Can Yoga help me lose weight?
Absolutely! Yoga is a well-balanced and most importantly, a sustainable solution. Yoga stands apart from other forms of exercise because the focus is on increasing metabolism rather than just burning fat. Yoga postures, when structured appropriately, can provide the benefits of both cardio and significant weight training.
Weight training in yoga
In Yoga, your body’s weight is used for weight training. Yoga postures distribute weight evenly over the body. Balancing your body weight on one leg as in Vrukshasan, the tree pose or keeping one leg lifted up against the pull of gravity, or dividing your body weight into four parts on four limbs in Adhomukha shvanasan, the downward-facing dog – these are just a couple of examples of body weight is utilized.
Holding the postures
This is what turns the table. Holding a posture requires the core of all muscles to participate. This awakens the sleeping metabolic pumps in these muscles.
Magic of mindful breathing
Our shallow breathing has made our metabolism sluggish. Only when we learn to breathe deeply using our core muscles will we ignite the sleeping metabolism.