Yoga For Weight Loss - Fact Or Fiction?

Yoga for weight loss, really? Losing weight is very simple, in principle. All you have to do is to use more calories than you take in… that's it. What's so hard about that? In actuality, the balancing of both sides of this equation is hard. The number of calories you take in is represented by your diet. My opinion is that eating right gets you more than half way to your weight loss goals, but this article is about whether or not yoga can assist you with the calorie burning side. Let's talk about calorie burning.

How Are Calories Burned?

Many wouldn't even consider using yoga for weight loss or to burn calories. When most people think about burning calories in a quick efficient way, they usually think of aerobic activities like the classes, running or cycling. These activities do the main thing necessary to burn some major calories, which is elevate your heart rate. All of these activities are performed at a moderate intensity level over a relatively long period of time. This is why running at a moderate pace for a long distance is aerobic, but sprinting is not. People recognize that yoga can be practiced over a long period of time, but when people think about using yoga for weight loss, they're unsure if it qualifies as a moderate level of exertion?

Yoga Can Be Aerobic?

Yes it can! However, there are only a few styles of yoga that lend themselves to a high degree of calorie burning. Here's a short list:

1) Ashtanga (Power Yoga): As the nickname "Power Yoga" implies, this is a more intense, faster pace of yoga.

2) Iyengar: A lot of stamina is required for this style, as poses are often held for a long time.

3) Bikram (Hot Yoga): Time to sweat! It's performed in a room temperature of near 100 degrees!

Yoga For Weight Loss - An Added Benefit

Research has also suggested another reason why yoga can be an integral part of a weight loss program… a stronger link between mind and body. This research suggests that this better link allows yoga practitioners to understand better the feelings and reasons behind our eating habits, and what our bodies actual need versus desires. This helps practitioners to be more "mindful" in their eating. By being more mindful in your eating, it becomes much easier to eating only when you are actually hungry, versus based on emotions.

Therefore it is clear from both research and my own personal experience that you definitely can use yoga for weight loss. You just have to be sure you find an appropriate program to follow, if you're looking for more than just the right mental attitude!