Yoga is a truly fantastic type of physical exercise. It’s good for both the body and the mind, as well as proven to help deal with a variety of debilitating physical conditions, such as osteoarthritis. However, is it true that using yoga for weight loss won’t bring you the desired result?
It’s a difficult question because there isn’t the ‘right’ answer. On one hand, yoga is a type of workout, so it must help you get into a better physical shape. On the other, this particular practice doesn’t strain your body in a way that would truly ‘encourage’ it to burn off fat, like aerobics do.
In order to determine whether practicing yoga is the right kind of activity to include in your weight loss program, you must understand why exactly it benefits your body.
How Exactly Does Yoga for Weight Loss Work?
Developing an efficient workout program is an essential part of weight loss, because without exercising your muscles, you wouldn’t be able to achieve the figure of your dreams. You also need to bear in mind that dieting alone doesn’t provide impressive weight loss results.
Starvation diets might help you lose quite a few pounds rather fast, but they are extremely dangerous for your health. In addition, in most cases people who resort to such limited meal plans end up on an eating binge after the diet is ‘over’ and gain more weight than they originally had. This is caused by the body’s natural instinct to store up more fat and protect itself in case another starvation period comes along.
Therefore, in order to be truly effective in the long run and safe, a diet must be well-balanced, so you can’t cut down your calories drastically. Exercising is necessary to achieve the extra edge that you’d otherwise get by not ingesting a sufficient amount of nutrients.
The more active the exercise, the better is its ability to speed up the fat burning process, which is why aerobics is considered the most weight loss friendly type of workout. Yoga, however, doesn’t work this way, so many people doubt its power.
However, some studies indicate that yoga practitioners lose weight more efficiently and can maintain their new figure longer. So, how does this happen if a yoga session doesn’t get you to burn off the fat faster?
The answer is ‘body awareness’. This is the skill a person develops when they practice yoga regularly. This practice, no matter the level, teaches you to notice and understand every change within your body and to be aware of it at all times. This kind of deep connection between your mind and body is what helps you understand your own needs better.
This can benefit your weight loss efforts in many ways, including:
- Helping you understand which exercises or dieting rules produce better results. You can use this data to personalize your weight loss program and make it more efficient overall.
- Assisting you with maintaining motivation as you come to terms with your body and understand your personal limits.
Does Yoga Help with Weight Loss?
Overall, using yoga for weight loss may help you achieve your goals. However, this practice can’t take you too far on its own, so it must be integrated into an exercise program that would give you a ‘proper’ fat-burning workout. Practicing yoga 1-2 times a week while you have aerobics and strength training at least 3 times a week would be the best combination.
You also shouldn’t forget about your diet and the fact that you can enhance your weight loss program with specialized dietary supplements. For example, Garcinia Cambogia Extract would help boost the fat burning rate and Digestive Enzymes would help your body break down nutrients more efficiently and improve digestion.
