Yoga could be considered the best exercise form to stay fit and healthy in the long term. Yoga focuses on holistic health and fitness. It helps you lose weight, calms your mind, tones your muscles, improves flexibility, and can cure and prevent many health problems. Yoga serves the purpose of both, beginners starting out a new weight loss program and advanced level fitness fanatics.
Some yoga exercises are good for beginners who want to start losing weight but are not motivated enough to start running, lifting weights or doing high-intensity yoga routines. Yoga helps increase flexibility in the body gradually motivating you to start increasing intensity of your physical activity. Moreover, you don’t have to head out of the house or buy expensive equipment, since yoga can be practiced from the comfort of your home. All you need are some comfortable clothes and a yoga mat and you are good to go.
So start you off on your holistic weight loss journey by trying some of these yoga exercises that can melt away the pounds.
1. Ardha Chandraasana
This pose also called half-moon pose, it is great to tone your buttocks, upper and inner thighs. If these are your problem areas, this is the pose for you. The added stretch on the sides of your stomach helps burn off those unsightly love handles and strengthens your core.
2. Kumbhakasana
Also known as the plank pose, this asana is the most simple as well as effective pose in Yoga. It strengthens and tones your arms, shoulders, back, buttocks and thighs.
3. Halasana
This pose (plow pose) is great for those who sit for long hours and tend to have bad posture. It tones the muscles of your buttock and strengthens your shoulders and thighs. It also stimulates the functioning of the thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, lungs and abdominal organs, therefore helping the blood rush to your head and face, improves digestion and keeps the hormonal levels in check.
4. Utkatasana
Also known as the chair pose, this asana requires concentration and focus on the muscles being used. It strengthens the core muscles, thighs and tones the buttocks
5. Vrksasana
Also known as the tree pose, this asana is great for the core and abdominal muscles. Apart from concentrating on your core it also helps your mind focus and tones the muscles of the thighs and arms.
6. Suryanamskar
Surya namaskar also known as sun salutation is a set of yoga asanas done in succession. It has amazing weight loss result since it employs various forward and backward bending asanas that flex and stretch the spinal column activating a wide variety of muscles throughout the upper body and mid section. Believe it or not, this is a full body workout like no other. It has a deep effect in detoxifying your internal organs through copious oxygenation and has a deeply relaxing effect.
7. Ardha Matsyendrasana
This is also called Half Lord of the Fishes pose, is specifically designed to increase the capacity of your lungs so it can inhale and hold more oxygen. Apart from that, it stretches out the spine and tones the thighs and abdominal muscles. According to yoga practitioners, this pose stimulates the digestive system helping you digest food more efficiently and burn fat all over your body.
8. Veerbhadrasana 1
This asana stretches your back, strengthens your thighs, buttock and tummy. It also helps in making you more focused and opens up your chest so you can breathe better. This is an excellent pose to melt away the fat from your midsection.
9. Veerbhadrasana 2
This is an asana is a continuation of the virabhadrasana I. This asana is great to strengthen the muscles in your back, thighs, abdomen, and core.
10. Balasana
Also Child pose is a great stress buster. It gently stretches the hips, thighs, ankles, calms the mind and helps relieve stress and fatigue. It is also a great remedy for that lower back pain you might have from long hours of sitting.Yoga is simple and effective to get started to being fit.