Choosing yoga for weight loss doesn’t seem like the best idea. However, it turns out that low-intensity exercises can be just as effective as high-intensity exercises when it comes to shedding unwanted pounds and staying fit and healthy.
So if you prefer to go slowly, you’re in luck. “As we know, high-intensity exercise has great benefits, especially in terms of fat loss,” said Nick Hewitt, personal trainer for The Training Room. “However, high-intensity exercise often involves a good level of strength and fitness to work safely without creating the risk of injury. Low-intensity exercise reduces the likelihood of injury.”
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to invest in one of the best yoga mats and set off on your yoga journey.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Weight loss is usually not the first benefit that comes to mind when people start practicing yoga.
“Yoga is a collection of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India 5,000 years ago,” says the leading yoga teacher Sarah Highfield. “In the West, yoga is mainly known as a physical exercise designed to increase strength and flexibility, as well as breathing exercises.”
Yoga can help you too Improve posture, Memory and mental wellbeing. In addition, yoga can help you become more aware and aware of your body and lifestyle. Yoga will help you pay more attention to what you are consuming, which can lead to healthier food choices, leading to weight loss.
Remember, if you exercise at a lower intensity, you will need to increase the duration to get the same benefits.
Which yoga style is best for weight loss?
Here is the good news and bad news. While Yoga for beginners fun and accessible, in order for exercise to have any impact on your weight loss, you need to opt for a more dynamic style.
Yoga can help some people lose weight, but they need to try a more intense exercise like vinyasa or power yoga, and this should also be combined with healthy eating, according to Sarah.
“While most types of yoga aren’t strenuous enough to be considered an ‘exercise’, it will definitely help you strengthen your body and reduce stress (and stress levels are linked to weight gain),” says Sarah.
What Are the Best Yoga Movements to Help You Lose Weight?
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Hip opener
First, get into a downward facing dog position. With the dog facing downwards, raise your left leg towards the ceiling, foot bent, and hips straight. Bend your left knee and let your heel move toward your hip. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg. Return to the downward facing dog before placing your hands on your feet and slowly curling yourself into a standing position. Repeat on the other side.
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EASY LUNGE TWIST
With the dog facing downward, exhale, bring your left foot forward, and place it between your hands. Bend your left knee 90 degrees. Then place your right hand next to your left foot so that it is just below your shoulder. Inhale and raise your left arm towards the ceiling by twisting your torso to the left. Turn your gaze towards the ceiling and extend yourself through your spine. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
(Photo credit: future)
MALASANA YOGA SQUAT
Place your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and point your toes outward. Squat as low as you can, bringing your elbows to the inside of your knees and bringing your palms together. Squeeze your knees apart with your elbows and hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
How To Get The Best Weight Loss Results From Yoga
“For the best results, practice as often or as little as you are happy with,” says Sarah. “Yoga should never be an activity that you don’t look forward to.”
Try to find a balance that works for you. For some people, that might be a 30-minute session a day. For others, it’s three 45-minute sessions a week, or even one 60-minute session every two weeks.
“My recommendation is to do what you can and you will find that if you enjoy it, you will end up doing more and if it’s not for you then don’t worry,” says Sarah. “Personally, I try to do three 45-minute sessions a week and that helps me feel healthy and balanced.”
(Image credit: Getty)
Other low intensity exercises to help you lose weight
Not sure if yoga is right for you? These other low intensity exercises can also help you lose weight.
- Tai chi
“Tai chi is beneficial for both your mental and physical well-being as it can help reduce stress, improve your posture, and strengthen your legs,” says Nick. “It can also improve your balance and general mobility, which, if you are an older adult, will help reduce the risk of falls.” Practitioners recommend that you attend two to three classes a week and practice diligently for 10 to 20 minutes a day for beginners. If you’d like to practice at home, search YouTube for “tai chi for beginners” for a wealth of videos. - Walk
Brisk walking is a great form of low intensity exercise because it can be done anywhere. All you need is a pair of the best womens walking shoes and you’re good to go “If you’re not very active, start walking and gradually increase your pace and distance,” says Nick. “Walking can help you build endurance, improve muscle endurance and body composition, and burn those excess calories.” - swim
Swimming is a great full body workout and can help you gain strength and lose weight. Swimming a few lengths will affect all of the muscle groups, and you will get a good aerobic workout if you increase the pace. How much will you lose It depends on your weight. As a rough guide, someone weighing around 9 can burn up to 590 calories in an hour if they swim fast and 413 an hour if they swim slower. To lose weight, plan two to five hours every week. Do you want to burn more Try water swimming outdoors. The cold water makes your body work harder to keep you warm, which means you burn more calories. Acclimatize first, always swim with others, and speak to your doctor if you are not used to cold water swimming.
