Yoga is not only a set of exercises, but also an opportunity to get to know yourself better. Some do it to relax, others to meditate, someone tests their body, and some just want to lose weight through yoga. In this article, you will discover if yoga helps you lose weight and what you should do to lose those extra pounds.
How can yoga help you lose weight?
Yoga is a complex that helps keep your body in good shape. In addition, yoga is different because it helps to cope with all the factors that affect the appearance of excess weight. During exercise, you expend a lot of calories, although at first glance, exercising seems to be a bit easy. It also improves metabolism, which facilitates the absorption of food without the deposit of fat reserves. And of course, if yoga becomes more than just a sport for you, you can develop healthy eating habits that will help you maintain your ideal weight.
There are several types of yoga, but the basis of any is a certain posture, they are called asanas. Each asana aims to develop breathing, align posture, and of course lose weight. To achieve results, you need to choose certain exercises that will integrate your workouts. But first, let's find out what kind of yoga will help you lose weight.
Yoga varieties to lose weight.
Each type of yoga for weight loss involves a set of asanas that build endurance, flexibility, strengthen muscles, or help keep you in good shape. Below from the list, you can choose any technique that you like in the fight against excess weight.
- Ashtanga yoga: combines a rapid change of postures in a certain sequence with the observance of a certain breathing technique.
- Hot yoga (Birkam yoga): combines a change of 26 postures in conditions of high air temperature (up to 100 degrees), a kind of intense loss of sweat.
- Respiratory yoga is a set of exercises aimed at developing correct breathing, which contributes to the harmonious state of your body.
- Indian yoga is a complete area that combines a set of asanas, spiritual practices and is more likely to be a new way of life than training.
- Kundalini Yoga is based on cleaning the chakras through meditation, chanting, and performing asanas.
- Power yoga is designed for resilient people and is somewhat reminiscent of a combination of aerobics and Ashtanga yoga.
- Static yoga (Hatha yoga) is the most popular type of yoga intended for physical enhancement with the help of asanas, in which your body must remain in a certain fixed position for some time.
Basic yoga asanas for weight loss
In one form or another of yoga, certain asanas are used. If you find it difficult to decide on a specific type, then you can simplify your task and just start doing yoga exercises as such, which will help you lose weight. Below are examples of asanas that differ in technique. Try each of them, perhaps this is the first step on the road to weight loss.
Breathing exercises
The simplest breathing exercise will help you understand the importance of correct breathing technique during yoga. Stand up straight, spread your legs, relax. Try to inhale hard and deeply through your nose, you should feel that your stomach and back are as close to each other as possible. Then we exhale calmly. Similar, but more difficult breathing techniques are performed, seated, half squat, etc.
Static slimming poses
Tree pose
One of the simplest asanas is called a tree. You need to stand to full height, straighten up, tense your stomach. Put your feet within walking distance. First, lift your left leg and place your foot on the inside of your right thigh. The hands should be raised slowly and the palms together above the head. Try to hold the pose for 30 seconds. Then repeat the asanas with the other leg, returning to the starting position.
Chair posture
Starting position: standing, with your legs apart and your arms down. Gain a chest full of air and, as you exhale, begin to bend down, as if you were in a chair, at this moment we direct your arms up, and lean your body forward a little, observe your posture. Once your thighs are almost parallel to the ground, hold this pose for 30 seconds. Then we gently return to the starting position.
Warrior pose
There are many varieties of this asana, both simpler and highly complex. The simplest version of the warrior pose is to hold the arms above the head (palms connected), spread the legs far enough from each other, while turning the face and body to the right. It is also necessary to rotate the feet and bend the right knee so that the thigh is parallel to the ground. The left leg at this time should be extended almost parallel to the floor. For 30 seconds, try to hold the pose and return to the starting position. Then repeat the warrior's pose, looking away.
Downward facing dog pose
Another popular asana is the downward facing dog pose. Thanks to it, the muscles of the legs and arms are strengthened and stretched, as well as the posture facilitates the sensation during menstruation. It is necessary to get on all fours (crouch), the knees do not touch the ground, and the arms are extended and also rest on the ground, the head is lowered. From the starting position, begin to stretch your legs, your hands remain on the ground, and the fifth point is the highest. Try to stay in this position for at least 1 minute and then return to the original position.
Of course, it is not easy to immediately understand how, how often and with what intensity he exercises, especially if he is faced with yoga techniques for the first time. In this sense, classes with a coach will be very useful. If you don't have the opportunity to go to yoga, there is always an alternative: home classes with video lessons from famous yoga trainers and teachers.
Do yoga at home with video tutorials
Lose weight with Jillian Michaels
If you haven't decided for yourself which is better: yoga or fitness for weight loss, pay attention to Jillian Michaels High Intensity Interval Training. His effective course is designed for amateurs and professionals alike, as well as beginners. You can do your daily workouts with a famous trainer at home. It is enough to find videos with which you will start to improve your body. His video lessons, available to everyone, can be easily found on the Internet; view them online or download them absolutely free.
Yoga and Pilates by Denise Austin
Another legendary woman, mother of 2 charming daughters and guru in the world of fitness, answers unequivocally and positively to the question: "Is yoga good for weight loss? " Just look at the photos and images with her image. Her program includes aerobics, strength training, yoga, and Pilates. You can find a Denise Austin video to lose weight quickly after delivery and stay in good shape. The program is based on the following simple rules:
- Observe a correct balanced diet without dieting and hunger strikes.
- Eat food between 7 am and 7 pm.
- Play sports for at least half an hour every day.
Ashtanga yoga with Lino Miele
There is a website where you can get acquainted with the activities of Lino Miele himself. But, as always, you can find a large number of videos where the teacher shows simple and more complex exercises to lose weight using Ashtanga yoga. The guru himself is a good example of the fact that it is never too late to start. Until the age of 35, Lino Miele didn't even think about yoga, he worked 24 hours a day, and he didn't even do gymnastics.
Kundalini Yoga with Maya Fiennes
Kundalini yoga is suitable even for stout people. This system of exercises is based on working the chakras with the music of Maya herself. The benefits of these activities are undeniable, because losing weight requires tuning in, understanding yourself, and learning to control your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. At the very least, this type of yoga promotes self-awareness and creative potential. The chakras are psychoenergetic centers in the human body, learning to control them, losing weight and losing extra pounds will be much easier for you than before practicing Kundalini Yoga.
Yoga for everyone with Rainbo Mars
Another popular yogi of the modern world is Rainbo Mars. Thanks to his "Yoga for All" video lessons, anyone who wants to improve their body through yoga can start doing it. According to Rainbo Mars herself, all you need is a rug, comfortable clothing (T-shirt, pants or shorts), an empty stomach, no shoes and the presence of desire. An experienced instructor will help you start an active lifestyle, even if you have never played sports.
Basic rules of yoga
So if you have made the decision to lose weight through yoga, the following tips and tricks will help you achieve the best results.
- It is better to do yoga in the evening, but morning yoga will be good for you and your health if you do strength or Ashtanga yoga.
- If your classes are in the morning, it is better to do it on an empty stomach, in the event that yoga should be after a meal, wait 2, or preferably 4 hours, so that the food is digested and you can do it with peace of mind. the exercises.
- When doing asanas try to do them correctly, quality is more important than quantity.
- Do not forget that after a series of asanas, it is necessary to perform relaxation exercises.
- Decide how often you want to do yoga. It is recommended to dedicate at least 1 hour to classes a day, 2 times a week.
- While doing yoga, think about changing your diet, giving preference to healthy food, if you want to lose weight and maintain the result for a long time.
Yoga and nutrition
If yoga becomes for you not only a way of keeping yourself in good physical shape, but also a part of life, then the question of diet will be no less relevant to you than asanas. Food is an important part of our life, so if you want to lose weight, it is worth changing something in your diet. According to some teachings, yoga food is strictly classified: it is recommended to eat some food in winter, some in summer, something healthier to eat on an empty stomach, something before going to bed. One way or another, an integrated approach to losing weight in the form of a specific diet and yoga exercises will definitely pay off.
Take a look at the following list of foods that will be especially helpful to you:
- Honey (instead of sugar, if you can't do without sweets);
- Milk;
- Wheat;
- Fruits other than citrus.
You should also avoid the following foods, which, according to yogis, violate the harmony within the body:
- Alcohol;
- Carbonated drinks;
- Mushrooms;
- Frozen food;
- Red meat;
- Canned food;
- Estate;
- Coffee;
- Onion;
- Fish and shellfish;
- Spice;
- Citrus;
- Tea;
- Garlic;
- Eggs.
In fact, yoga primarily promotes vegetarianism, but not everyone can decide to give up meat, but the special green cocktails, so popular with yoga practitioners, are worth trying. These healthy mixes of greens, greens and fruits, in combination with low-fat yogurt, have a beneficial effect on digestion, help cleanse the body, and lose weight as a result. You can find a wide variety of recipes on the Internet that you may like. Here is one of them:
For daily use, the following recipe is suitable. Wear:
- Apple - 1 medium;
- Banana - medium large or medium whole;
- Spinach leaves - 10-15 pieces (can be replaced with cabbage);
- Water - ½ glass;
- Fresh parsley to taste
All components are mixed with a blender, if necessary, ice or more water can be added to the cocktail to make it thin.
Therefore, yoga and weight loss are a great combination if you want to change your life for the better. Remember how true yogis look fit, stocky and slim. On the path to improvement, it is important to pay attention not only to your appearance, but also to participate in spiritual education, and yoga engages in both. It will help you put your body and soul in order, find harmony with yourself and become a happy person.