The ancient science of yoga is no longer hidden from anyone and hence people also practice yoga for weight loss. Yoga has slowly made its way into mainstream society as a way of attaining a healthy and disciplined lifestyle. You might already know there are many benefits of incorporating yoga into your daily life. From physical problems like high / low blood pressure and aches to mental issues like stress and anxiety, yoga can help you control these symptoms.
Practicing yoga on a regular basis makes you healthy by keeping your body fit. There are many benefits of practicing yoga and therefore you can fight the problem of fat tummy with the help of yoga. Some asanas such as Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose) can help you to lose weight quickly.
Yoga For Weight Loss
Yoga is beneficial for keeping you fit physically as well as mentally. Incorporating yoga into your daily life and practicing various yoga asanas strengthens your body, tones the muscles and helps reduce weight. Yoga not only helps to burn fat, but it also makes your body more flexible which keeps you healthy. By doing yoga regularly you can get into an overall better shape along with losing weight.
Dhanurasana / Bow Pose
In this asana, your body looks like a bow ready to be fired, hence it is called Dhanurasana. Dhanurasana is a great yoga pose that reduces belly fat and exercises the internal organs, muscles and joints.
To perform this asana, lay down on your stomach and bring your legs together. Bend your knees and keep your feet 1 foot apart from each other. Hold your ankles with your hands and try to pull your legs upwards so that the part of your thighs near the knees do not touch the ground. Keep breathing steadily and hold this position for 30 seconds.
Paschimottanasana / Two-Legged Forward Bend
This is another yoga asana which is very helpful in reducing belly fat. When your body is in the state of paschimottanasana, it stretches all the muscles of your body.
In order to practice this asana, sit down on the yoga mat with your legs stretched in front of you. Keep your palms on your knees. Breathe in and raise your hands up in the sky and stretch your back upwards along with your hands.
Now, breathing out, bend in the forward direction and hold your toe’s thumbs with your hands. Make sure that your forehead is touching your knees and that your knees are not bent. Try to touch your elbows on the ground.
Bhujangasana / Cobra Pose
Bhujangasana is very useful to lose fat, broaden your shoulders, reduce your waist and strengthen your arms. This is a great beginner asana and helps to make the body more flexible and achieve a perfect shape.
To do the Cobra Pose, lie down on your stomach and lift the upper part of your body using your palms to push down on the ground, just like in the push-up position. Make sure that your elbows are not bent and look upwards toward the sky.
While performing this yoga posture, your body looks like a Cobra, ready to attack and therefore, this posture is also known as the Cobra Pose. Gomukhasana is a great preparatory asana and you should try to master it first before practicing Bhujangasana.
Purvottanasana / Upward Plank Pose
This asana is the most effective posture for reducing weight and getting in a perfect shape. This pose strengthens the lower muscles in your lower body and arms. Practicing the Upward Plank Pose keeps your body flexible.
The first step is to sit down with your legs spread out in front of you and your spine straight. Make sure that your feet are touching each other. Lay down on your back and use your palms to push down on the ground and lift your lower body up like a reverse push-up. Hold this position for as long as you feel comfortable.
Kapalbhati
Kapalbhati is a breathing exercise from the Pranayama series. Regular practice of this breathing technique helps to burn abdominal fat. To practice Kapalbhat, sit down in the meditative pose with your hands on your knees with your eyes closed. Take a deep breath from your right nostril, and exhale forcefully from your left nostril while squeezing your stomach as you exhale. Practice this exercise 25 times, repeating for both nostrils.
Balasana / Child Pose
Balasana is an easy beginner yoga pose that can help you reduce fat. This asana also helps to improve flexibility of the internal organs and relaxes both body and mind. Apart from all this, practicing the Child Pose stretches the knee muscles.
To practice this yoga for weight loss, sit down on your knees on the yoga mat and lean slightly backwards to put the weight of your body on your feet. Take a deep breath and bend your upper body forward. Make sure that your chest is touching your thighs, and try to touch your head on the ground with your hands on the ground pointing in the forward direction. Spend 30 seconds in this position.
Ustrasana / Camel Pose
While doing this asana, a person looks like a camel and hence, this yoga posture is called the Camel Pose. This asana acts on your stomach, chest, back and arms, toning the muscles and burning fat.
The first step to perform this asana is to sit down in Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose) and stand on your knees. Keeping your thighs straight, bend the lower part of your back backwards and hold your ankles behind your back using your both hands. Now, let your head hang backwards.
Agnisar
Agnisar yoga is another breathing exercise which provides numerous benefits to the practitioner. It strengthens the digestive system and helps in the quick digestion of food. This yoga asana helps with the problem of constipation along with weight by reducing belly fat. You can practice Agnisar in sitting / standing position or while lying down.
To perform this asana, sit down in meditation posture with your hands on your knees. Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. Hold your breath and pump your stomach pulling it in and then pushing it out. Perform these asanas a few times a day.
Baddha Konasana / Butterfly Pose
Another easy yoga for weight loss that provides a number of benefits. As you might have already guessed it, this posture is known as the butterfly pose because the performer makes the shape of the butterfly with their body. This asana mainly affects the stomach and thighs and therefore if you want to reduce fat in your thighs or legs, you must definitely practice this posture.
To do the Butterfly Pose, sit down with your knees bent and soles of both feet touching each other near the pelvis. Hold your feet with your hands and bring them as close to your pelvis as possible. Take a deep breath in. While exhaling, gently press your knees and thighs towards the floor.
Conclusion
Practicing and incorporating these asanas in your daily routine will not only help you to lose your belly fat and get into a perfect shape, but they will also make your mind and body feel more relaxed. It would be more beneficial if you combine your practice with healthy eating habits by incorporating sattvic food in your diet. The yoga postures mentioned above are easy to perform and hence any beginner can also do these asanas.