Most of the time, when people talk about losing weight what they actually mean is "I want to get rid of my belly and get a flat tummy". Yoga offers a great alternative to sit-ups and squats, despite most thinking of it as a low effort exercise. In fact, a yoga class can be exhausting and the following Yoga poses will help target that gut that refuses to go away. If you haven't practiced Yoga before you may want to attend some lessons to be taught how to perform them for maximum benefits.
Sun Salutations
The Sun Salutations are a collection of 12 poses flowing in sequence, often used as warm-up to a Yoga class. Performed regularly, at least twice a day, you will exercise your abdominal muscles and legs, as well as enjoying better core muscle strength and posture. It's important to achieve the right rhythm, inhaling and exhaling as you flow in between poses, so if you are not familiar with them you should get Yoga training in order to learn how to perform the Sun Salutations correctly.
The Bow Pose
To achieve the Bow Pose you'll need to lay down on your stomach, and bend backwards until your hands can grasp your ankles, with bent knees of course. Your position will look similar to an archer's bow. This pose helps relax your abdomen and chest, while improving posture and strengthening the back muscles.
The Peacock and Feathered Peacock
This pose involves either balancing your body on your elbows and arms horizontally or, in the case of the feathered peacock, vertical against a Yoga wall. It's a pretty advanced pose, but it will burn calories and strengthen your abdomen, and even just trying to get there is a great workout.
Bharadvaja's Twist
This is a gentle exercise that will help you tone the belly and define your waist. It's goal is to twist your body while on a straight position, slowly as to not cause injury but stretching the abdominal muscles and the torso. This position helps digestion, as it massages the internal organs and helps relieve stress and reduce strain on your abdominal muscles, which makes it perfect as a way to stretch after performing other more demanding poses.
Yoga is a great way of losing weight because it doesn't involve explosive exercise, but a slow, gradual built up of strength. Disciplines such as Bikram Yoga, performed on a warm, sauna-like room, further increase the speed at which you burn calories and flush out toxins, but may not be indicated for everybody.
Of course, no amount of Yoga will help you lose belly fat without other healthy changes to your lifestyle, such as eating less caloric food, but if the idea of sweating on the Gym to the sound of Latino music gives you the creeps, Yoga for weight loss can be a great and more relaxed alternative. You don't need to be a skinny and ultra-flexible to learn Yoga either, there are many forms of Yoga for beginners that are perfect even if you aren't in top shape.
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