Belly fat is not just unsightly -- it can also pose risks to your health and contribute to the development of certain chronic diseases. Yoga can be a beneficial component of your workout routine to keep excess weight at bay. Watching your diet and exercising regularly will help you remove excess fat from your waist and the rest of your body. Check with your health care provider before you start doing yoga.
Dangers of Belly Fat
While being overweight can be dangerous to your health, excess fat around your abdomen is even riskier. Belly fat goes beyond what you see on the outside -- the real danger lies inside you, where the visceral fat collects around your organs. This type of fat has been linked to diseases like breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and other conditions. However, by losing this weight, you can diminish your chances of developing these diseases, as well as improve your health overall.
Sun Salutation
There is a wide variety of yoga types and classes, each of which focuses on different poses, and you may need to try several to find the ones that work best for you. However, almost all classes begin with sun salutations, known as surya namaskara, which WomensFitness.net states is a highly beneficial series to help reduce excess weight, particularly around your midsection. It consists of poses that link your breath with your physical movements, and it has an invigorating effect similar to exercises like jogging or swimming. Talk to your local yoga studio about classes that consist of a large amount of sun salutations.
Wind Liberating Pose
A good posture to perform when trying to ward off belly fat is pawanamuktasana, or the wind liberating pose. To do this pose, lie down on your back with your legs stretched out, then bend your right leg and pull it into your belly. Inhale and press your leg into your stomach, exhale and bring your head to your knee, and then inhale again and bring your head back down. Switch sides, and then do the pose once more with both legs. This helps regulate your digestive system, as well as reduce belly fat. However, do not perform this pose if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or a condition like sciatica. A licensed yoga instructor can help you determine if you can safely do this and other poses.
Diet and Stress
The techniques you learn in yoga can go beyond what you do in the classroom. A regular yoga practice teaches you to be calm and more mindful, which can better enable you to make healthier dietary choices and avoid eating out of anxiety or boredom. Yoga helps you cultivate a better relationship with food, and it can also help reduce your stress levels, as well as make healthier lifestyle changes overall to get rid of excess belly fat and keep it off for good.
Member Comments