While the benefits of yoga are widely known at this point. People often ask does yoga help lose weight. The answer is simple, of course it helps because any physical activity helps. But yoga more specifically can be an effective tool for weight loss.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a mind body practice that aims to build clarity, strength and flexibility. It usually consists of stretching like movements with the aim of moving through large ranges of motion. It is a holistic approach for improving mental and physical health. Many yoga techniques involve breathing through movements to create a meditative effect. If you are looking for more information on what is yoga then click here.
Does Yoga Help Lose Weight?
Lots of people really buy into yoga but are hesitant because they do not think it is effective for weight loss. In reality, there have been hundreds of studies conducted on yoga and weight loss and a clear trend has emerged. A meta-analysis from University of Duisburg-Essen on yoga as a weight loss intervention showed that it is an effective method for weight loss (here). Another study aimed at seeing can yoga slow down weight gain in aging populations found significant reductions in weight gain for those who practiced yoga (here). Yoga creates stress on the muscles and increases your heart rate, which are 2 key indicators of calorie burning exercise. Proving that logically yoga should be a good intervention for weight loss. So when people ask does yoga help lose weight? You can clearly show them that it is effective in aiding weight loss.
Best Type of Yoga for Weight Loss
Now it has been established that yoga is an effective tool for weight loss we should find out the best type is and how long you should do it for. To make this simple (because names of yoga types is essentially meaningless to most people) we will state what the key features should include.
Dynamic Movements– for better weight loss results the yoga should practice moving through positions and not simply stretching.
Fairly Difficult– a more difficult routine means more calories burned.
20 Minutes-Each session you do should be at minimum 20 minutes long.
3 Sessions Per Week– If you are solely doing yoga you should be completing at least 3 sessions a week but more is better in this case.
So Does Yoga Help Weight Loss?
In answer to the question does yoga lose weight the answer has been proven to be yes. But do not take this to mean it is the only effective method or even the best. There are many other types of exercise that are also very effective for weight loss (running, lifting weights, sports ect). Adding yoga into your weekly workout routine has countless benefits and is suitable for all, but you do not need to exclusively do yoga. If you are looking for an app that offers daily routines, mindfulness and effective yoga workouts, go to our home page for more info.
