I have never tried yoga personally but a fellow blogger really recommends it for weight loss and here is why.
We all know losing weight isn’t easy and to be successful we need all the help we can get. Something that might assist you is Yoga which can be practised by almost everyone no matter how much they weigh. Hot yoga is supposed to be good too.
Before You Start Yoga
The first thing is to find a teacher you feel happy with, one who understands what you want to achieve from yoga. If you are thinking of attending a private class then ring the teacher first. Or in a gym ask about the type of yoga they do. There are so many different types and levels.
For the unfit beginner, I suggest the Hatha or Yin styles. Some classes are “Slow Flo” which will be fine if you have a little fitness already.
At this level, yoga is bringing more movement into your life, you get all the benefits below except the calorie burning is not massive. Be sure to get suitable yoga wear online if you don’t feel comfortable trying clothes on in shops.
Calorie Burning in Yoga
Ashtanga, Flow yoga and Hot yoga styles are quite demanding exercises and will help burn calories. These are tough and as a beginner only try them if you are quite fit already.
The first two are dynamic and will raise your heart rate. Hot yoga is in a room heated to between 37 and 40 degrees, you sweat a lot and it is quite detoxifying.
Self-Confidence and Yoga
Many overweight people lack self-confidence. It is difficult for them to meet new people and try new things. A few yoga classes will improve your self-confidence no end. You soon realise you can do things which you thought impossible before.
May be as simple as sitting on the floor to play with your children, or being able to bend down further or lift your arms overhead. A series of small wins will start to change the way you look at your potential and dream of things you never thought possible before.
Body Shape and Tone with Yoga
Yoga builds a longer leaner body than some other forms of exercise which build a shorter stockier appearance. This is from stretching the muscles in many of our poses.
Over time your body becomes more toned – flabby arms reduce and bottoms become perter. There is even one exercise specifically aimed at preventing and reducing wrinkles.
Strength and Endurance with Yoga
Holding yoga poses builds stronger muscles. This is wonderful news for the slimmer. Not only does more strength help you cope better with everyday tasks but in the long run stronger muscles burn more calories. For me, a little more upper body strength made it easier to turn over in bed making my sleep better.
Flexibility in Yoga
One way my own body changed quickly when I started Yoga was my ability to twist and squat. In the car, seatbelts became easier to fasten and looking over my shoulder to reverse was no longer an issue. Imagine emptying dishwashers and washing machines with ease.
More Mindful Approach to Life, Eating and Yourself with the help of Yoga
Yoga classes include breathing and meditation. During these exercises, we turn out minds inwards and start to listen to our bodies. We tune in to what we really need for better health.
Over time cravings for bad foods can reduce and we have an increased desire to live a healthy life. This won’t happen overnight though.
Our nervous systems become calmer and so we are less anxious. Slowly we learn to live in the moment rather than fixating on our past mistakes or worrying about the future.
At the same time, we learn self-compassion and learn to forgive ourselves accepting where we are at this point in time.
Detoxification
Twisting and turning during class helps stimulate our internal organs to detoxify our bodies. The movements improve our lymphatic drainage which in turn helps reduce water retention. Generally, elimination speeds up and we get clearer skin.
Make Friends & Have Fun
Two of the highly underrated benefits of a yoga class are making friends and having fun. Once you have been to a few classes you will really start to enjoy them and look forward to going.
You will find your happy hormone levels are increasing and you feel better for the rest of the day and into the next. Students often find themselves on a mat next to the same person each week and soon begin to chat, laugh and make friends.
Have I convinced you? I do hope you will give yoga a try as I genuinely believe it will help with your weight loss.
To read all my posts with tips and experiences of various diets, exercises and lots more check out my comprehensive Weight Loss and Exercise section.
I am always trying to find new exercises to lose weight and I think Yoga is a relaxing one as well. I like the idea of detoxification. Thanks for sharing.