6 Ways Yoga Helps You Lose Weight

Yoga has traveled from ancient Eastern culture into modern Western culture through gurus, or teachers. As it grew more popular, Western culture latched on and gave it a fit twist. Now, the idea of “being a yogi” can seem intimidating to someone who’s just getting into it. Don’t you have to drink wheatgrass, buy expensive clothes, and carry around a mat all week?

Not at all. In fact, practicing yoga can contribute worlds of support to your weight loss journey. Studies on yoga show that practicing yoga helps both men and women get to the right BMI (Body Mass Index), reduce blood pressure, trim waist circumference, and get to desired levels of triglycerides and “good” (HDL) cholesterol. Seems pretty win-win to us.

You get all the traditional health benefits of exercise and a great, calorie burning workout, but the benefits of yoga go well beyond traditional exercise.

How does yoga work its magic?

1. Yoga works for your body (yes, yours!). Chances are, you see a very specific type of body in yoga promotions. Don’t let that stop you: yoga classes, especially introductory ones, are filled with all body types. Each class is guided and personalized, which means all ages can start at anytime. While women seem to rule the yoga-sphere, classes like “Broga” are popping up as our culture starts to realize: yoga works for everyone! (Here’s a shocking graphic on how yoga benefits every body, head to toe).

2. You’ll build strength. Flexibility, balance, and strength are the key components of any yoga pose. Flexibility movements are essential for our culture, where we sit in chairs and stare at screens. Stretching aligns our bodies back to how they’re built to function, works out painful kinks, and restores confident posture. Balance is key for both mind-body connection and for living longer. Adults with great balance training in their fitness program are less prone to falls, which are a leading cause of injury in aging populations. Strength building is the key to weight loss here.The way yoga builds muscle is by isometric, or holding movements where you hold a pose for an extended time. When you build muscle, you increase your base metabolism, burning calories well beyond just your time working out on the mat.

3. You’ll learn mindfulness. Yoga is as much a challenge for your mind as it is for your body. Practicing poses where you are twisting and balancing requires listening to all parts of your body. You’ll often hear things like “wrap your muscle to your bone” or “press all your fingers into the mat,” which takes extreme focus and mental energy to bring attention and focus to specific areas. How is that useful? The applications of training your mind to focus on your current situation are endless. As you harness your mind, you can apply the practice to eating, like chewing mindfully and stopping when full. When you can recognize emotion, stress, and true hunger in the body, you’ll become more mindful and can make healthy choices from morning to evening. More enjoyment of the moment, less mindless calories!

4. You’ll learn proper breathing. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably started an exercise routine as well. One thing many programs don’t teach is the basic, momentary function of life: breathing! Learning when to inhale and exhale makes your movements more efficient, and brings sufficient oxygen to your brain and muscles. Yoga breathing turns any exercise into a rhythm you can groove to.  When in doubt, come back to your breath. It’ll be there for you.

5. You’ll challenge yourself. Yoga offers endless opportunities to challenge your mind and body and grow your confidence. Some exercise classes push you to your limit without giving you a say. In yoga, you have total control over how far you go. Each pose has a starting place and a progression, and you always have the option to stay put or move into a more challenging pose. People don’t jump right into headstands. Instead, there’s a deliberate succession of poses. You’ll only be urged to listen to your body, breathe in, and exhale your stretch a little further. There’s no “ONE MORE REP!” or “TWO MORE INCHES!” Instead, yoga is about exploring and expanding yourself to new potentials you never knew you had. As you keep practicing, your body will adapt and you’ll be able to do so much more than where you started! Yoga offers endless opportunities to challenge your mind and body and grow your confidence.

6. You’ll embrace your journey. “Come to your mat exactly where you are today.” While you are on your mat, you are focusing completely on how you feel that day, in that moment. You are not competing with any other person in the room, and you aren’t even competing with the last time you did yoga. You may touch your toes one day, and only touch your shins the next. You may be completely at peace and in love with your teacher one week, and cursing the same person for asking you to do one more stupid down-dog a week later. Think that sounds backwards? It’s not. You learn that your mind and body ebb and flow, and that’s totally okay. Just like your relationship with food and weight can ebb and flow, each day is a new chance to feel into it, acknowledge it, and eventually – let it go.

Tips to get started:

Try out classes in your area by searching for gym passes, or find a coupon site like Groupon or LivingSocial. Find the right type of class for you by checking out the different types (Vinyasa classes are a great way to introduce your body to the poses). If you’re worried about equipment, don’t! Most studios have extra mats and don’t require that you bring your own.

We think the best method is to take a class with a great, dedicated teacher (licensed, preferably, in an extensive 200-hour or 500-hour program). Teachers can give individualized guidance to give you more “aha!” moments during your practice, both in mind and body.

If you prefer a sneak-peek or alone time with your poses, test yoga out in the comfort of your own home with videos on Youtube, websites like DoYogaWithMe.com, and apps like FitStar Yoga.

Roll out a towel or pick up a mat (doesn’t have to be fancy), plant your feet and try some poses. Your muscles, mind, and future self will thank you! Namaste.

Have questions, advice for beginners, or other opinions on yoga? Share it with us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.