Yoga is a philosophy and art of achieving harmony with yourself and the world. But yoga is also a physical activity that can help you improve flexibility, develop balance and even lose a few extra pounds. Let’s find out what you need to do to get all these impressive perks.
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Benefits of Yoga for the Body
Any activity from working to betting via 22Bet has a specific target. Yoga also has a goal. It’s self-discovery and the development of mindfulness. Yoga builds a strong bridge between the body and mind in the form of new constructive neural connections, which helps you better understand yourself and learn self-control and discipline.
Yoga’s powerful effect on the body comes from a combination of specific physical exercises, breathing practices and meditation that harmonize the mind and put the body in order. Unlike fitness, yoga isn’t just about burning calories but about changing your inner state by increasing your level of awareness.
What other benefits yoga provides:
- Strengthens the deep muscles of the body through predominant static exercise.
- Improves balance and coordination of movement.
- Develops flexibility, and lengthens muscles, making them elastic.
- Eliminates stiffness and stiffness of joints, preventing age-related diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Normalizes lymph flow and blood circulation, normalizing the work of many-body systems.
- Harmonizes the nervous system and relieves stress and tension.
It depends on the regularity of your training and your lifestyle. Overeating, lack of sleep, and inconsistency of water regime hinder weight loss and nullify the exercise results.
Mindless performance of asanas and improper breathing during the practice will not bring any benefit to the body. When performing yoga for weight loss, watch your breathing and maintain deep concentration during each movement.
How Yoga Can Help You Lose Weight
Many people wonder if you can lose weight with yoga, given its moderate and low-intensity workout. But not every yoga is a relaxed, mostly static activity.
Power Ashtanga yoga, dynamic Iyengar yoga, hot Bikram yoga, and others provide intense cardio exercise that leads to increased fat burning. But all of these types of yoga are not suitable for beginners who are just beginning to get acquainted with asanas. So, we will talk to you about classical hatha yoga in the context of weight loss.
Yoga for beginners for weight loss begins with learning how to breathe correctly. There are a few simple rules of breathing during practice that should be mastered by beginners:
- Breathe with your abdomen and diaphragm deeply and measuredly. During the practice, you should not find yourself short of breath.
- Breathe in on relaxation and exhale on exertion, which will help you build your posture properly and deepen your stretch.
- Don’t hold your breath for more than 2-3 seconds in the pauses between asanas.
- Practice deep breathing at the beginning and end of your workout: place your palm on your stomach and control the inhalations and exhalations by exhaling and retracting your stomach.
- While holding a static asana, concentrate on the inhalations and exhalations, which will help you turn off the internal dialogue.
Breathing exercises are key in yoga for weight loss for beginners at home, as proper breathing increases oxygen intake and carbon dioxide production, which accelerates gas exchange and triggers a fat breakdown.
Top 8 Hatha Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss
Static poses train postural muscles, making the body stronger and more enduring. Basic yoga asanas for weight loss at home are suitable for beginners. Here are the most effective ones.
Plank
Effect: strengthens the deep muscles of the body, activates blood circulation in the abdomen, works the abs and cortex.
Stand in a prone position, do not raise or lower the pelvis down, palms standing strictly under the shoulder joints. Tense your abs, gently pull your belly in, look straight ahead and breathe at a calm pace.
Downward-Facing Dog
Effect: stretches hamstrings and calf muscles, stretches the spine, strengthens arms and abdominal muscles.
From the plank, lift your pelvis up, straightening your arms and legs. Lower your head between your shoulders, and bend slightly in the back. The pose should remind you of an inverted letter V. In asana, you should feel the stretching of the back surface of the thighs and calves.
Upward-Facing Dog
Effect: strengthens shoulder girdle, stretches pectoral muscles, increases back flexibility, opens up the thoracic spine.
From the muzzle-down dog, lower your pelvis, arching your back, rise on your hands and rest on your toes. At the same time, the hips only lightly touch the floor, which provides a load on the muscles of the cortex and abs.
Lunge
Effect: strengthening the quadriceps, biceps of the thighs, buttocks, toning the abs and back, stretching the hamstrings.
Stand up straight and take a wide step back with one leg. Bend the front leg at the knee, and try to straighten the back leg completely, dropping as low as possible. Lift your hands up, put your palms together, arch your back, and pull your head up. Repeat the lunge for the other leg.
Warrior Pose III
Effect: the improved sense of balance, stretching the back of your thighs, strengthening the leg, glutes, and abs.
Shift your body weight to one leg and slowly bring the other leg to the back while leaning forward. Bend until your body is parallel to the floor, trying to pull your leg in line with your back. Arms may be folded across the chest, stretched out behind or in front of you.
Chair Pose
Effect: strengthening the muscles of the hips and buttocks, toning the abdominal and core muscles, and developing balance and concentration.
Put your legs together, straight arms up. Bend your knees slightly and bring your body forward without rounding your back. Look straight ahead, keeping your back and arms in one line.
Tree Pose
Effect: development of balance and coordination of movements, strengthening the muscles of the bark, hips and legs, stretching the spine.
Stand up straight, with the foot of one foot on the inner thigh of the other. Raise your arms up, putting the weight of your body on the supporting leg. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath. Repeat for the other leg.
Boat Pose
Effect: working the abs and gluteal muscles and strengthening the bark, developing balance and coordination.
Sit on the floor, bend your knees. Lift your legs up and, slightly tilt your back back, extend your arms in front of you. The pose must resemble the letter V. Tense your abs, keep your balance, and try not to round your back.