Yoga Poses for Weight Loss
If you’re looking to shed some extra pounds, these yoga poses can help.
Many people who practice yoga do it for the stress relief and gain in flexibility. But did you know that yoga can also be great for helping you lose weight? This is because yoga is often times strenuous enough to tone the body and burn calories. Physically demanding yoga poses require the use of numerous muscles for added strength, and the result is a leaner, healthier you.
When practiced properly the yoga postures below can help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle overall. Do them on a daily basis and watch the pounds melt away!
By Lauren Cap
Sun Salutations
The flow of controlled deep breath and movement warms the muscles and prepares the body for practice. Sun Salutations build heat, assist in blood flow, circulation, and helps with digestion.
Image source: wellandgood.com
Standing Forward Fold
Although this posture may seem passive, it is extremely active. Forward bending tones the quadriceps and abdominals as well as stretches the calves and hamstrings. This active and deep fold massages the abdominal organs, calms the mind and nervous system, and helps reduce fatigue.
Image source: lovemyyoga.com
Downward Facing Dog
The misconception is that downward facing dog becomes a resting posture, however the opposite is true. This energizing pose ignites the entire body. To sustain downward facing dog, the muscles must support the joints and bones, thus strengthening the hands, arms, shoulders, chest, abdominals, and thighs.
Image source: i-medicro
Warrior II
One of the most powerful of yoga asana, warrior 2 strengthens the muscles of the upper back, shoulders and arms. Finding balance in this posture calls on abdominal strength and requires use of the adductor of the hips, quadriceps, calves, and ankles for stability. Abducting the arms in this posture strengthens the supraspinatus muscle of the rotator cuff. This muscle is the most commonly torn of the four rotator cuff muscles. When strengthened, the supraspinatus will have a harder time tearing if misalignment, overuse, or misuse occur.
Image source: yogajournal.com
Half Moon
This posture requires immense abdominal and leg strength in order to support the body for balance. Abducting the arms away from the body strengthens the muscles of the arms, chest, obliques, and lattisimus dorsi located on the middle back. The gluteus medius contracts and adducts the lifted leg while stabilizing the supporting leg. The focus and balance required for the fullest expression of this posture is what makes this an overall body changing posture.
Image source: wikimedia.org
Plank
The arms, chest, shoulders, abdominals, quadriceps, gluteals, calves, and feet are working to assist in holding the body upright. Maintaining this high plank posture with hips level calls on the abdominal muscles for support. Plank pose tones from head to toe.
Image source: yogajournal.com
