Trying to lose weight can feel like an uphill battle. You want to get fit and healthy, but still struggle to get the results you want to even after changing your diet and attempting to exercise more. It may sound silly, but your mind may be what is actually holding you back. If you have been trying all of the traditional ways to lose weight, you are probably feeling more like you are being disciplined than getting on the path to better health. These methods often leave you feeling hungry, feeling defeated after difficult workouts, and your body might even be holding on to the weight in some of the worst places. Adding yoga to your life can really be the answer to help you to burn calories and lose weight. Here are six reasons to try yoga to lose weight now.
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You can “feel” your results very quickly.
When you do yoga to lose weight, the different poses stretch and deeply strengthen large muscle groups in your body. These poses are incredibly effective for targeting and toning specific muscles, even more so than many forms of traditional cardio. When you work the muscles on such a deep level, you will feel them activated and still engaged even after your yoga class is over. Using your core to help you stand and walk with better posture instantly makes you appear inches slimmer, even if the number on the scale has not yet changed.
However, that number on the scale is sure to change quickly if you keep up with your yoga classes. Activating large muscle groups like your core, hamstrings, and glutes also revs your metabolism, helping you burn calories more effectively.
Yoga is also a wonderful tool for relaxation, lowering stress hormones like cortisol that cause fat to collect in unsightly places like the lower belly. You will find that the inches in these places seem to melt away just from having a better frame of mind.
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It helps you curb your appetite.
If you want to lose weight, you must be consuming less calories than the ones you are burning. Of course, this can be stressful and some bodies respond to this by wanting to eat even more! Yoga is a great solution for emotional eaters, or for anyone who is trying any type of diet modification as part of their weight loss plan.
Yoga is all about mindfulness, and developing a strong and loving relationship between the mind and the body. When you become aware of your body and what it is telling you, you will be able to better judge its signals of feeling full. You will also notice the different way your body feels when you eat healthier foods, encouraging you to make better choices. Yoga provides a great outlet for releasing stress and gives you good strategies, like breathing techniques, that you can do when you are feeling anxious rather than reaching for a second helping for your full stomach.
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Anyone can try yoga to lose weight.
No matter what your gender, age, or weight, yoga is for you. There is a style suited for everyone, and the poses can be modified if necessary. For those who have reached their fitness goals, there is always a way to make things more challenging, so it is truly the fitness program that will always grow with you. For people who cannot do traditional forms of cardio for whatever reason, yoga makes a great alternative to burn calories safely.
Yoga classes are also very accepting spaces. You and your body are welcome as they are, and everyone is so busy focusing on their own mind-body connection that no one is sizing up your problem areas or comparing your skills. You are more likely to lose weight with this type of program simply because you will be more likely to stick to it. Your workout is relaxing and enjoyable instead of coming with the stress of the intimidating gym scene.
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You can take it anywhere.
Vacations and schedule changes can often mess up fitness routines. The nice part about yoga is that you do not have to be in a specific place, and you do not really have any equipment other than a mat. There is a wealth of DVDs and even some fantastic YouTube videos that allow you to do yoga right in the comfort of your living room. If you attend a yoga class, you can practice some of your favorite moves or sequences even if you travel.
This is one of the main reasons why adding yoga to your life is one of the best ways to lose weight. By being so portable, you have no excuse to skip your workout and therefore are guaranteed results.
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It makes you better at other types of exercise.
While you might not burn as many calories doing yoga as you would going on a run, it strengthens and makes your muscles so much more flexible. If running previously felt uncomfortable or painful, your body might actually be able to do it after practicing yoga. Since yoga also strengthens your core so much, you will find you have better balance and coordination when you try other fitness activities or even a sport for fun. You will have a delightful time finding new talents you never knew you had, and will also burn calories and lose weight in the process.
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You can burn a lot of calories.
While some gentle forms of yoga intended for relaxation burn about 180 calories on average per class, there are definitely more intense classes available that can definitely help you lose weight. For example, you can burn up to 477 calories on average doing Bikram yoga, and up to 594 calories doing Vinyasa yoga! These forms of yoga will give you a serious full body, deep core workout that make them excellent ways to lose weight.
If you have tried what seems like all the ways out there to possibly lose weight, but have not had any luck, yoga is definitely the one thing more that you should give a chance. The inches will melt away without feeling like you are putting in lots of effort. You will not only burn calories, but will have fun doing workout sequences that are modified for your body, and will have a great outlet for dealing with any of the stress in life that comes your way.