself, “I will be thinner. I will be healthier. I will be happier.”

Christine Dignam

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