Yoga is a practice that can help build a stronger connection between your mind and body. While there are many types of yoga, some focus more on meditation and mindfulness, and others focus on strength and endurance.
As part of a regular exercise regimen, yoga can help you lose weight because it burns calories. But perhaps the larger benefit of yoga is the potential to increase mindfulness, which can reduce stress and help you live a healthier overall lifestyle.
Types Of Yoga
Yoga is a set of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that help participants focus on their breath and feel more connected to their bodies.
"Yoga includes a heavy emphasis on bringing attention inward," says David Chesworth, ACSM-Certified Personal Trainer, and Fitness Director at Hilton Head Health. "Breathing is always a part of fitness, but in yoga you're really emphasizing a certain type of breath that you connect with body positions and postures."
There are many different types of yoga, and while they all work on connecting breath with movement, some types of yoga are better suited for certain goals.
Yoga Nidra
This practice is like restorative yoga in that it focuses on relaxation, but also incorporates the use of props like bolsters or blankets to increase comfort and deepen relaxation. Yoga Nidra mainly focuses on meditation and relaxation and has been proven to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety and improve sleep. This type of yoga won't burn many calories but can enhance self-awareness and mindfulness, which can positively impact your health and aid in your weight loss goals, Chesworth says.
Vinyasa Or "Power" Yoga
This type of yoga flows from posture to posture, linking the movement of the body to the breath, says Tom Johnson, a certified yoga instructor in Connecticut.
"Vinyasa may be interesting to those who like a faster moving practice and more variety in the postures performed," Johnson says.
This type of yoga is more of an aerobic workout than Nidra and is likely to burn more calories and help more directly with weight loss.
Bikram Or "Hot" Yoga
This style is characterized by the same 26 postures and related breathing exercises performed in the same sequence in each class. The rooms in which Bikram are practiced are set to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% humidity.
"This style may be interesting to those who like to sweat and desire more predictability in their practice allowing them to perfect their performance of the postures," Johnson says.
These classes are 90 minutes long and can burn 300 to 500 calories, so this style is a good choice for those looking to use yoga for weight loss.
Yoga and calorie burning
While yoga isn’t traditionally considered an aerobic exercise, there are certain types of yoga that are more physical than others. Active, intense styles of yoga help you burn the most calories. This may help prevent weight gain. Ashtanga, vinyasa, and power yoga are examples of more physical types of yoga.
Vinyasa and power yoga are usually offered at hot yoga studios. These types of yoga keep you moving almost constantly, which helps you to burn calories. Practicing yoga may also help you develop muscle tone and improve your metabolism.
While restorative yoga isn’t an especially physical type of yoga, it still may help in weight loss. One study found that restorative yoga was effective in helping overweight women to lose weight, including abdominal fat. These findings are especially promising for people whose body weight may make more vigorous forms of yoga difficult.
Yoga may be a promising way to help with behavioural change, weight loss, and maintenance by burning calories, heightening mindfulness, and reducing stress. These factors may help you reduce food intake and become aware of the effects of overeating. More in-depth studies are needed to expand on these findings.
How Often Should You Do Yoga To Lose Weight?
Practice yoga as often as possible to lose weight. You can do a more active, intense practice at least 3 to 5 times per week for at least 1 hour. On the other days, balance out your practice with a more relaxing, gentle class. Hatha, yin, and restorative yoga classes are great options.
If you’re a beginner, start slowly — start with a 20-minute practice and build up from there. This allows you to build strength and flexibility and prevent injuries. Allow yourself 1 full day of rest each week. Combine your yoga practice with activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming for added cardiovascular benefits. As part of your routine, avoid weighing yourself directly after a yoga class, especially hot yoga, since you may lose water weight during the class. Instead, weigh yourself at the same time each day.
Poses To Do At Home
Here are a few yoga poses you can do at home if you don’t have time for a full session.
Sun Salutations
Do at least 10 Sun Salutations. You can increase intensity by holding some of the positions for longer periods or by speeding up the pace.
From standing, inhale as your lift your arms overhead.
Exhale as you swan dive down into a Forward Bend.
Jump, step, or walk your feet back into Plank pose.
Hold this position for at least five breaths.
Drop your knees down and lower your body to the floor.
Extend your legs, turn the tops of your feet to the mat, and place your hands under your shoulders.
Inhale to lift partway, halfway, or all the way up into Cobra pose.
Exhale to lower back down and then push up into Downward Facing Dog.
Hold this pose for at least five breaths.
Exhale as you jump, step, or walk your feet to the top of the mat and stand in a Forward Bend.
Then inhale to lift your arms overhead.
Exhale to lower your arms back down by your body.
Boat Pose This pose engages your whole body, especially your core, and helps reduce stress.
Sit on the floor with your legs together and extended in front of you.
Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor so that your thighs are at an angle to the floor while your shins are parallel to the floor.
Extend your arms in front of you so that they’re parallel to the floor.
If you can, straighten your legs while keeping your torso lifted.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds.
Repeat at least five times.
Plank pose Spend 10 to 20 minutes doing variations of plank pose.
From tabletop position, step your feet back with your heels lifted.
Bring your body into a straight line. You may want to check your body in a mirror.
Engage your core, arm, and leg muscles.
Hold here for at least one minute.
Make a commitment to yourself and your practice if you want to use yoga to lose weight. Make small, gradual changes and set modest goals so you’re more likely to stick to them. As you deepen your practice and awareness, you may find yourself naturally attracted to healthy foods and ways of living. While it’s not guaranteed that you’ll lose weight, it’s likely, and your positive results may extend far beyond weight loss.
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