Yoga which is an ancient form of therapy for many ills and problems of the human body is also an affective practice in weight loss therapy. If you incorporate a daily dose of yoga along with your weight loss diet you will find that not only do you loose weight more easily you also keep it off and get cured of many other health problems. With your whole system toned up with yoga you will not feel the need to overeat and will have higher energy levels and mental clarity. There are many reasons for over eating like stress, fatigue, depression and physical problems. Yoga therapy combats all this and puts you in a better physical condition which gives you a feeling of well being and you automatically have a more regulated lifestyle. A weight loss diet combined with yoga will keep you in perfect health and shape.
Some of the benefits of yoga
There are so many benefits that it would be difficult to give you the complete list in one lot. However, some of the problems which get sorted out with yoga are slowing down the process of aging, more flexibility and strength of body, less of anxiety and tension in the muscles, a heart rate which is lower, blood pressure control, relief from allergies and asthma, bringing thyroid conditions and diabetes under control, spiritual growth, reduced stress levels, a general sense of well being and even helpful in giving up smoking and other such addictive habits. All this apart it takes care of hair problems like falling hair, dandruff, skin problems like acne and dry skin, and keeps you looking and feeling younger both mentally and physically. A weight loss diet which means healthy food habits will only add to the benefits of yoga therapy.
What does yoga involve?
Yoga involves forming different poses with stretching of the body and controlling the breathing by making it slow. This relaxes and energizes the body simultaneously. There are different kinds of yoga which are performed at different speeds like fast movements which are like an aerobic exercise and slow ones which relax and rejuvenate each part of the body. For stress and mental well being there are spiritual forms of yogic poses.
Yoga for weight reduction
To reduce ones weight any form of exercise has to raise the heart rate, so even the form of yoga has to be such. The yogic poses for weight loss are held for a few minutes and then there is a period of resting in between the poses which helps in improving ones posture and building muscle. However, this is really not a cardio vascular workout. Yoga will have to be performed vigorously for at least 90 minutes for the purpose of weight loss and this should be repeated at least thrice a week. This form of yoga is known as the flow yoga or vinvasa. Some of the styles of this form of yoga are “ashtanga”, “power yoga”, “vinvasa yoga” done in a hot room which makes one sweat profusely. If you perform yoga along with a weight loss diet, which is not a near starvation one, you will be surprised at the amount of weight you can loose.
Yoga should be performed regularly and if you do not have time to go to your classes regularly, you should practice at home. The only draw back of yoga is that it needs a lot of dedication to show results and if this is something you have then you can change your whole system around and not only loose weight but also become healthy and get rid of a lot of ailments.