Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 17th September 2018

When you think about exercise that helps with weight loss it’s probably active and fast-paced things like running, football, or squash that come to mind, but did you know that yoga can deliver the exact same results? That’s right. Yoga may not involve flinging yourself around a room at speed, or racing around after a ball of some shape, but don’t underestimate how much fat you can burn through regular, properly executed yoga sessions. Find out more about yoga here: ehiprimarycare.com

What’s the catch? 

Naturally you need to utilise yoga as a weight loss aid in a holistic way – which means eating healthy food, avoiding alcohol and sleeping well. You also need to build up to practising yoga at least 4-5 times a week, more if possible. However, considering the reward, none of these things are exactly taxing. Plus you don’t even need to leave the house to get some yoga time in – just grab your mat and do it!

How does yoga help with weight loss? 

Those unfamiliar with yoga often think the basic poses at least just look like someone having a lazy Sunday morning stretch, but that’s a very misleading perspective. In fact practicing yoga takes both mental and physical strength, as well as decent levels of endurance, flexibility and concentration. These are all skills which can be built on as your yoga practice progresses. 

Rebalancing 

Yoga is said to restore and maintain the natural balance of our mind, body and soul. In real terms this may mean it reduces stress and helps you relax, so you naturally eat less as a result. Or you may find the mind calming process of yoga makes it easier to move onto new adventures. Many people who get into yoga report excellent results when it comes to clearing out old emotions which were holding them back. Plus, yoga reduces stress, which in turn means your body produces less cortisol, which is the stress hormone which triggers weight gain.

The physical effects of yoga on the body 

The various yoga poses are known as asanas. Some are stand alone moves, others flow from one to the next in a set of coordinated moves. Check out this Alo Moves app review to learn more. Regardless, they all build muscle strength and improve flexibility which makes everyday movements more powerful in terms of burning calories. Power yoga takes things at a faster pace for those who prefer to feel the burn. 

A carefree mind 

Yoga is calming, and it is the best exercise for really connecting with yourself. The longer you practice the less you will want to make destructive choices, so avoiding unhealthy food or drinks will become a natural thing, not a chore to endure. There’s plenty of evidence to show that regular yoga sessions will help you lose weight, either slow and steadily or faster than usual if you choose the right style, and seriously increase your fitness level. This is a cheap, convenient and helpful way to create balance in all aspects of your life.

We discuss a carefree mind and rebalancing Yoga in this guide on How to Burn Weight With Yoga.