In yoga, you may not necessarily perspire much (unless you are deliberately doing it in conditions conducive for perspiring), but still it is an effective workout for losing weight.But how can this be true, that you do not need to sweat to burn calories? Isn’t the amount of perspiration during a workout session a measurement of its effectiveness from a weight-loss point of view?The answer is… not really. Without going into the science of the matter, yoga promotes weight loss by
• Improving the functioning of your body as one single unit
• Restoring hormonal balance
• Flushing out toxins from the body
• Improving sleep and reducing stress and negativity
• Improving mindfulness and the way you relate to your body. As a result of this, for example, you will start making smarter and healthier eating choices. This will do wonders not only for your weight loss efforts, but also your overall health as well.
Follow these 7 yoga poses if you are looking to lose weight!
1. Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon pose)
This is a great pose for removing fat from not only your waist but also the hips and buttocks.
How to do it:
• Stand in Tadasana, that is, with feet firmly planted on the floor, legs straight, knee cap and thighs sucked up, buttocks sucked in, and arms by your side, with fingers fully opened and pointing downwards
• From here go to Trikonasana on your right side. Your right hand should be touching the floor beside the right ankle. If this is not possible, hold your right ankle with your right hand. The left hand should be on the waist
.• Bring the right hand about 10 to 12 inches ahead of the right foot and lift your left leg to 90 degree or more.
• Raise your left hand up, with fingers fully opened, extended, and pointing towards the ceiling
• Slowly turn your neck upwards and fixed your gaze at the middle right finger
• Hold the pose for 1-3 minutes. This, however, may not be possible in the beginning. In the beginning, your focus should be on getting the form correct. As you practice, you would naturally start staying in the pose longer.
• Repeat the pose on the left side.
2.Uttanasana (Forward bending pose)
It helps tone your abdominal region and strengthens your hamstring.How to do it
• Stand in Tadasna. Those with locked knees can keep their legs slightly apart by spreading the heels a little; however ensure that the two big toes are touching each other.
• Bend forward from the waist and place your hand by the sides of your feet. In the beginning, this may not be possible and you can hold your ankles instead
• Bring your forehead to your knees, or as close to it as possible
• Next, shift your hips slightly forward because the tendency is that your hips will move backwards while bending and when your hands are touching the floor or holding your ankles. However, take care to not overdo this because then your pose will be shaky and you might lose balance.The purpose of this is to ensure that your legs are straight and perpendicular to the floor. One way of telling whether this is so is by noticing which part of the foot is bearing your body weight. If most of the weight is on the heels, it means you are leaning back. Ideally you would want the toes and the heel to share the body weight, with toes slightly heavier than the heel.
• Stay in this pose for a couple of minutes or for as long as you can.
3.Halasana (Plough Pose)
This pose helps you lose weight and also provides many other benefits. It tones the shoulder muscles, provides relief from gastrointestinal problems, and strengthens the thigh muscle.How to do it:
• Lie down on the yoga mat with your legs stretched outwards. Place the feet together (heels a little apart for those with locked knees). Place your hands by your side with palm facing the floor
• Raise the legs to 90 degree
• Next supporting your lower back and hips with your hands, raise them off the floor
• Bring them over the head and touch the floor with the toes. (In the beginning this may not be possible. Keep a short stool behind your head and place your toes on it.)
• Hold the pose for 3 to 5 minutes
• Slowly come out of the pose with controlled movements or your abs and legs.
4.Veerbhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2)
Besides helping you lose weight, this pose strengthens the thigh, back, and abdominal muscles.
How to do it
• Stand in Tadasana
• Bring your palms to your chest, bend your knees, and jump 4 to 4 1/5 feet apart
• Place your right foot out
• Go down from your knees and bend till you upper right leg makes 90 degree with the lower right leg
• Stretch your hands (right hand stretched out over the right leg and left hand over the left leg)
• Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Inhale and come back Tadasana
• Repeat on your left side
5. Setubandhasana (Bridge Pose)
This pose not only tones your abs but also strengthens the shoulders and tones your thighs
• Lie in a supine position on the mat and next bring your feet flat on the floor
• Exhaling, push your body off the floor with feet planted firmly on the floor
• Raise the body in such a way that the neck and head are on the mat and the rest of the body is off it
• Stay in the pose for 2-3 minutes
• Come back to the starting position
6. Vrksasana (Tree pose)
This pose tones the thighs and strengthens the abdominal muscles
• Stand in Tadasana
• Bring your hands on your waist and shift your body weight on the left leg
• Raise your right leg and holding the right ankle with your right hand, place your right foot on the left inner thigh
• Slowly raise both your hands above your head in a straight line
• Hold the pose for 1 to 2 minutes
• Bring your hand on your waist and the right leg down. Now do the pose with the left leg up
7.Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
This pose helps to tone your buttocks and strengthen your thighs.
How to do it:
• Stand in Tadasana with hands raised above your head in Namaste
• Bend at the knee and move your buttocks down. Aim to make your thighs parallel to the ground
• Bend the torso a little forward
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then go to standing upright position. Repeat it a few times
• Improving the functioning of your body as one single unit
• Restoring hormonal balance
• Flushing out toxins from the body
• Improving sleep and reducing stress and negativity
• Improving mindfulness and the way you relate to your body. As a result of this, for example, you will start making smarter and healthier eating choices. This will do wonders not only for your weight loss efforts, but also your overall health as well.
Follow these 7 yoga poses if you are looking to lose weight!
1. Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon pose)
How to do it:
• Stand in Tadasana, that is, with feet firmly planted on the floor, legs straight, knee cap and thighs sucked up, buttocks sucked in, and arms by your side, with fingers fully opened and pointing downwards
• From here go to Trikonasana on your right side. Your right hand should be touching the floor beside the right ankle. If this is not possible, hold your right ankle with your right hand. The left hand should be on the waist
.• Bring the right hand about 10 to 12 inches ahead of the right foot and lift your left leg to 90 degree or more.
• Raise your left hand up, with fingers fully opened, extended, and pointing towards the ceiling
• Slowly turn your neck upwards and fixed your gaze at the middle right finger
• Hold the pose for 1-3 minutes. This, however, may not be possible in the beginning. In the beginning, your focus should be on getting the form correct. As you practice, you would naturally start staying in the pose longer.
• Repeat the pose on the left side.
2.Uttanasana (Forward bending pose)
• Stand in Tadasna. Those with locked knees can keep their legs slightly apart by spreading the heels a little; however ensure that the two big toes are touching each other.
• Bend forward from the waist and place your hand by the sides of your feet. In the beginning, this may not be possible and you can hold your ankles instead
• Bring your forehead to your knees, or as close to it as possible
• Next, shift your hips slightly forward because the tendency is that your hips will move backwards while bending and when your hands are touching the floor or holding your ankles. However, take care to not overdo this because then your pose will be shaky and you might lose balance.The purpose of this is to ensure that your legs are straight and perpendicular to the floor. One way of telling whether this is so is by noticing which part of the foot is bearing your body weight. If most of the weight is on the heels, it means you are leaning back. Ideally you would want the toes and the heel to share the body weight, with toes slightly heavier than the heel.
• Stay in this pose for a couple of minutes or for as long as you can.
3.Halasana (Plough Pose)
• Lie down on the yoga mat with your legs stretched outwards. Place the feet together (heels a little apart for those with locked knees). Place your hands by your side with palm facing the floor
• Raise the legs to 90 degree
• Next supporting your lower back and hips with your hands, raise them off the floor
• Bring them over the head and touch the floor with the toes. (In the beginning this may not be possible. Keep a short stool behind your head and place your toes on it.)
• Hold the pose for 3 to 5 minutes
• Slowly come out of the pose with controlled movements or your abs and legs.
4.Veerbhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2)
How to do it
• Stand in Tadasana
• Bring your palms to your chest, bend your knees, and jump 4 to 4 1/5 feet apart
• Place your right foot out
• Go down from your knees and bend till you upper right leg makes 90 degree with the lower right leg
• Stretch your hands (right hand stretched out over the right leg and left hand over the left leg)
• Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Inhale and come back Tadasana
• Repeat on your left side
5. Setubandhasana (Bridge Pose)
• Lie in a supine position on the mat and next bring your feet flat on the floor
• Exhaling, push your body off the floor with feet planted firmly on the floor
• Raise the body in such a way that the neck and head are on the mat and the rest of the body is off it
• Stay in the pose for 2-3 minutes
• Come back to the starting position
6. Vrksasana (Tree pose)
• Stand in Tadasana
• Bring your hands on your waist and shift your body weight on the left leg
• Raise your right leg and holding the right ankle with your right hand, place your right foot on the left inner thigh
• Slowly raise both your hands above your head in a straight line
• Hold the pose for 1 to 2 minutes
• Bring your hand on your waist and the right leg down. Now do the pose with the left leg up
7.Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
How to do it:
• Stand in Tadasana with hands raised above your head in Namaste
• Bend at the knee and move your buttocks down. Aim to make your thighs parallel to the ground
• Bend the torso a little forward
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then go to standing upright position. Repeat it a few times
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