Scaling down in this time of uncertainty with Yoga
Working from home and binging on your favorite food might have also caused weight gain.
In this article we are discussing 3 yoga poses to bring your weight under control and help you feel light and energized.
How can yoga help you control weight?
The debate over whether yoga is an effective tool for weight loss has been discussed for years. Even now many are of the opinion that yoga is not fast paced enough to burn the number of calories required for true weight loss. Yoga, when combined with healthy eating, has proven beneficial as it helps to lose weight along with keeping your mind and body healthy. Yoga can help you destress which can control emotional eating and provide you with a healthy mental state.
For attaining weight loss focus more on POWER YOGA or VINYASA FLOW.
These are both fast-paced flows that provide the perfect blend of cardio and core-strength-training. This dual combination is a potent energy booster geared toward effective fat/calorie burning and increased lean muscle mass.
3 Yoga poses for weight loss
Boat Pose
Boat Pose requires you to balance on the tripod of your sitting bones and tailbone to build heat. You can practice this posture in the beginning of session to fire up your core for the rest of your practice.
Step 1 -Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on the sides of your thighs.
Step 2 - Slowly lean your torso back, keeping your back straight.
Step 3- Straighten your legs so they’re at a 45-degree angle away from the floor. Extend your arms in front of you, parallel to the floor.
Bow Pose
Bow pose is the best way to lose that belly fat. It stretches your whole body, strengthens and tones your muscles with improved blood circulation.
Step 1 - Lie flat on your stomach. Keep your chin on the mat and your hands at your sides. Your hands should be palm up.
Step 2 - Exhale while you bend your knees. Bring your heels as close as you can to your buttocks. Your knees should be hip width apart.
Step 3 - Lift your hands and take hold of your ankles. Be sure to grab the ankle and not the top part of the feet. Your fingers should wrap around the ankles, but your thumb does not. Keep your toes pointed.
Step 4 - Inhale and lift the heels away from the buttocks, keeping a hold of your ankles. Simultaneously, lift your head, chest, and thighs away from the mat. As you lift, rotate your shoulders safely and comfortably. At this point, only your core should touch the mat, while the rest of your body is lifted towards the ceiling.
Step 5 - Draw your tailbone into the mat to deepen the stretch. You should feel the stretch in your back as the weight and balance shifts to your core. Your chest and shoulders should feel open.
Look straight ahead and hold the pose for about 15 seconds while you focus on stretching, breathing, and balancing
Step 6 - Exhale and release the pose. Lower your head, chest, thighs, and feet back towards the mat. Let go of your ankles and return to your hands to your side.
Downward Dog Pose - It’s named after the way dogs naturally stretch their entire bodies. It is an essential component of Sun Salutations and is often done many times during a yoga class. It can be used as a transitional pose, a resting pose, and a strength-builder.
Step 1 - Begin on your hands and knees. Align your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Step 2 - Stretch your elbows and relax your upper back.
Step 3 - Spread your fingers wide and press firmly through your palms and knuckles. Distribute your weight evenly across your hands.
Step 4 - Exhale as you tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor. Reach your pelvis up toward the ceiling, then draw your sit bones toward the wall behind you. Gently begin to straighten your legs, but do not lock your knees.
Step 5 - Press the floor away from you as you lift through your pelvis. As you lengthen your spine, lift your sit bones up toward the ceiling.
Step 6 - Hold for 5-100 breaths. To release, exhale as you gently bend your knees and come back to your hands and knees.
This pose deeply stretches your hamstrings, shoulders, calves, arches, hands, and spine while building strength in your arms, shoulders, and legs.