If you are looking for ways to lose weight and get fit, give yoga a try. Known for reducing stress and increasing flexibility, yoga is also an excellent tool for burning calories, reducing stubborn body fat and generating lean, sculpted muscles. As a result, yoga can help you gain an awareness and love of your body.
Find the Right Style
Usually thought of as simply stretching, many do not realize that yoga is a full-body strength-building process, which is essential for facilitating weight loss. And according to Yogawiz.com, a vigorous 90-minute yoga class can burn a whopping 300 calories. However, when it comes to fitness, it is important to look for a class that utilizes a great deal of dynamic movement, which is key to increasing the metabolism as well as for burning fat and calories. Instructor Baxter Bell, as stated on yogajournal.com, recommends vinyasa for weight-loss: “A Vinyasa-style class can build heat and potentially result in greater calorie burn. This style of practice could supplement other aerobic exercise that you’re involved in, such as walking, running, biking, or swimming.” Other recommended styles are Ashtanga, which is known for being physically challenging, Power Yoga, which involves fast-paced, invigorating poses, and Hot Yoga or Bikram Yoga, which are both done in a heated environment.
Set an Intention
You’ll often hear a yoga teacher suggest that you set an intention at the beginning of class. Setting an intention reminds you why you are there, engaged in the vigorous practice, and it is something to come back to when fatigue sets in. This last point is extremely important in your effort to lose weight, as the absolute key to weight loss is to expend more calories than you consume. During class, you want to maximize your calorie burn by challenging yourself and putting in the most amount of effort that you’re capable of on that specific day. When you are 45 minutes into class and starting to feel as though your endurance is fading, use your intention to spur you on and challenge yourself physically and mentally, much the same as you would if you were on a long run or bike ride.
Find the Right Class
As mentioned previously, all yoga classes are not created equal and can vary greatly from style to studio to teacher. To ensure that you stick with your yoga fitness program, make sure to find a class and teacher that resonate with you. The class should be challenging and the teacher supportive and encouraging. Kristi Lees, of bodybuilding.com, suggests finding a yoga studio in your area, “I always recommend a class at a yoga studio over a class at the gym because I generally find the instructors at a studio to be more understanding and more experienced.” And, like any other exercise program, you want to attend a yoga class at least three to four times a week for maximum fitness results.
Member Comments