Most articles about yoga for weight loss are superficial. They provide some peek-in exercises and general formulas that don't carry any value. As a result, no matter how much you learn in this lesson, your abs and sides stay with you. In fact, you can lose weight really fast with yoga if you know how. Therefore, I am going to tell you about a real quick fix that I accidentally came across during my yoga class.
To be honest, I have never had any doubts whether yoga helps lose belly fat. It has always been clear to me that a flat stomach is an added benefit of regular yoga practice. I have seen people who are constantly taking yoga classes get slim and fit. But this all happened gradually. If you want to get the results as quickly as possible, read the article to the end. Now that you know the simplest yoga exercises for weight loss at home, I will tell you about three secret yoga exercises that will allow you to lose literally one centimeter of belly fat a day.
Yoga for weight loss for beginners at home
At home, it is very easy to do asanas - static yoga postures. To do this, it is enough to spread the rug in the morning and do a few simple exercises. Do this complex yoga for weight loss at home every morning. It only takes 15 minutes. The complex includes all types of asanas: standing postures, twists, bends. Each asana affects a specific area of the body, improves blood circulation and metabolism, normalizes hormone levels, and gently massages the internal organs. Through this influence, this yoga complex starts the weight loss process. Static asanas are more related to the direction of hatha yoga; Kundalini yoga has also been shown to be good for weight loss.
Why is it recommended to train in the morning? Because usually at this time our stomach is empty and it's been about 8 hours since the last meal. This is an important nuance. One Yoga Master I studied said: the effectiveness of asanas depends on the emptiness of the stomach. And, of course, before starting this simple yoga for weight loss, drink a glass of water and empty your intestines.
- Stand straight with your feet as wide as your feet, inhale and raise your arms above your head with your palms facing inward.
- Exhale and bend your knees, falling to the floor, as if sitting in a chair.
- Your torso will naturally tilt forward slightly. Try to straighten your shoulders, pull your shoulder blades back, and lower your shoulders away from your ears. Take a deep breath, take 5 deep breaths and exhale.
- Stand in the same chair position, but instead of extending your arms over your head, lower your arms to chest level as you bend your legs.
- Then bring your palms together as in prayer and rotate your upper body to the right so that your left elbow rests gently on your right thigh.
- Keep your stomach strong and keep taking deep breaths. Maintain the pose for five breaths in and out. As you inhale, straighten your knees to return to the starting position, then repeat the exercise on the other side.
- Get on all fours with your knees shoulder width apart, palms just below your shoulders.
- Spread your fingers wide and put the weight on your hands.
- As you exhale, lift your knees off the floor and straighten your legs, lifting your pelvis.
- Push the floor with your hands and feet, push your pelvis up and stretch your back, as if you were pulling the mat in different directions with your palms and feet. Relax your neck and hang your head loosely.
- Stay in this position, take 5 inhales and exhale deeply.
- Starting position - dog face down. As you inhale, straighten your left leg and raise it as high as possible.
- As you exhale, gently bend your legs, bringing your left knee to your chin. As you do this, try to suck in your stomach, pulling your belly button toward your spine.
- On the next breath, straighten and lift your leg again. Repeat 5 times for one leg and 5 times for the other leg.
- Starting position - dog face down. Bring your right leg forward between your arms so that you do low lunges, like a runner, before starting.
- Turn the left heel slightly outward so that the tip of the left toe is facing the right heel.
- Raise your body while stretching your arms up. Straighten your shoulders and arch your back a little, pushing your chest out.
- Take a deep breath, in this position take 5 inhales and exhale deeply. Then repeat the exercise on the other side.
- Starting position - warrior pose 1. Extend your right leg and transfer your entire body weight to it.
- Raise your left leg off the floor and extend it back, leaning forward so that your body looks like a T. Your whole body is parallel to the floor. The crown and arms are pulled forward, and the toes of the left foot are pulled back. If you have trouble keeping your balance, you can initially help yourself by leaning back in a chair.
- Stay in this position for five breaths then repeat on the other side.
- Lie on your stomach with your feet together, forehead resting on the mat, arms extended forward, palms down.
- Squeeze your stomach and buttocks, lifting your straight legs and arms up. Keep your legs, arms, and upper body from the navel on the ground, resting only on the hips and lower abdomen.
- Take a deep breath, inhale and exhale five deep breaths.
- Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the mat, and stretch your arms to your sides, palms up. As you exhale, bend your knees, pulling your heels as close to your butt as possible. Hold your ankles with your hands and spread your hips shoulder width apart.
- As you inhale, lift your upper torso and thighs off the floor and reach with your heels back from your buttocks. Make sure to relax your lower back by spreading your shoulder blades down and back. Only the joints of the lower abdomen and hips are in contact with the floor.
- Take 5 deep breaths in this position, then return to the starting position.
- Get on all fours with your legs slightly apart, arms just below your shoulders.
- Tighten your stomach and keep your back straight, raise your right leg and left arm at the same time, straighten it as much as possible. Maintain this posture for 5 deep inhales and exhales.
- Then repeat the same thing with the left leg and right arm.
- This is the same exercise as the previous one, with the difference that here we are on the board, not on all fours.
- Start by standing on the plank with straight arms.
- Then, keeping your back straight, raise your left leg and right arm, stretching it as far as possible. Hold this asana for 5 inhales and exhale deeply.
- Then repeat in the opposite direction.
Yoga for weight loss
Would you like your weight loss yoga class to work really well? So literally every morning you feel that you are getting easier? Then don't be lazy after completing complex asanas to practice breathing exercises (pranayamas) and meditation. Meditation + pranayama + asana - this is a magic recipe for yoga for weight loss. Start each morning with yoga, including all three components in your lessons and the results will not be long.
Fat Burning Meditation
Yoga restores hormonal balance in the body through calming the mind and achieving inner harmony. But these are not the only reasons why yoga contributes to weight loss. Let's see what exercises make up a typical yoga class in a studio or fitness club.
Usually yoga lessons start with meditation. In most classes, you will first be asked to sit quietly for 10 minutes and be aware of what is happening inside and out.
Many studies, by the way, confirm that just one ordinary meditation practice already has a positive effect on health, hormones, and leads to normalization of body weight. In addition, meditation develops mindfulness, which leads to better eating behaviors and a more mindful approach to eating. This is also important.
Pranayama
The second thing you will do in yoga is pranayama, which is breathing exercises.
Some pranayama are designed to work out one very important muscle in our body - the diaphragm.
A constant sedentary lifestyle leads to the fact that the diaphragm stops working at full force and becomes weak and tight. And most Western training systems don't pay much attention to this muscle. But not yoga.
In yoga, proper breathing and the development of diaphragmatic breathing are paramount. That's why you'll be doing lots of pranayama and letting your diaphragm work hard and develop at full force.
The movement of the diaphragm when breathing is very beneficial for the whole body.
- First, each expansion and contraction of the diaphragm performs gentle massage of the internal organs - heart, liver, pancreas, gall bladder. This leads to their cleansing and stimulating their work.
- Second, the diaphragm directly affects the digestive process, affects the stomach, if, of course, we don't forget to actively move it.
- And third, with a full deep exhalation, the diaphragm, which rises high upwards, affects the solar plexus area, where tens of thousands of nerve endings are interconnected, this leads to the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and restoration of the body.
The parasympathetic nervous system is often stressed as a result of modern humans' constant pursuit of goals. Constant tension, stress, nerve activity hinder the body's healing and healing processes. And yogis, well aware of this, have developed breathing exercises that bring the two opposing nervous systems - parasympathetic and sympathetic - into balance. It contributes to weight loss more than constant exhausting diets and exercise.
Perhaps the most famous pranayama for weight loss is called uddiyana bandha. Many people today know of this practice as a "vacuum. "So this "modern" emptiness is an integral part of the yoga system, which has been around for thousands of years.
3 easy steps for fast results
For those who have read the article to the end, faithfully doing all the asanas, breathing exercises and meditation, I will tell you about one interesting case from my yoga practice. I will share my personal experience.
First Secret
The practice of asanas in yoga is considered only as a preparatory stage for pranayama - breathing exercises. And pranayama, in turn, serves to prepare for meditation - to purify the mind and focus. Therefore, at some stage of my practice I began to practice holding my breath. My goal is to learn to hold my breath as long as possible. Literally immediately after starting such training, I suddenly realized that every morning I felt my body and stomach feel light. And the fat on the stomach and sides has decreased significantly. This unusual effect caught my eye. I started looking for information on the Internet and realized that I was not the only one who had had a similar experience. In addition, there is a whole system of effective weight loss based on holding your breath. So you can put this method into circulation.
I have handled delays at the freelance diver training table, these are people who dive into the ocean without scuba gear.
This is my training table:
- Delay 1 minute - Rest 1: 30
- 1: 30 delay - 1: 30 break
- 1: 30 delay - 1: 30 break
- Delay 1: 35 - Break 1: 30
- 1: 40 delay
This table is for holding your breath while inhaling.
When resting between sets, I also do short 20-30 second pauses while exhaling.
Second Secret
This secret also has to do with breathing. I am not a doctor and I don't know how this effect is explained from a medical point of view, this is just my personal observation. So, I've noticed that belly fat doesn't build up if you try to exhale a full breath while breathing during the day. It sounds easy, but if you look at yourself, you may find that at the end of each breath, there is still air in your lungs that you can breathe in. This is especially true when you are sitting. It will be difficult for you to fully exhale if your back and lower back are rounded. Most likely, the effect of this method of breathing is due to the fact that the muscles of the press, lower back and diaphragm are used for full exhalation. Thus, they remain in good shape.
In short, the second secret of yoga for weight loss is this: during the day, try to exhale twice as long as the inhale and you will be happy.
The Third Secret
The third secret also flows smoothly from the second. And, perhaps, this is the most important rule for losing weight with the help of yoga - adjusting the muscles of the lower back. Working with the muscles of the lower back, stretching and strengthening them - that's what actually removes fat from the belly and sides so effectively. A sedentary lifestyle literally kills the lower back, which is constantly in a stretched position. Flabby muscles that lose their elasticity are unable to support body weight, an imbalance occurs which leads to fat accumulation. There is one yoga practice that can help you lose weight quickly and effectively. Just do it for 5 minutes a day and the result will be like that.
- Roll up a blanket or towel.
- Lie on the floor and place a blanket rolled up under your lower back.
- Extend your arms behind your head and connect your little fingers.
- Spread your legs and put your thumbs together.
- Lie in this position for 5 minutes.
This exercise returns the pelvis, lower back, and abs to their original state. As a result, belly fat becomes unnecessary and is lost quickly.
Lose weight with yoga - basic principles
The most important principle of yoga for weight loss is consistent practice. I recommend exercising 6 times a week, at least an hour each day.
If this seems like a difficult schedule, start with a short, but daily practice, this approach will help you build a habit. And as yoga becomes familiar, you will naturally start to extend the duration of the session to stay on the mat a little longer.
The second principle is to do what you really love. Try to find fun, pleasant sensations in yoga. Its main task is to associate the yoga class with feelings of joy.
The third principle - don't just think about losing weight. Remember that yoga is very beneficial for the body as well as the mind, spirit, and state of mind. Losing weight is just a nice bonus, and you'll get it right away if you practice yoga regularly for at least 2-3 months.