Are you looking to lose some weight? Have you tried some weight control methods and still failed? If the answer to these questions is in positive, then you are at the right place.
Our Answer: Yoga helps in toning up your body and giving you a perfect look. Losing weight can be an impossible task if you are doing it wrong. Not only you can end up wasting a lot of time and resources, but a wrong weight loss method can also cause your body to undergo some unwanted changes like muscle pain and stress.
In this article, we will walk you through a beginner’s yoga guide for weight loss including the yoga positions, precautions you need to take and some tips for trying it. Yoga is a time-tested and ancient way to reduce weight and also brings many positive changes in you. It uplifts your mood, reduces anxiety and enhances your alertness and joint movement.
Let’s start it with yoga positions
Following are some of the yoga positions that are very effective when it comes to weight loss.
Warm up yourself!
For warming up, you can use the cow position and the cat position. Both of these positions are same up to some extent. All you need to do is get on your knees and hands. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders and knees hip-width apart. Inhale deeply in this position and tighten your abdominal muscles upwards. This is the cow position.
When you exhale, you will go into the cat position. Make sure that while exhaling, you arch your back and your head moves upwards. This intensifies the stretch in your back.
A child’s thing
Get on your yoga mat. Sit knees forward on the floor and place your forearms along the floor. Now move your upper body towards your legs and make sure that you keep your weight on your hips. To complete the second part of this exercise, move your head towards the floor and arms straight in front of you. Make sure that your feet stay on the floor during the course of this exercise and knees together.
You can modify the speed of this pose according to your comfort but remember to gradually increase it. This pose is also known as a child’s pose and you have to mimic the way children sit on their knees.
Let’s stand straight
Stand straight on your feet joined together. Keep your hands straight along with your legs. After doing this, inhale deeply, and raise your hands slowly till they reach over your head. Make sure that your fingertips are straight, shoulders down and away from your ears. This position uses the force of gravity and helps you in losing weight.
Bridge Time
It is a great yoga position which is very effective for shedding off the excess fat on your hips. You can start this pose by laying on your back, knees bent and heels just behind your hips. Now lift up your back, avoid using your arm strength for lifting your back. For beginners, holding your back up for 5 seconds is great. You must increase the lift time with the passage of time. Carry on this exercise for 10 minutes with a break of 15-20 seconds between each lift.
One leg heroics
Getting tough? Well, we want to have you the best results.
Stand on your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your both hands together at your heart. Now bend one knee and keep it on the straight leg’s knee. Maintain your balance in this position. When you feel that you are stable enough and will not fall down, raise your hands in the air straight over your head. Raising your hands applies more gravity on your belly fat and this helps in removing excess fat.
Let’s Bend over
Bending over can help you reduce the extra fat on your belly. This is a simple yoga position but it gets tough as you increase the time. Simply stand on your feet and bend forwards. Bending in this direction helps in stretching the stomach muscles and melting extra fat. Make sure that your hands are parallel to your legs. It would be very difficult for you to bend completely during the first few days. With the passage of time, you will be able to bend completely and for longer periods of time. The ultimate goal of this position is to bend to such a level that you can stand on your toes and keep your palms on the floor. Bending for 30-40 seconds is ideal with a break of 15-20 seconds in between each bend.
Spine Twists
Spinal twists are a great way to tone done your entire body. This is a common weight reducing exercise, but when it is combined with the yoga techniques, it yields efficient results. Sit on the floor on your hips and straighten out your legs. Turn one leg in such a way that your foot touches the back side of your thigh of other leg. Now place the other leg over the folded leg. Place your one hand on the floor behind your back for support and one hand on the thigh of your leg above the folded leg. As you breathe, twist your body to one side and then to the other side.
Hold on; Read these tips and precautions to enhance the outcome.
- Use a yoga mat – for beginners yoga mat is a great accessory. People with excessive fats have problems while doing yoga on hard surfaces. A yoga mat provides an accurate level of comfort required to perform yoga.
- Rely on accessories – you might face some trouble in making the above poses. Accessories like belts, blocks, and benches can help you execute the above postures.
- Time it up – You should carry out each position for a minimum of 10-15 minutes.
- Develop a Routine –Yoga will only give you results when you develop a fixed routine. Spontaneous yoga will not help your cause.
- Avoid Pain – Eliminate any pose from your routine if it causes you unbearable pain and visits your doctor.
A Final Note
Yoga can be hard for overweight people, but it is not impossible. There are countless people who have toned down their bodies using simple yoga techniques. Once you get into the routine, you start to enjoy your yoga sessions and reap many benefits from it.