Yoga is an ancient practice if you look up the history you’ll see that it dates back to about 2700 BC. However, it has regained popularity in the modern world. In early times yoga was used primarily to promote spiritual well-being. While we still use it for the same purpose today, people also practice yoga to reduce stress, promote weight loss, and more. That brings us to the central question of this article: Is yoga effective for weight loss? And if so, how do you use it to get rid of those extra pounds?
The Growing Interest in Yoga for Weight Loss
Over the last decade, the number of people doing yoga has risen significantly. By 2010, about 21 million Americans [1] were practicing yoga regularly. Just a decade later, in 2021, this figure had increased to 32.81 million people. There are different reasons why people are opting for yoga, including trying to slim down. Many people wonder whether yoga can help them lose weight, and the answer is positive!
Is Yoga Good for Weight Loss?
Yes, yoga is good for weight loss. Yoga isn’t just about performing weird poses, it’s an excellent way to improve your physical fitness and burn calories, and science agrees. A study of people who lost weight through yoga [2] concluded that the practice has physical, behavioral, and psychosocial benefits that make it an effective method for losing weight and better managing it over time. In addition, yoga has other advantages like supporting cardiovascular health and reducing stress and anxiety.
One of the most frequently asked questions about yoga is, ‘Can it reduce belly fat?’ It may, but you’ll have to find the right strategy to target the fat in that specific area of your body. At the same time, yoga allows you to boost your general health, appearance, and well-being.
Yoga is a technique that is also known to boost calmness and promote relaxation. When you’re stressed, you may be more likely to give into temptation and crave unhealthy foods - it’s called “stress eating”. The good news - you can further enhance the stress-relieving properties of yoga by using Nuu3 Keep Calm Gummies - that’s going to help keep you relaxed and improve your ability to cope with stressful situations.
Yoga and Weight Loss: The Science
We’ve established that yoga might be good for weight loss, but how does it work? It’s important to understand that yoga doesn’t burn a lot of calories directly, rather, it facilitates calorie burning. One way it does this is by helping you with stress management. High levels of stress can lead to overeating in some cases, so you may take in more calories than you need regularly. A research review in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that stress may lead to both overeating and favoring energy-dense foods [3].
Practicing yoga regularly may decrease stress levels to prevent this type of emotional overeating. There are numerous ways to cope with stress, and different strategies work for different people. You can try Keep Calm gummies, which eliminate anxieties and nourish your brain and body to fight stress and anxiety.
It could also improve your body image and boost self-confidence, leading to greater motivation to change your lifestyle habits and lose weight.
Yoga is often practiced together with mindfulness, which is a form of meditation that encourages you to focus on the present moment in terms of your thoughts, behavior, and also your eating habits.
Both yoga and mindfulness also improve the quality of your sleep, which may have a positive impact on your calorie intake. Poor sleep leads to the excess release of hunger hormones, which could cause you to overeat.
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If you’re wondering whether yoga is good for weight loss, we’ve established that it is, but keep in mind that different types of yoga will have a different impact on actual calorie burning. Generally speaking, you can expect to burn between 200 and 400 calories during a one-hour yoga session.
Yoga is also good for sleep, which can further improve your ability to lose weight more effectively. If you’re already struggling with sleep, adding a supplement like the Nuu3 Sleep Support Gummies could be a great way to further improve your sleeping patterns.
Yoga Poses for Weight Loss
Is yoga good for weight loss? Yes, as we’ve said, but some poses are better than others for this purpose. Here are some of the best five poses for weight loss:
- Plank Pose: Also known as the Phalakasana pose, it works your abs, lower back, glutes, thigh muscles, and even your chest. This pose is an excellent option if you want to target your core.
- Bridge Pose: The Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is a good pose for the back, buttocks, pelvic muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings. It also helps to improve digestion and circulation. In addition, this pose can reduce stress by calming your central nervous system.
- Shoulder Stand: Called the Sarvangasana, this is a pose that stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands and promotes hormonal balance. It’s also great for strengthening your shoulders and arms, and it improves blood flow to the upper body.
- Extended Side Angle: The main goal of this pose is to improve flexibility. It’s great for stretching the side of your body and improving posture.
- Downward Dog: Also called the Adho Mukha Svanasana, this popular yoga pose helps lower stress and improve mood, so it may decrease stress-related eating. It’s also effective for building strength and managing pain.
This gives you a starting point, but these shouldn’t be the only poses you practice. Try to master every pose we’ve listed here, and then make your yoga sessions a little more challenging by extending your time and adding more moves to your routine. This should keep you engaged and help ensure that your yoga sessions stay varied and interesting.
Yoga and Mindfulness
There’s something very calming about yoga, and that makes it easier to incorporate mindfulness and stay in the present moment. Yoga helps you become more aware of your own body, including being mindful of your hunger signals and how often, when, and what you eat. For this reason, practicing yoga can have a significant positive impact on your weight loss efforts.
These are some practical tips that can help you become more mindful of your eating habits:
- Try to minimize distractions while you eat, as they can prevent you from staying in the present moment.
- Eat slowly and take time to enjoy your food, also noting its flavor, scent, texture, and appearance.
- Learn the difference between real hunger and a food craving.
One of the key benefits of mindfulness is that it can help you change your habits so you eat to maintain your health, not just to fill your stomach. Being mindful about eating means making more conscious choices about your meals, and this can have a significant positive impact on achieving your weight loss goals. Becoming more aware of the calories included and the nutritional value of different foods can help you make smarter choices.
The mindfulness benefits of yoga may help you significantly with your weight loss goals. In addition to following a healthy, nutritious diet and being mindful of your eating habits, taking a daily supplement like Nuu3 ACV Gummies can speed up your progress so you reach your goal faster.
Remember, there are numerous cells in your body, and each of them relies on a regular supply of nutrients. That means eating healthy and supplementing with additional bioactive ingredients can promote optimal cell functioning.
FAQ
How often should you do yoga to lose weight?
While the results vary for different people, some achieve great health benefits with just a single yoga session every week. Take a closer look at your schedule. How much extra time do you have on your hands? The more sessions you can squeeze in, the better. Aim for at least three days a week to experience the optimal health and weight loss benefits of yoga.
Which is better for weight loss, yoga or gym?
Working out at a gym can certainly help you lose weight and stay in good physical condition, as long as you keep doing it consistently. The idea behind yoga is to add a new element to your lifestyle and make it a long-term sustainable weight loss strategy, so it may be a better approach than working out at the gym.
What type of yoga is best for weight loss?
There are many yoga poses that are effective for weight loss. Start with the basics, like the downward dog, extended side angle, bridge, and plank pose. When you feel ready, explore more challenging moves.
Conclusion
Yoga is an ancient technique that has become very popular in contemporary times. While it doesn’t burn a huge number of calories compared to some other types of exercise, it does offer weight loss and other physical and mental health benefits.
In this article, we have explained the benefits of yoga for weight loss in detail and the numerous other advantages it offers. When you’re on a yoga journey for weight loss, remember to track your progress, follow a healthy diet, and practice mindfulness diligently.
References
1] ↑https://www.statista.com/statistics/191625/participants-in-yoga-in-the-us-since-2008/
2] ↑https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995338/
3] ↑https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17869482/
Dr. Ahmed Zayed
Dr. Zayed, has years of experience in the field and has been contributing to public health awareness. Dr. Ahmed Zayed holds a baccalaureate of Medicine and Surgery. Egypt. Dr. Zayed believes in providing knowledgeable information to readers. His articles were featured on many websites like HuffingtonPost, Chicagotribune . Other than his passion for writing, Dr. Zayed spends his time outside the hospital, either reading or at the gym.
