What Yoga Exercises Are Great For Losing Weight?

Yoga is an ancient practice that’s well known for developing a sound mind and body. It recognizes that the body and mind are interrelated, and by nurturing both, a person can achieve physical and mental health. Yoga keeps the body limber and flexible. It also drives away stress and depression and provides inner peace. But aside from these benefits, yoga exercises are also great in shedding those extra pounds.

People turn to yoga exercises for weight loss because even though it is not as strenuous as other aerobic exercises, it is guaranteed to help a person lose weight. In fact, several studies show that an average person can lose as much as 13 pounds after 3 months of practice. It is also less risky and poses lesser side effects.

Indeed there’s so much to gain when you have weight to lose. Get more out of yoga by doing these yoga exercises for weight loss.

1. Wind-releasing pose. Begin by lying down on the floor. Slowly gather your knees up and bring them to your chest. Embrace your knees with your arms and slowly lift your head up. Feel your abs stretch and take 5 deep breaths. 

2. Bow pose. While lying down on your stomach, start bending your knees and reach for your ankles. Pulling in your stomach, raise your feet and upper body upward. Ensure that you are keeping your shoulder blades down while in this position. Hold this pose, take deep breaths, then relax. 

3.  Side-stretch pose. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips’ width. Rotate your upper body and feet to the right. While keeping your legs straight, slowly hinge your right leg until the upper body is parallel with the floor. Reach the floor with your hands, or if this is not possible, you can reach for a block instead. Exhale and keep breathing until your upper body is close to your thigh. Repeat the process moving in the opposite direction.  

4. Locust pose. Lie on the mat face down, your arms on both sides of your body while your palms are facing up. Gently lift your legs, the upper body and head from the mat. Hold the pose for 45 seconds, release, and repeat the process thrice.

5.  Fish pose. Lie on the mat and bring your palms under your buttocks. Lean on your elbows by bending them for support. Lift your torso up and gently arch your back. Gather your elbows together and slowly release the pose by dropping your head on the floor. 

6. Willow pose. Start by standing with your feet together. Gently lift your left foot and bring it to your inner right thigh. Gather your arms together and bring your palms across your heart. Breath in. As you exhale, slightly bend your upper body to the left. Switch sides and repeat 3 times.

7. Chair pose. Begin by standing with your feet close together and arms on the side. Raise your arms above your head with palms facing each other. Slowly move your hips back at about a 45 degree angle with knees bent.

8. Cobra pose. Lie face-down on the floor with your stomach flat on the ground. Put your hands below your shoulders and gently raise your upper body. While doing this, your thighs should remain flat on the ground. Arch your back and raise your head upward. You should be able to feel your neck stretch. Release the position and exhale.

9. Straight leg lift. Begin by lying on the mat with your back. Raise your legs together, ensuring that your feet are flexed. Keep your back pressed firmly against the mat. For variations, you can also try putting a block or throw pillow between your thighs.

10. Spine Massage Roll Ups. Start by lying on your back and bring your legs together straight up. Gently gather your feet overhead until they reach the ground just behind you. If this puts too much strain on your spine, just bring your feet at a comfortable distance while you’re rolled up. 

11. 1- minute plank pose. Get your body in a push-up position: your feet should be hip width apart while your hands are on shoulder-width. Your head, spine and butt should form one straight line. Slowly bend your elbows and lower the body. Hold the position for a minute and release. 

12. Upward dog stretch. Lie face down on the mat. Put your hands on the floor near your ribs and gently raise the upper body and the legs upward. Take a few deep breaths and feel your stomach stretch while holding this position.

13. Half moon pose. Begin by standing with your back straight and feet together. Gather your arms and bring them near the chest. With hands pressed together, raise them upwards above your head. Gently arch your upper body and head backward while your hands are held alongside the head and neck. Ensure that the knees are straight while executing this pose. 

These yoga exercises help increase your metabolism and tone your arms, thighs and abs. You may begin with the simple ones and gently advance to more complicated poses. After regularly performing these exercises, you should see significant improvements with the tone of your body as well as shed those extra pounds away.  

   

Institutions of Yoga

As we saw in the first article What Is Yoga? What Are Its Benefits To Runners?  , Yoga generally refers to the common use of a system of exercises that is practiced as part of this discipline.

The word is derived from the Sanskrit “yeung”, which means to join. A yoke as used on oxen is closely related, but also the same root gives us join, junction, junta, adjust, joust, and juxapose to name a few. 

There are many institutions of yoga all of which have their own unique practices and beliefs. But in this article we have listed down the five most common yoga practices.

However, schools and paths have been established with many different variations that aren't listed here.

 
HATHA: this is the most popular variety of yoga and one that has been commonly taught for years. So what is yoga for them? For them it is perfecting the mind by way of perfecting the body.

With this technique many asanas or postures, breathing techniques and meditations are used.

ASHTANGA: this yoga is another popular type they are much faster than the other schools. What is yoga for ashtanga’s?

For them yoga can be considered as a type of aerobic yoga for they instill quick and smooth transitions between poses.

KUNDALINI: This school is focused on awakening and focusing what is known as kundalini energy. Kundalini energy is most easily compared to life energy that lies dormant in our bodies. It is commonly represented by a coiled snake.

MANTRA: this type of yoga is focused on calming the mind and body through the usage of words and sounds. The well known 'om' chant is commonly heard in this school.

TANTRA: This type of school is well known by way of its focus on sexual spirituality. They also focus on kundalini energy, although their intent for awakening it is much different from the Kundalini practice.

Yoga is a very diverse practice, no matter which school you choose. People young and old can gain many benefits from regular yoga practices, and asanas can be adjusted to fit physical limitations and other complications.

If you want a break from treadmills, weight rooms, or the pool, take a look at yoga. Not only are you striving towards physical well being, you are striving towards spiritual well being as well.

Traditionally, yoga consists of eight fundamental paths: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Purna Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Maha Yoga and Ashtanga or Raja Yoga. In the western world, the term yoga often refers to Hatha yoga and its postures, movements, and breathing techniques.

The ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death. Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to knowledge of the true nature of reality.

What Is Yoga? What Are Its Benefits To Runners?

With roots dating as far back as 5000 years ago, Yoga has impenetrated the modern living with its many benefits. With its seemingly deep and complex nature, it is natural to ask “what is yoga?” Yoga is a practice that originated from India. It is a discipline which encompasses the physical, spiritual and mental aspects of the person. It is believed that the practice of yoga is geared towards attaining a certain goal and what this goal is depends on the form of yoga being executed. Nowadays, the yoga’s physical postures are utilized to address certain health problems and improve posture and flexibility. And on a deeper spiritual sense, yoga is used to achieve calmness and inner peace.

Yoga has several key principles. For one, yoga tells us that we are larger than we appear. This pertains to us as Beings, and that we can liberate ourselves from our surroundings, relationships and possessions. Another principle yoga follows is that it is a continuous practice. The practice of yogic postures can pose several health benefits, but it doesn’t stop there. Mindful practice of yoga also leads to tapping the deeper sense of the spirit. In short, what is yoga for many practitioners is not just merely about unleashing the immediate body’s potential. It is about getting to understand one’s self through self-discipline in order to get in touch with one’s mental and spiritual well being.

Despite Yoga’s ancient origins, it still persists today as one of the most sought-after physical activities. Even runners see yoga as a good complement to their routines, benefiting not only their physical performance, but also their mental health.

What is yoga’s benefits to runners? Although yoga and running seem not to be a perfect pair at first look, they actually complement each other. Several fitness enthusiasts are beginning to see how the marriage of yoga and running can be beneficial for one’s training. Practicing some yoga postures has proven helpful to improve strength, flexibility and stress reduction among runners.

Most runners see that pain and injuries are the bane to their training. Yoga helps minimize these through improving the body’s strength and flexibility. Whereas runners feel muscle tightness during and after the training, yoga will help loosen and relax them. It efficiently aligns the bones and muscles in order to prevent stiffness and injury. Yoga also works on strengthening the respiratory system as it works on proper breathing while executing a physical movement.

While yoga can be intense in other forms, it can also be restorative in nature. This type of yoga helps runners deal with their bodies after an intense training. With the combination of postures such as Supported Fish and Corpse Pose, the body can go into a state of relaxation.

Lastly, yoga can help runners get their mindsets straight. It has the ability to tune out the chatters of a runner’s mind that can make him disoriented. Furthermore, yoga teaches the importance of  enjoying the gradual process of the run, rather than focusing on finishing the routine. With yoga’s body and mind exercises, it can definitely help you to be continuously motivated with your next running practices.

Therefore, what is yoga for runners is the yin to the yang. Putting the practice and principles of yoga to complement a running routine will help a runner achieve more, not just in distance, but more importantly in his overall performance.