Yoga may not have the same calorie
burning effects of more intense exercises like running, swimming, and
cardio-dance routines, but don't let all that fool you. With its attention to
proper deep breathing exercises and sometimes-difficult poses held for as long
as 1 to 2 minutes, yoga for weight loss is very much a real thing— ask the many
doctors and personal trainers who vouch for it. It doesn't hurt that yoga also
places special attention on improving your state of mind and spirit, leading to
a healthier and better you.
Go for ‘Burning' Yoga
Not all yoga practices are the same,
which is why the amount of burned calories can range anywhere between 180 to
400 kcal an hour. The most strenuous forms of yoga are Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and
other forms of modified "power yoga," which blends strength
exercises, stretching for flexibility, and cardio.
A typical 90-minute Vinyasa class
should leave you drenched in sweat, as the deep breathing works your core,
flushing out toxins and water weight. Repeated upward-facing and
downward-facing dog poses will work your arms, with the effect similar to doing
push-ups.
But beyond the obvious physical and
fitness demands of yoga, there's a deeper benefit to the practice: you become
more aware of your body. You begin to develop an understanding of how your body
works, realize which poses you can and can' execute just yet, and see how
regular practice makes you better at yoga.
You also become more receptive to
your body's needs and even notice things like food that doesn't digest well, or
conversely, food that makes you feel good.
It’s a good habit to write down your
thoughts and ideas after yoga exersecises that improve our brain activity and
mental health too. Meanwhile, if you have some difficulties with writing task,
feel free to order anyquality custom paper from Essaylab.
And yet the interesting thing about
yoga is that not everyone will need the tougher classes to lose weight. Even
gentler yoga practices like Hatha yoga, with its emphasis on breathing,
strength, and flexibility, can jumpstart your body into weight-loss mode.
As you go about your daily, sometimes
stressful, routine, your body is in a heightened state of alert, with
high-octane hormones moving around your body. Yoga activates the
parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your hormones, digestion, and
breathing. This, in turn, brings your body down to a calmer state and resets
injury repair, normal metabolism, and balanced hormone generation—all of which
facilitates weight loss.
And again, yoga is about having an
awareness of your body, with its effects touching on both physiological and
psychological functions. Regularly practicing yoga heightens your sensitivity
to the body's signals, like hunger and food cravings. With regular yoga, you
begin to understand the difference between real hunger and cravings.
Think Long-Term
As with any other form of exercise and physical fitness routine, yoga's real results are most obvious when it's done over a long-term period. So anyone expecting to see weight loss results after just 4 to 5 classes is only setting themselves up for disappointment.
Research on long-term yoga practice
shows its ability to stop the middle-age spread. A recent study by the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center indicates that overweight individuals ages 45
to 55 who practiced yoga on a regular basis over ten years lost an average of 5
pounds—those who didn't gain 14 pounds.
