Yoga is not only a great way to relax your mind but also beneficial for the body. In fact, it is among the most effective ways of weight loss and improving overall well-being when combined with healthy lifestyle choices. Let’s dive into how that works.
Yoga for weight loss: Top benefits you should know
Essentially yoga is the traditional Indian form of mind and body rejuvenation. It helps people tackle the problem of obesity by promoting weight loss and facilitating relaxation of the mind. As a result, it ensures complete wellbeing and is an excellent step towards healthy living.
1. Combats stress-induced weight gain
Needless to say, eating healthy and indulging in daily exercise is a crucial part of the weight loss journey. While many blame a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits for weight gain, many forget that even stress can trigger weight gain.
Typically, stress is associated with chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and the inability to concentrate. However, stress often increases weight due to heightened cortisol levels in the body. Yoga can help bring down stress levels by relaxing the mind and preventing stress-induced weight gain.
2. Helps burn calories
Undoubtedly traditional yoga helps tone the body and shed extra fat while ensuring a calm and relaxed mind. On the other hand, power yoga, a modern form of yoga, is similar to a cardiovascular workout. This vigorous form of yoga helps burn calories faster, promoting weight management while rejuvenating your mind and body.
3. Boosts metabolism
With its roots in the Ashtanga Yoga, the power yoga asanas are good at building internal heat and are effective as a strength-building exercise that ensures a full body workout. This proves effective in speeding up your metabolism. Needless to say, a healthy metabolism is crucial for effective weight loss.
4. Boosts strength and stamina
More individuals are Inclined towards power yoga as it helps maintain a healthy body and boosts stamina, mental focus, and flexibility. This helps fight fatigue that’s commonly associated with being overweight—giving you more energy to indulge in physical activities for a better lifestyle. However, if you are a beginner, you should not expect results overnight. Instead, have patience and start slow.
Begin your practice with a 20-minute session, and then build it up from there. Doing so will help build strength and flexibility and, at the same time, prevent injuries. Most importantly, take at least one day off.
Besides these, practicing yoga daily helps improve concentration and makes your mind and body calm and relaxed.
It is recommended to practice yoga as frequently as possible to notice an improvement in your overall well-being and also hit your weight loss goals. However, you can choose to do a more intense session at least 3-5 times a week for hours for better results.
Note that it is essential to balance your yoga session, so make sure to plan your weekly sessions accordingly and practice more relaxing asanas on some days in between. Combine yoga with other physical activities such as walking, swimming, or cycling for added cardiovascular benefits to make the most of it. At the end of the day, it is all about making healthy lifestyle choices to ensure that you are at a comfortable body weight that feels fit and confident.