When the majority of people think about yoga, the first thing that comes to mind is certainly not yoga for weight loss. The general view of yoga is that it’s so slow and relaxing that the reason for the yoga mat, is so that you had something to fall asleep on mid position. The odd truth is that it is actually pretty effective for weight loss. Now it’s certainly possible to use yoga as a way to relax and many people do. It’s also possible to use it to increase flexibility, tone, and strengthen your core naturally. And while these things are great, if you make a few changes to your standard yoga set (namely speed it up and get that heart rate going) and you can do all of this and use your yoga session for some pretty effective weight loss.
I never promote any of these stupid gimmick weight loss products or methods. There are so many rubbish methods kicking around the bookshelves and internet these days. The beauty with using yoga for weight loss is that it comes with the additional benefits, it can cost nothing to do and it’s also easier than a lot of methods out there. Before you start trying to do the splits I’d like to point out a few things before you get carried away with the idea of yoga for weight loss. Firstly, it’s no silver bullet for losing weight. You should combine it with other exercise techniques and (above all else)healthy eating. The best combination of getting fit and healthy for me personally was Ashtanga yoga and swimming.
You also need to pace yourself when learning yoga. Many instructors and guides will show you how to scale down positions until you are ready. You can cause some surprising damage to yourself if you overstretch your abilities to early. Learning yoga for weight loss still requires you to learn yoga properly to start with. Yes, this is slower but it’s that or you’ll tear something, and do you really want that trip to the doctors?
(Reward your weight loss with a new pair of leggings! Shop the above look here.)
There are loads of yoga for weight loss DVD sets around the internet not to mention guides and books lining the place, to be honest you don’t need to do too much to get started, it’s not one of these lose weight quick scams that wants all your money. Get yourself a few video guides to get the idea and make some space on the living room floor. If you have the time and money I would highly suggest you join a yoga class, you should easily be able to find one in your area. Once you have the basic idea and you’ve increased your flexibility you can start to speed up your sessions and hold your positions longer with less breaks. That’s all it really takes to convert a normal relaxing yoga session into a yoga for weight loss workout.