Yoga Is Very Effective For Weight Loss

by: KimArcher
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Yoga is revered for its power to relieve stress, increase flexibility, and build muscle tone. It is not, however, well known for promoting weight loss. So you might be surprised to learn that it can actually help you burn calories.

Conventional yoga isn't a vigorous type of exercise. While it conditions and tones your muscles, you're not likely to work up a sweat during a yoga session. However, the fact that your muscles are being given a workout means your body is utilizing calories more effectively. So, cardiovascular exercise will yield better results if you also practice yoga regularly.

Yoga also teaches discipline, which will assist you greatly in sticking with your exercise program or new diet. Yoga strengthens the connection between mind and body, which makes you more motivated to take care of your body. Those who want to lose weight often suffer from the difficulty of getting motivated in the first place, so yoga can be very beneficial here.

Different Schools of Yoga

If you are looking to lose weight through yoga alone, you may want to seek out some of these different yoga classes. Some of these are non-traditional, but will give you the benefits of yoga and cardio exercise at the same time. These styles of yoga include:

Vinyasa yoga - Vinyasa yoga is focused on changing from one asana to another while simultaneously doing yogic breathing. Sun Salutations are a common pose in Vinyasa yoga, but there are many other poses used. This style is sometimes practiced in a heated room to promote sweating.

Ashtanga yoga - This is a complex style, incorporating six separate series of different poses. These increase in complexity, so you should start at the beginning and learn as you go.

Power yoga - This modern adaptation of yoga mixes active, high-speed actions with yogic breathing.

These yoga styles will give you many of the benefits of a cardiovascular workout such as increasing heart rate and working up a sweat, much more so than traditional styles of yoga. There is less of a conventional workout than say, an aerobics class, but they give you the best of both worlds. These are great styles for those who are a little too short on time to take two different exercise classes.

One the surface, aerobics and yoga have few similarities. Nevertheless, conventional yoga can boost the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, and the newer styles of this ancient practice can be a great replacement for your usual aerobics. If you're dissatisfied with the results you're seeing from your normal exercise program, why not give yoga a try?

About the Author

Kim Archer enjoys the health benefits and relaxation of yoga. A great source of information on this restorative practice can be found at Yoga Essentials.  

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