Yoga is a popular method for attaining both physical and mental peace and this is why you need to know some easy yoga poses to help lose weight. Despite having Indian origins and only being popular in the subcontinent initially, Yoga is now practiced by people across the globe who wish to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and also attain some spirituality.
The discipline of yoga has five basic principles: exercise, diet, breathing, relaxation, and meditation. Most people are unaware of the fact that Yoga is an easy to way to attain inner and outer fitness – meaning you can use easy yoga poses to help lose weight.
Yoga improves your body functioning, serves as a detoxifying agent, and brings a natural glow to your face and body. Not only do these attributes contribute towards weight loss, but they also help facilitate a healthy lifestyle and routine.
Yoga for Weight Loss
Yoga is not only the practice of meditation, but a complete change in lifestyle. If you want to use yoga to lose weight, it is important for you to also focus on healthy eating simultaneously. When these two are combined, weight loss becomes fairly simple as both your mind and body are being stimulated.
Yoga is also known to increase your mindfulness, helping you develop a deeper connection with your body. Once you begin practicing some easy yoga poses to help lose weight, you will automatically start opting for healthier food options that allow you to lose weight.
Losing weight is not only about exercise and healthy eating, but also a method of attaining your optimum body. By using yoga poses to lose weight, you can strengthen your body and develop a wide range of useful body skills. This includes improved flexibility, better respiration, more energy and vitality in the body, and a well-balanced metabolism. With athletic health such as cardio strength and muscle toning, one can lose weight with yoga alongside of developing a fit body.
Apart from direct weight loss, yoga is also known to be beneficial for stress management. Stress has many negative effects on the body such as insomnia, headaches, or the inability to concentrate. By controlling your anxiety levels and having a calm mind through yoga poses, you can focus on your eating and exercising habits more mindfully. This not only allows you to lose weight, but also to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the future.
Easy Yoga Poses To Help Lose Weight
If you are just a beginner at yoga and want to lose weight, this list of easy yoga poses to help lose weight is perfect for you.
Sun Salutation
This is a powerful yet one of the more easy yoga poses to help lose weight that is optimized for the belly area.
The Position
If you are looking for easy yoga poses to help lose weight then this is a great position to try. This yoga pose is supposed to help you stretch your entire body from top to bottom. This means that it targets a range of muscles in your body and helps them stretch to their maximum.
By doing such yoga poses, you are redirecting energy towards your body – helping you break free from all mental blocks. When beginning with your yoga session, you can start off with this pose to help your body adjust to the new yoga routine. By repeating easy yoga poses to help lose weight, you can stimulate your muscles and prepare them for the rest of the poses.
Time
One complete circle of the sun salutation pose consists of 12 yoga poses, alternating between the right and left leg. The circle can be completed within 40 seconds, meaning that you can complete two circles within a minute.
It is important to continue with this yoga pose for about 10 minutes at least, or before your body begins to ache. Remember that it is important to develop both flexibility and strength during your yoga poses.
Benefits
- Effective for reducing belly fat
- Improves blood circulation through body
- Has calming effects and reduces anxiety
- Helps stimulate muscles and encourages flexibility
Standing Forward Bend
Out of all the easy yoga poses to help lose weight, this is an easy yet effective position. This easy yoga pose is optimal for weight loss in the belly area as well. It applies pressure to the muscles in the abdomen and helps you burn extra calories.
The Position
This yoga pose is usually practiced in the beginning of your yoga routine in order to warm up the muscles and improve flexibility. This position is practiced by bending downwards while stretching your legs and hip muscles tightly.
Initially, you will feel your rapid heartbeat which is due to increased blood circulation. Remember to remain in this position for a few seconds as it helps the energy flow through your body, flattens the stomach, and strengthens the legs.
Time
When in this position, tuck your tummy inwards for 15 seconds and then exhale to release. Repeat this process 3-5 times, and gradually increase for quicker weight loss results. This yoga pose is especially well-suited for beginners who want to see quick results with weight loss since it works towards a flatter belly.
Benefits
- Helps the digestive system
- Stimulates better breathing
- Eases migraines
- Lessens stress levels and fatigue
- Burns fat in the abdomen
- Helps with soothing lower back pain
- Has significant healing qualities for osteoporosis and sinusitis.
Downward Facing Dog
This is one of the simpler and easy yoga poses out there. It is another great way to lose weight. When practicing this pose, remember to stretch your body and muscles upwards.
The Position
By bending forward and placing the weight of your body onto your hands, you need to stretch the muscles throughout your body in an upward direction. This helps build muscle strength in the arms and forearms, and even tones your biceps. This position is also effective for burning fat around your arms as it stretches muscles alongside of providing weight on them.
Time
Since this is an easier yoga pose, it is recommended to stay in this position for as long as possible (such as 1-2 minutes). For beginners, 30 seconds is ample time as well. It is recommended to repeat this yoga pose 5 times during your yoga session and gradually increase this number as your flexibility improves.
Benefits
- Provides strength to shoulders and arms
- Stimulates blood flow towards the brain
- Cools down the nerve cells and nervous system
- Contributes towards stronger bones
- Allows for weight loss in upper thighs and arms
Half Moon
Apart from weight loss, it is important to learn stability and balance through yoga as well. The half-moon position is great for this as it teaches you to balance your weight while helping you reduce fat from the thigh and stomach areas.
The Position
The half-moon easy yoga poses require you to balance your body on one leg and lean towards your side while balancing your upper body with your arm. If balancing on your left leg, then you will use your left arm to balance as well.
While it may be difficult to balance your entire weight on one arm and leg initially, it is possible to perfect this yoga position in little time. It allows you to stretch your belly and thigh muscles in a rigorous manner, thus burning fat.
Time
It is recommended to hold this position for the duration of 5-10 long breaths. If you are a beginner, you may choose to hold it for fewer breaths. By staying in this yoga pose for a long time, you can train your metabolism to work faster and burn fat quicker.
Benefits
- Aids the digestive system by fixing problems such as indigestion or constipation
- Releases tension from chest and shoulders
- Has anti-anxiety benefits due to deep breathing exercise
- Improves balance and coordination between different body parts
- Burns fat in thighs and stomach
- Is helpful for soothing back pain
- Improves muscle strength across the body
Cobra Pose
Not only is this yoga position easy but is also extremely effective to help you lose weight.
The Position
The cobra pose is one of the most effective easy yoga poses out there. This yoga pose requires you to lay down on your stomach and use your arms and shoulders to lean back as you face upwards.
This position is simple to follow and hold as it does not require any extensive balance or technique. The cobra pose is popular for burning belly fat as it stretches the muscles in your abdomen, stomach, and chest.
Time
It is recommended to hold these easy yoga poses for up to 20 seconds as you take 4-5 deep breaths. It is important to feel your stomach pressed against the floor and a stretch in your chest muscles lifted above. For faster weight loss, try to increase your holding time in this position every day. You can take a break of 10 seconds before repeating this pose.
Benefits
- Firms the muscles in your buttocks
- Stretches your chest and lungs
- Eases back pain
- Reduces fatigue and lethargy
- Improves the flow of menstrual periods
- Helps develop flexibility in muscles
- Stimulates weight loss in stomach
Power Yoga VS Regular Yoga
Apart from these easy yoga poses, many people are interested in speeding up their weight loss process by opting for power yoga. While regular yoga helps you tone your body and muscles while losing weight, power yoga has a different aim.
Power yoga is the practice of vigorous exercise that stimulates your brain and body simultaneously. It can be easily compared to a cardiovascular workout as it includes many quick exercises. Power yoga is greatly beneficial for weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy body though, since it improves mental focus, stamina, and stability.
Simply put, power yoga is the form of yoga that is more common amongst people who aim to lose weight. The unique poses of power yoga help stimulate internal heat, increase your stamina, and help you develop a strong and powerful body.
Apart from the benefits of regular yoga poses, power yoga helps you burn calories a little quicker and boosts your metabolism in a healthy manner. It also has a positive impact on your mental health as it reduces stress levels and focuses on your overall wellbeing.
Can I Lose Weight with Yoga?
Depending upon the type of yoga poses you choose to practice and the time durations you hold them for, it is possible to lose a significant amount of weight with yoga. However, your individual progress with weight loss using yoga poses will vary depending upon your own body and factors such as metabolism rate and flexibility.
One can easily lose belly fat using yoga. By stretching your muscles, your belly becomes more toned and loses the excessive fat. However, yoga specialists do not recommend you focus on one specific portion of your body when practicing yoga. Instead, it is important to stimulate your entire body and mind for better results.
Is Yoga Better than Gym?
Both yoga and gym are types of exercises, and both have their own set of advantages. While gym fitness focuses more on muscle growth, yoga involves stretching, relaxation, and control. There is no way to determine which one works better than the other for a healthier or athletic body. Depending upon your own body and fitness goals, you would be able to take an informed decision by trying out both ways of fitness.
In many cases, people prefer yoga over gym since it allows them to have a more flexible body. By stretching their muscles every day, people feel as if the energy in their body has been rejuvenated and they feel healthier than before.
People who spend more time at the gym may feel stronger in terms of muscle growth.
The Final Word
Yoga is an easy way to lose both weight and mental stress. Since these easy yoga poses stimulate both your body and mind simultaneously, it is easy to lose weight and relax your mind when you practice these poses.
While you may think that yoga is too difficult for you, that is far from the truth. By starting off with these easy and simple yoga positions, you can eventually add more complex yoga positions to your routine as well and constantly stimulate healthy weight loss for your body.
After all, yoga is not only about stretching your muscles or having some flexibility but is also about developing a fit and healthy body that you are satisfied with. So if you are looking for effective and easy yoga poses to help lose weight then you have to definitely try out the poses mentioned in this article.
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Reference
Jeremy Park, the founder of jeremylife.com, is a love and relationships expert. With a journalism degree and years of exploration, he offers valuable insights to help you live your best love life. His mission is to make the journey enjoyable and effortless.