Weight Loss Yoga: What to Expect and How Long Does it Take?

Do meal skipping, trendy diets, and giving up favourite foods sound familiar to you? Is the goal of most of this to get rid of your protruding love handles or extra abdominal fat? We’ll tell you a secret: none of this is required for you! Yoga is actually one of the healthiest methods of weight loss you can try out. 

It is a consistent method to increase metabolism, tone and strengthen your muscles, and burn those additional calories. What we frequently overlook is that maintaining or reducing weight greatly depends on developing a mindful eating habit. And what better approach to cultivate mindfulness than by doing yoga?

What does research say about weight loss yoga?

Yoga burns calories, increases awareness, and lowers stress, making it a promising tool for behavioural change, weight reduction, and maintenance, according to a 2013 assessment of studies. These elements may help you to minimise food consumption and become aware of the repercussions of overeating.

According to other studies, yoga may provide a variety of psychological, physiological, and social benefits that could make it an effective weight-loss strategy that lasts. The weight loss yoga practitioners noted a move toward healthier, more attentive eating as well as less stress eating, less appetite, and fewer cravings. Yoga led to physical and psychological improvements that assisted weight loss accompanied by enhanced muscle tone, improved metabolism, minimise anxiety, as well as improved mood, and higher self-acceptance and confidence.

How does yoga help in weight loss?

Like many people do you also have the query “Can I lose weight just by doing yoga?” The answer is yes! Here is how practising yoga can help you attain your objective of losing weight by balancing your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. 

• Develop Mindful Eating: By doing yoga, you can improve your awareness of your body’s signals of hunger and fullness, which will help you choose nutritious foods and avoid overindulging. 
• Increasing Metabolism: Intense postures and constant movement are features of dynamic and difficult yoga forms like Vinyasa Flow and Power Yoga, which can increase heart rate and speed up metabolism.
• Stress reduction: Yoga provides effective methods for reducing stress and encouraging relaxation. Regular yoga asana practice, pranayama breathing techniques, and meditation help lower the body’s levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
• Increasing Flexibility and Strength: Yoga is a great method to increase the general flexibility and strength of your body. Different positions work in different muscular areas, which aids in conditioning and toning.
• Hormone Balancing: Unbalanced hormones can frequently impede attempts to lose weight. By regulating the neurological system and stimulating the endocrine system, yoga aids in the restoration of hormonal equilibrium. 
• Mind-Body Consciousness: Regular yoga practice helps you build a keen sense of awareness of your body and comprehension of the messages your body sends forth. It also provides a strong link between your mind and body.

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Weight Loss Yoga Poses for Beginners

Yoga can enhance weight loss, but it takes time and consistency. Practice weight loss yoga for a minimum of 30 minutes on a daily basis to achieve visible results. 

But what are the weight loss yoga poses that we can practise every day? Let us explore some effective weight loss yoga poses that can optimise your weight loss journey.

Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

This position increases flexibility in the lower back and strengthens the entire shoulder and upper back region. It works by stretching the muscles in the abdomen, which helps burn fat around the stomach. It aids in the burning of excess fat in the hips, thighs, and lower abdomen. Follow this step-wise guide to do this pose. 

1. Spread your whole body out on the mat, lying face down. Bring your legs to a hip-width gap by firmly pressing your legs and the toes of your feet into the yoga mat.

2. As you get ready to raise your head and upper body, place your hands, palms down, just below your shoulder blades.

3. Lift your upper body and start in a low cobra position by applying pressure with your hands.

4. Once you’re comfortable and stable in the low cobra, start to gently press into the hands even more. Then, use your abdominal and back muscles to lift yourself up into a more profound backbend as high as possible. You can writhe and undulate like a serpent in this stance; you are not required to stay still.

5. Maintain a neutral glance that is slightly upward-facing. To guarantee appropriate spinal alignment, make sure that the rear of your neck is long. You may hold this position for a number of breaths while still preserving the integrity of your spine.

6. Gently descend. Exhale and then descend gradually to the ground.

Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand) 

There are numerous advantages to this position. It strengthens you, enhances digestion, and speeds up metabolism to amplify weight loss. It tones your abs, legs, and buttocks while strengthening your muscles.

Here is the guide to performing this pose.

1. Take a deep breath out, raise your legs, and raise your spine off the ground using your arms and hands.

2. Roll on your back, concentrating on your shoulders and upper back, while swinging your legs over your head and curving your hips.

3. Breathe inward toward your belly while keeping your neck and face relaxed.

4. Bring your legs to the floor, arch your back, and plant your feet on the ground to get out.

Chaturanga Dandasana (Plank pose)

Although this position is challenging, it is one of the fast weight loss yoga poses you should try. It is a great way to strengthen your wrists, lower back, arms and abs. It improves your standing posture, which results in a stronger, more toned physique. If done frequently and for a longer period of time while holding the plank pose, it helps reduce belly fat and develop abs. The plank position primarily tones and burns fat in your shoulders, core, and upper body. 

To perform this yoga pose, follow these steps.

1. Start with your toes and forearms on the floor and assume the plank posture, face down. Your forearms should be pointing toward the front. With that, your elbows should be beneath the shoulders. You should focus your gaze towards the ground while relaxing your head.

 2. Pull your navel toward the spine with the help of the muscles in your abdomen. Make sure your torso is upright and firm. Plus, ensure a straight body from top to bottom without bending. Furthermore, make sure that your shoulders face downward without tucking toward the ears. The rounded ends of your feet must be underneath your heels.

3. Keep your posture for ten seconds.

Veera bhadrasana (Warrior pose)

Veerabhadrasana is effective in strengthening the lungs and back muscles. Alongside, it tones the masses around your tummy,  thighs, and hips. 

Here is the guide to doing this pose efficiently.

1. Place your hands on your hips and roll your outer left and outer right hips forward and backward until your hips are in line with the front border of the mat. Maintain a level shoulder stance with your upper body approaching the front border of the mat.

2. Your right thigh and knee should be bent so they are aligned to the floor. Maintain your weight on your big toe and front heel.

3. Lift and press the rear foot from the internal arch. Your back leg serves as your anchor, so keep it engaged.

4. Lengthen your spine, relax the base of your neck, and pull your lower abdomen in and up softly.

5. Spread your collarbones and raise your arms above your head to expose your chest.

6. Expand the space between your shoulder blades, elevating your shoulder blade bases forward and inward toward your spine. 

7. To straighten your arms, firmly contract your triceps.

8. Lift your breastbone while maintaining your lower ribs in place if your neck permits it.

9. For five to fifteen breaths, hold this pose, softening your face and sensing the strength that comes from your base.

Naukasana (Boat pose)

This seated yoga pose strengthens the muscles in the abdomen, enhances blood circulation, assists in decreasing belly fat, and balances the functions of the liver, pancreas, and lungs. To perform this yoga pose, follow these steps.

1. With your feet firm on the floor and your knees bent, take a seat on your mat.

2. To ensure that your tailbone folds under without touching the ground, lean back and slightly roll your lower back. Raise your legs off the ground with this leverage, using your buttocks to assist you stay balanced. To help maintain your form, you can also put your hands underneath the outer edges of your knees.

3. Stretch your legs outward and slowly raise them into the air while maintaining your sit-bones balance. Additionally, flatten your back and raise your sternum toward the ceiling. Your sitting bones should be the point closest to contact with the earth when your body forms a 45-degree angle. With your hands on the exterior of your knees and your arms parallel to the floor, extend your shoulder blades widely.

4. Maintain a steady breathing pattern and focus on your major toes. You can spend up to a minute in this stance.

How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight with Yoga

Many weight loss yoga enthusiasts have tried to deduce the answer to “How much weight can I lose in a month with yoga”. However, the answer is not straightforward. A lot of underlying factors like your bodily metabolism, diet, and other lifestyle elements determine the periods.

For considerable weight loss in a healthy way with weight loss yoga as a prime way, you can see effective transformation within 3 to 4 months. With time, you can gradually elevate the duration and difficulty of yoga poses to witness an amazing transformation.

Final Thoughts

These are a few weight loss yoga positions that are going to assist you to lose weight and tone up. But keep in mind that if you’re wanting to lose weight, yoga is just one component of a long journey. For rapid and desirable outcomes, you must maintain a balanced diet in addition to engaging in moderate exercise.

Yoga is best practised in the early morning. It will help you release the tension and weight that comes with multitasking and living a fast-paced life throughout the day. Doing weight loss yoga first thing in the morning can help you feel more nimble and flexible than you would otherwise be, and it will quickly become a vital part of your everyday routine.

Commonly Asked Questions for weight loss yoga