Yoga practitioners have developed techniques to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. More active forms of yoga can be an effective weight loss tool. Many people can enjoy online yoga classes due to the convenience they offer in being able to practice from the comfort of their homes. Here is how yoga helps with weight loss and toning:
Burning Calories
Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and power yoga are practices that involve continuous movement and intense exercises that help the body burn calories. Vinyasa exercises are a combination of cardiovascular and body weight exercises done at a fast pace which speeds up your heart rate, promoting calorie burning. Breathing through each exercise set during a Vinyasa also encourages the body to burn calories. Ashtanga yoga offers an alternative to high-intensity exercises. During an Ashtanga session, you perform all the poses one after the other with minimal breaks in between, which speeds up your heart rate, encouraging your body to burn calories.
Boosting Body Metabolism
Yoga helps boost your body’s metabolism through exercises that stimulate the endocrine system. During online yoga classes, your instructor guides you through poses that involve twists and inversions that apply pressure to the endocrine gland and your abdominal organs, regulating their functionality. Activating the endocrine system also helps to restore the body’s hormonal balance, which is necessary for regulating your metabolism. Breath techniques like Kapalabhati Pranayama practiced in yoga warm the body, boosting your metabolism.
Mind and Body Awareness
Yoga encourages mindfulness, which can help you have a better relationship with food and your body. As you hold yoga poses, you learn to pay attention to what your body is feeling. This practice can help you cultivate mindful eating habits as you learn to recognize hunger cues and know when you have had enough food, helping to reduce binge eating. As your body awareness grows, you begin to learn which foods energize your body. You may learn which foods have negative effects and make you feel lethargic or bloated. By listening to your body, you can learn to adopt a healthier diet and make lifestyle choices that support your weight loss goals.
Stress Reduction
Chronic stress is a major contributor to weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area. Yoga’s emphasis on mindfulness and relaxation helps reduce cortisol levels, a stress hormone linked to fat accumulation in the body. During your yoga classes, you learn breathing exercises to help calm your nervous system, reducing stress levels. Stress reduction also helps to reduce emotional eating, promoting weight loss.
Muscle Strengthening
Yoga poses engage multiple muscle groups at a time, promoting muscle definition and strength. Exercises like the boat pose, plank, and the four-limbed staff pose engage and strengthen the core resulting in a more toned midsection. The warrior pose strengthens the arms and legs, while the bridge pose strengthens the glutes and hamstrings. Combining all these yoga exercises helps build muscle definition throughout your body. When starting, you may find strength-building poses difficult, but as you progress, your body will adapt, allowing you to do more challenging exercises.
Sign up for Online Yoga Classes Today
Yoga offers a holistic option for enhancing your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The poses practiced in yoga classes train you to be more aware of your body’s signals. The poses you practice strengthen your body, boost your metabolism, and reduce stress levels, all of which promote weight loss. Attending an online yoga class is convenient if your schedule does not allow an in-person yoga session. With an online class, you get to practice yoga in the comfort of your home, which can make it easier to be consistent. Sign up for a yoga class with an online instructor and get started on your fitness goals
