Best Yoga Poses for Weight Loss:

7 Ways in Which Yoga Promotes Weight Loss

Yoga is the ways of the great rishis and ascetics to connect with the soul and bring about harmony between the body and the mind. It is the holistic way of healing and maintaining overall health. But when it comes to weight loss through exercise, the image of vigorous jogging, cycling, running and jumping comes to our mind and most of us cannot relate yoga with weight loss. But yoga and weight loss are more closely related than we actually know. There are various underlying causes of weight gain and yoga addresses these causes from within.

Stimulates the Liver – Liver is the most important organ of the body that serves several functions, and the most important one is detoxification and cleansing of the body. It purifies the blood and flush out harmful chemicals and toxins. A healthy and strong liver can also eliminate bad fats from the body and put the good fats to use. It helps in providing energy to the body. Yoga poses help in enhancing the vital force of the liver for its better functioning. Liver can also be cleansed effectively by following a fruit and vegetable detox diet plan.

Activate the Thyroid Gland – The Thyroid is an important hormone-secreting gland of the body that controls metabolism. Active and high metabolism helps in burning fat from the body at a faster pace. Yoga poses help in correcting Thyroid dysfunction.

Maintaining the Right pH of the Body – A body that has a too acidic pH has the tendency to store fat in order to protect itself from the acids. And this mechanism leads to the deposition of visceral fat that accumulates inside the organs and blood vessels. Yoga asana can help in maintaining the pH of the body at a safe alkaline level.

Striking the Perfect Balance between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System – Stress is one of the major reasons for weight gain. But relaxing yoga poses can bring about the right balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system that is essential to relieve stress and anxiety.

Active Internal Heat – Warmth can be created in the body itself by activating the nervous system that automatically makes a person feel warmer. Yoga poses activate the nerves through systematic stretching, and this heat helps in burning the deep-seated visceral fat, as well as the superficial subcutaneous fat.

Move the Muscles with Strength – Yoga poses that require the body to remain active along with successive stretching and compression of muscles aid in weight loss. The activity of the muscle tissues promotes them to use up fat as a fuel.

Get the Heart Rate Up – Although cardio and indoor aerobic exercises are the most popular way to increase the heart rate, but effective yoga exercise that gets the heart rate up for a short period of time and then drops it right down.

Best Yoga Poses for Weight Loss:

You might have tried many different things to get into shape like massage gels, creams and pills. These may seem effective at first but, will have a long-term effect on the body. Yoga poses for weight loss on the other hand stretches and tones the various body parts and limbs and stimulates the metabolism of the body to promote calorie burn. So here are a few beginner yoga poses which will help you get toned legs and a flat tummy.

Yoga Warrior Pose:

The Warrior Pose or Veerabhadrasana is one of the best yoga poses for weight loss that strengthens and tones the arms, shoulders, thighs and back muscles – all at the same time. It is an effective yoga for people with back problems that is also beneficial for increasing overall balance and stamina. For this yoga pose you need to stand straight with your legs far apart. Now bring your hands up above your head and stretch them.

Clasp both hands together in a Namaste and turn your torso to the right side. You right knee should bend slightly while trying to stretch your abdominal muscles as much as you can. Close your eyes and count for 30 seconds to 1 minute. After turning it to the right, follow the same procedure to the left. This posture will tighten your muscles and also tone your legs giving you very good body strength. Repeat the posture 2 to 3 times on both sides.

Yoga Warrior Pose II:

Warrior Pose II is one of the most effective exercises for tummy and thighs that opens up the hips, strengthens and tones the thighs, works the abdominal muscles and organs and aids in enhancing stamina and concentration. It also helps in energizing the strained limbs and the answer to the question of how to get rid of upper arm flab. This yoga pose is just the same as the above. It has the same effect on the tummy and legs. Yet it is done in a different way.

Stand with your legs placed away from one another. Now move your right foot to the right side and bend your right knee so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Start your hands to two sides keeping them parallel to the floor and look to your right. Count for 30 seconds to 1 minute and return to the starting position. Repeat the same on the other side. Do the exercise 2 to 3 times on both sides. By doing this, the abdominal muscles are stretched. So try this pose which will be very effective for fat elimination.

Yoga Chair Pose:

The Chair Pose or Utkatasana is one of the best thigh exercises that strengthen and tones the muscles of the glutes, hips, back and chest along with the ankle and knee muscles. It also strengthens the lower back and torso and helps to bring forth determination in mind. In this asana, the body appears as a chair, and it requires a lot of stamina. You may feel pain in your legs in the first couple of days when you practice it. However doing this regularly will help you gain flexibility and the pain will vanish.

You need to have your feet together. Inhale while you raise your hands above your head. Stretch them up and bend your knees a little, inhale while bending your knees. Now you need to remain in this position for at least 60 seconds while breathing normally. It may be a little difficult in the beginning to remain in this position, so try to hold it for as long as you can and stand up when you feel too much pressure. You can begin by doing this 10 times every day and increase the number every 3 days. It will tone down your thighs and melt the fat from your tummy.

Boat Pose:

This is one of the power-packed mat exercises for abs toning. Sit down on a mat, and stretch out your legs. Your knees should be pulled up, thighs should be tight and your toes should be pointed out. Now try to raise your feet off the ground and bring your legs to a 45-degree angle. Inhale while you raise your feet and avoid bending your knees.

The spine should be straight, and your body should make a V shape. Raise your arms to the shoulder level. This pose will increase your stamina and also cut down tummy fat. It will increase your lower and upper body strength.

Yoga Bridge Pose:

Boat Pose or Paripurna Navasana is one of the power packed flat tummy exercises that cuts out fat from the abdomen by toning and strengthening the abdominal muscles along with the hip flexors and spine. It also tones the arm and leg muscles, helps in digestion and stimulates the thyroid glands and kidneys and is one of the best yoga exercises for neck pain.

Lie down on your back with your feet joined and your hands by your side. Now, exhale and lift your head and chest off with the ground and stretch your hands towards your feet. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute while feeling the stretch and tension in your abdominal muscles and navel while breathing normally. Slowly exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat this pose 3 to 4 times. This pose will increase your muscle strength. If you like to add a variation to this pose. Try to lift up one leg in the air for 20 seconds. You should repeat the same with the other leg.

Yoga Cobbler’s Pose:

The Cobbler’s Pose or Baddha Konasana is a simple and easy to perform yoga exercise for weight loss that can be done perfectly by newbies as well. This asana tones the lower part of the body by stimulating the abdominal muscles and organs and stretching the inner thighs, knees, and groin. It also helps in treating infertility, asthma, depression and anxiety.

The cobbler’s pose is one of the easiest and helpful poses of yoga. You need to sit down with your spine straight. Your knees should be bent, and the soles of your feet should be facing each other. You should press the soles together and hold this pose for at least a minute.

Yoga Locust Pose:

The Locust Pose or Salabhasana is one of the 12 basic Hatha yoga postures that is considered one of the best yoga asanas for weight loss because it stretches the entire body right from the thorax to the abdomen, upper back, lower back and buttocks. It is one of the best yoga poses for weight loss and flexibility that helps in enhancing the strength and flexibility of the back, arms and legs. It stretches the shoulders, chest and belly effectively.

You need to lie face down with your palms facing the ground.  While inhaling you should lift up your legs without bending your knees. Your upper torso and hands should also be lifted up giving you a stretch of the abdominal muscles. You need to balance yourself on the tummy. This posture will reduce the fats near the hips and stretch your leg muscles.

Yoga Camel Pose:

The Camel Pose or Ustrasana is the best yoga for weight loss because it targets the tummy, back and thighs – the three most difficult part of the body with stubborn fat. It also helps in opening up the chest and lungs, improving the flexibility of the chest, abdomen and neck, stimulating the thyroid gland and strengthening the back muscles. Sit on your feet with your knees and calves close together. 

You need to use some soft cloth under you to prevent pain.  Now come onto your knees and place your hands on your hips. Stretching out the torso, look above. Hold your heels slowly, one hand after the other. Bend backward and stretch out the chest and tummy.  You can feel the weight in your arms. Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute and return to the starting position. Repeat the asana 3 to 4 times. This position is useful to melt the fat in almost all the areas of the body.

The instructions above will be able to help you in effectively stretching the muscles around the hips, waist, abdomen, legs and hands. These yoga poses should be combined with a balanced diet routine like the 1200 cal diet plan in order to eliminate the fat deposited in your body and give you a healthier, lighter body. These poses not only help in toning your figure, but also aids in relieving constipation, stress and nervous tension in a natural way.  Following these yoga poses for weight loss will help you get a sound mind and a sound body.