Sustainable and safe weight loss is a whole range of activities. It includes correcting the way and diet, as well as regular and systematic physical activity.
Most often, physical activity combines cardio and strength training, as aerobic exercises help break down fat cells and strength exercises strengthen muscles, making the body look fit.
Meanwhile, yoga classes, although initially not intended to reduce excess weight, but as an additional physical activity can be quite effective in the process of fighting excess weight.
Benefits of yoga for the body and weight loss
When you start practicing yoga with the goal of losing weight, you should understand that you should not expect quick results - and this is the biggest and only obstacle of yoga. But subject to long-term and systematic work in this direction of fitness, yoga becomes perhaps the most reliable way of sustainable and safe weight loss. In addition, it helps to maintain the result of weight loss after the successful completion of an intensive fitness program and prevents weight gain in the future.
This is because the regular performance of yoga poses has such a positive effect on the human body:
- the work of all systems and organs improves;
- metabolic processes are accelerated;
- stimulate weight loss;
- resistance to stress increases and the psycho-emotional state normalizes.
You should start practicing yoga by mastering the simplest asanas and gradually, as you gain experience, move to more complex yoga poses.
Yoga breathing practice for weight loss
Kapalabhati is one of the simplest yoga exercises. It is based on the proper breathing technique and effectively activates weight loss. Kapalabhati is performed in this way:
- stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart;
- take a sharp deep breath and at the same time pull in the stomach;
- hold your breath and adjust your body position for 2-3 seconds;
- take it out calmly and repeat this exercise, stimulating weight loss, at least 50 times.
When performing kapalabhati, you must ensure that the body, except for the abdomen, remains motionless. Gradually, the number of repetitions of this simple yoga pose should increase up to 100 times.
Yoga poses to promote weight loss
For safe weight loss, you should regularly perform the following yoga poses:
Uttanasana
Stand straight, stretch your legs comfortably, while inhaling, raise your arms above your head and, while exhaling, stretch your whole body well up, without removing your heels from the floor. Then you need to lean your body down and rest your palms on the floor, placing them parallel to your legs. If the stretch does not allow you to reach the floor, then you can grab your feet with your hands and stretch in this way. As you exhale, you should straighten and lower your arms. Uttanasana improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and helps achieve effective weight loss in the abdomen.
Virabhadrasana II
Standing straight, jump up and spread your legs wide, stretch your arms straight to the sides, palms facing down. Turn one leg to the side and transfer the weight of the body to it, bending the knee at a right angle. Turn the other leg toward the bent knee. Thus, both feet should be in the same line. Turn your head towards the bent lower limb and fix this position for 60 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence of actions, turning to the other side. This exercise helps to get rid of fat deposits on the sides and strengthens the muscles of the back and limbs.
Vasishthasana
Lie on your side with one leg crossed over the other. Raise the body, leaning on the palm of the outstretched hand and the side of the leg. Raise the hand that was above vertically up. It takes 30-60 seconds to hold this position, straining and pulling in the stomach. Then you need to rotate to the other side and repeat this exercise for weight loss.
Utkatasana
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. As you inhale, raise your upper limbs above your head and bring your palms together. Exhaling, lower your pelvis and sit at a level where your hips are parallel to the floor. You need to stay in a squat for half a minute, in no case do not remove your heels from the floor. This asana for slimming the hips and abdomen should be repeated 5-6 times.
Shalabhasana
Lie on your stomach on the floor, stretch your upper and lower limbs back, press your palms to your hips, bring your feet together. Exhaling, simultaneously raise the upper body and legs to the maximum possible height. Over time, when the muscles become stronger, when performing this asana, only the stomach will touch the surface of the floor. Shalabhasana strengthens the spine, develops back and limb muscles and helps reduce excess weight.
Paripurna Navasana
Sit on the floor, keeping your back straight, bend your lower limbs and rest your feet on the floor. After taking a sharp breath, tilt your body back about 60 degrees, keeping your back straight. Exhaling, lift your feet off the floor, straighten your knees and raise your lower limbs to the level of your face and extend your upper limbs towards your knees. This position should be fixed for half a minute. Paripurna Navasana helps to lose weight in the abdomen, strengthens the muscles of the press and improves the functioning of the digestive tract.
Chaturanga Dandasana
Lying on your stomach, rest your palms on the floor at chest level, spread your legs shoulder-width apart. During the exhalation, leaning on the palms and toes, raise the body so that it is parallel to the surface of the floor and hold this position for the maximum possible period of time. This asana strengthens the muscles of the whole body and forms the right posture.
Bhujangasana
Maintaining the initial position, as in the previous yoga pose - lying on the stomach with emphasis on the palms at chest level - during breathing, raise the upper body, leaning on the straight upper limbs and, exhaling, try to bend over. back as low as possible. This exercise strengthens the deep muscles of the back and helps to lose weight in this part of the body.
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Staying with an emphasis on the palms and knees, while exhaling, bend the lower limbs and stretch the tail up, stretching the spine, without lifting the palms and feet from the floor. This position should be held for 30 seconds.
Savasana
Lie on your back, it is convenient to spread the lower and upper limbs, point your palms up, close your eyes and rest for 15 minutes. This yoga pose is recommended to end the class.