Although practicing yoga is typically considered a great form of exercise when seeking to achieve flexibility and reduce stress, yoga can also be used as a way to lose weight.
Below you find more information about beginning a yoga practice for weight loss.
Is there any evidence to suggest yoga helps people lose weight?
Yoga is an ancient practice originating anywhere from 1000 BCE to 500 AC and is a mind-body exercise that causes no strain and allows those who practice working at their own levels.
No, yoga will not offer the same fat-burning results as a power-aerobic exercise routine. However, it is still possible to lose weight using yoga.
A study performed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center [1] in Seattle followed 15,500 healthy adults made up of middle-aged women and men who were practicing yoga as their exercise of choice.
The result of the study showed that yoga could be used by people as a way to shed unwanted pounds, or at the very least, keep them from gaining more weight.
Another study where participants were involved in a 1 week intensive Kripalu yoga program revealed that as a result of improved psychological well-being, participants were able to improve their lifestyle and eat healthier, which did result in weight loss.[2]
While studies are suggesting that practicing yoga can foster weight loss, more research would certainly help analyze which forms of yoga are best for losing weight, practice frequency, practice duration, and other variables such as diet changes and lifestyle modifications.
2 Ways Yoga Helps with Weight Loss
To lose weight, your heart rate needs to increase and remain at an increased level for at least 20 to 30 minutes three times a week.
Therefore, if you plan on using yoga as a means to reduce your weight, you must move from pose to pose fluidly without stopping for breaks (see the basic Ashtanga/Power yoga routine below) as this will ensure your heart rate remains elevated.
Moreover, using certain poses over others will ensure your body faces a greater challenge, leading to an increase in weight loss.
However, it’s not all physical and doesn’t strictly boil down to burning calories. Research suggests [2] that doing yoga improves self-awareness and can help people establish a healthier attitude toward food.
Yoga Poses that May Help with Losing Weight
The following fat-reducing poses[3] can be used in sequence as a yoga routine. Flow from one pose to the next to derive the most benefit:
1. Willow:
This move firms the sides of the abs ?
To perform this move, stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Place your left foot’s sole inside your right thigh bending your knee to the side. Bring your palms together in front of you for two breaths.
When you inhale for the third time, lift your arms in the air guiding your fingertips to the ceiling. Exhale again, and when you inhale once more, bend your torso to the left. Inhale again, and then straighten your body. Repeat three to five times, and remember to switch sides.
To make the move less intense:
Make sure your left foot remains on the floor for balance touching your calf instead of your thigh with your other foot’s sole.
To increase the challenge:
Do the pose with your eyes closed.
2. Crescent:
This yoga pose firms the thighs, hips and the abs
To perform this yoga pose, stand with your feet together, arms at your side and your toes pointed forward. Inhale as you raise your arms overhead as if attempting to reach the ceiling.
Exhale, and then bend forward at your hips placing your hands on the floor. Inhale again, and then exhale. As you exhale, place your right leg back into a lunge position. Inhale, and raise your arms upward, but keep your gaze forward.
Hold the pose then return to your starting position, and repeat on the other side of your body.
To make this pose more challenging:
When at the end position, inhale and arch your arms and torso backward, and gaze at your fingertips.
To make this pose less intense:
Lower your right knee so it touches the floor as you step back into your lunge while resting your hands upon your left thigh.
3. Chair:
This yoga pose is great for firming your thighs and buttocks
To perform this pose, begin with your feet together and your arms at your side. Inhale as you lift your arms overhead. Make sure your palms remain facing each other.
Exhale, and sit back around 45 degrees making sure to keep your knees behind your toes and your abs engaged to support your back. Keep your gaze forward. Freeze and hold the position for a few moments, and then stand back up.
To make the pose easier:
Bend only about 30 degrees, and keep your hands on your thighs.
To make the pose more challenging:
Once you sit back, lift your heels off the floor balancing on the balls of your feet while gazing up at your extended fingertips.
4. Hover:
This yoga pose firms the back, abs, arms and shoulders
To perform this pose, begin in a classic push-up position making sure you are balancing on your toes and keeping your arms straight. As you exhale, lower your chest towards the floor, and bend your elbows back. Make sure to keep your arms close to your body and your abs engaged. Hold when you are a few inches above the floor.
To make this pose easier:
Start on your hands and knees then walk hands forward until your body is in line from your head to your knees.
To make this pose more challenging:
While holding the hover pose, lift your left leg 6 to 12 inches off the floor. Hold for a moment then lower. Repeat this process three to five times then switch to the opposite leg.
5. Cobra:
This yoga pose is great for beginners as it is a simple yoga pose…
…which firms the buttocks and helps tone the abs.
To perform this pose, lie face down on the floor keeping the tops of your feet flat against the ground. Then press your hips and legs down, and move your hands under your shoulders making sure to keep your palms down and your fingers spread apart.
Next, press into your hands effectively lifting your upper back and chest off the floor. Keep your gaze forward and your shoulder blades back and down. Push back into your shoulders. You will notice the stretch as it spreads evenly through your spine. Hold the pose through a few deep breaths then relax.
To make this pose more challenging or easier:
There are no extra directions needed to simplify or increase the difficulty of this pose as you can easily adjust the challenge by either pushing harder against the floor or not pushing as hard.
Types of yoga that is good for losing weight
Any type of yoga can help you lose weight if you complement your yoga practice with a healthier diet. Adding some cardio to your regimen such as walking, running or any physical activity will help as well.
However, if you’re looking to focus on doing yoga and still burn fat, the best style of yoga is Ashtanga or Power Yoga.
Ashtanga/Power yoga are forms of yoga that flow steadily building up heat in the body. They can be incredibly intense and physically demanding workouts. Moreover, strength and core poses are often incorporated into the routine.
I started my yoga practice with Power yoga and do it to this day (along with other types of yoga). ?
The basic ashtanga/power yoga routine:
3 to 10 Sun Salutations
Sun Salutations on their own can form a great workout. They’re used in Ashtanga/Power yoga to kick off the routine because they build heat and get the body warm. By the sixth to eighth sun salutation, I’m sweating so I know it’s intense.
Standing poses
The second phase of an Ashtanga/Power Yoga routine is standing poses. At this point, you will have built-up heat and are sweating. While the standing poses are held for approximately 30 seconds, you’ll maintain an elevated heat.
Some teachers incorporate Vinyasa or mini-flows within the standing portion of the practice. What this means is you’ll do Sun Salutations in between standing poses. This is the best approach if you’re looking to burn a lot of calories with your yoga routine.
Sitting poses
While the sitting poses in most forms of yoga are static and relaxing, they aren’t during an Ashtanga/Power yoga routine because in between each sitting pose (which is held for 30 seconds or so), you do a vinyasa flow (a.k.a. mini-flow) that incorporates aspects of the Sun Salutations. Again, this maintains your elevated body heat and burns more calories.
Closing sequence
The closing sequence is the first time during this yoga routine when you’ll relax. It’s a winding and cooling-down routine preparing you for Savasana.
Other Forms of Yoga Can Foster Weight Loss
I’m not saying that Ashtanga/Power yoga is the only way to lose weight with yoga, but it’s probably the best given its intensity. However, if you complement any yoga practice with eating healthier and some mild to moderate cardiovascular exercise, you can lose weight as well.
Another Reason Yoga Helps You Lose Weight
Yoga is more than physical exercise. It’s a mind-body regimen that helps reduce stress and become less restless. Lower stress and less restlessness can help curb unhealthy lifestyle practices such as unhealthy eating, addiction, and being too sedentary. This is well-illustrated in the Kripalu yoga study set out above [2].
Do you have to embrace a vegetarian diet to do yoga and lose weight?
Frankly, this is more of a personal opinion question and nutrition belief issue. Personally, I don’t believe you must be a vegetarian to do yoga and to progress in yoga. I also don’t believe vegetarianism is the best for weight loss.
In other words, it’s my opinion (and I was vegetarian for 2 years) that while vegetarianism isn’t bad, it’s not necessary for establishing an excellent yoga practice and/or losing weight.
Yoga is a great way to lose weight?
According to the study mentioned above, it is possible to use yoga as a way to reduce your weight. Arguably, it is not the most effective form of exercise when you intend to lose a substantial amount of weight.
Although, it is great as a means to lose 5 or 10 pounds or maintain current weight. However, some individuals may have success losing even more through implementing a yoga routine.
To successfully lose weight while practicing yoga, eat a healthy diet in conjunction with your yoga practice, and flow through your yoga routine without taking breaks. This will force your heart rate up and eventually lead to your losing weight.
In addition to weight loss, you can also expect an increase in flexibility, a reduction in stress, less pain in your joints, and an increase in your lung capacity as a result of your new yoga practice. Overall, you cannot beat yoga for weight loss in regards to creating a healthy lifestyle.
At the end of the day, losing weight with yoga is as much about mindfulness and becoming more aware as it is about burning calories and getting more active.
In fact, for long-term weight loss success, a healthier mind that drives a healthier lifestyle offers far more benefits than your next 30-minute cardiovascular workout.
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Sources:
[1] Kristal AR, Littman AJ, Benitez D, White E. Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in healthy, middle-aged men and women. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;11(4):28-33.
[2] Braun TD, Park CL, Conboy LA. Psychological well-being, health behaviors, and weight loss among participants in a residential, Kripalu yoga-based weight loss program. Int J Yoga Therapy. 2012;(22):9-22.
[3] http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/top-yoga-poses-weight-loss and http://life.gaiam.com/article/top-5-fat-burning-yoga-pose.
