Yoga for Weight Loss
Did you know that yoga can be a great way to help lose weight?
There are so many different ways out there for people to lose weight. From crash diets to exercise fads, many are constantly looking for the best way to shed some pounds, but struggling.
Whether you are new to yoga or have been practicing for years, it can be a great way to help you lose weight. Yoga can help to relieve stress, enhance sleep, strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility, and even burn fat!
Begin Your Yoga Routine at Home
Did you know that you can even begin your yoga routine from home? If you feel a bit overwhelmed and/ or intimidated at the thought of an in-studio practice, the good news is that you can do yoga from your own home! This is great for those who are having trouble starting a practice, or who might feel a little shy in the beginning. For some, it really helps to have a quiet, private space where they can explore and experience their yoga practice.
So, what do you need to consider in order to begin your at-home practice?
- Location- First, think about your location and take into consideration where the best place will be for you to practice. Make sure that you have a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Also, be sure you have the correct yoga mat for your location of choice. For example, if you are on a carpeted floor, you would want to ensure that your yoga mat has good traction to prevent sliding.
- Modifications and Props- When practicing at home, there is not a teacher in the room with you. Therefore, if you need to modify a pose, you will have to ensure that you are taking the proper steps to do so, and never forcing a pose that you are unable to do. Having props— like blocks, straps, and chairs— can be very helpful in modifying poses and can decrease the chance of getting hurt. Take your time when practicing at home and be mindful of movements.
- Type of Practice- What type of yoga practice is best for you? There are so many different types of yoga out there to try out, so it is important to discover which one makes the most sense for you to be doing. For weight loss, one of the best types of yoga to try is power yoga. Power yoga is like a vinyasa flow, but each pose is held longer, and the muscles are really given a good workout. Many people sweat a lot during a power yoga practice, and this is a great way to help with weight loss. We recommend giving our classes a try to see what a slow-burn power yoga is like.
- Video or Self-guided- Decide if you will be watching a video and following a teacher, or— if you are more experienced— maybe practicing on your own. Some people can look at a practice online and then quietly enjoy the stretches right after. For others, they need some more guidance, especially if they do not have much experience. If you feel like you need some more help while practicing, it is recommended to follow a video or a virtual teacher when practicing at home. We offer many virtual programs for you to choose from, and we even have free routines for you to check out on youtube as well!
How Yoga Helps with Weight Loss
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits that yoga has to offer for weight loss.
- Strengthening the Muscles– Yoga is a great way to strengthen your muscles and keep them strong! This helps to burn fat and turn it into muscle.
- As a Workout- Yoga can also be used as a workout. A yoga practice will often involve a lot of movement, especially when it comes to power yoga or a vinyasa flow. The more you move, the more you sweat, and the more calories and fat you burn.
- Recovery- If you are suffering from an injury of some sort, yoga can be a great way to assist with recovery, depending on what the injury is. This also provides a way to stay up and moving instead of laying around while healing.
- Less Stress- Yoga is a wonderful stress reliever. If you find yourself feeling stressed often, you might want to try out some yoga. When we are stressed, our cortisol levels rise, and it is easy to gain or retain weight. Cortisol makes us feel hungrier and slows the metabolism as well. Through practice of breath work, mindfulness, and meditations, yoga is a great way to lower stress levels and boost the metabolism.
Our Yoga Programs, and How We can Help with Weight Loss
We offer a wide variety of yoga programs for you to choose from to properly suit your needs. We even offer a specific program directly for helping to lose weight. Our Yoga Body Strong program is designed to aid in weight loss while supporting you on your yoga journey. This program offers power yoga for total body conditioning. In addition, the program has three levels for you to choose from to support you no matter what your prior experience is. You can then work your way up to higher levels as time goes on.
Click here to learn more about our Yoga Body Strong program.
To check out the many other on-demand yoga programs that we offer, click here.