Does Yoga Help with Weight Loss?

You may not think of yoga as a kind of exercise that can help with weight loss, but according to recent research yoga is indeed an effective approach to weight loss. Here’s how.

Yoga Is Exercise

Yoga isn’t intense cardio. In general, it doesn’t burn huge amounts of calories. But it is exercise, and there are many forms of yoga, some of which are quite vigorous. The type of yoga that most people think of–breathing exercises combined with moving slowly into a pose and holding that pose—not only helps you keep limber, but it also burns about 150 Calories an hour. That’s not a huge amount, admittedly.

However, there are types of yoga that can actually turn up the burn. For example, vinyasa yoga is a form that involves continuous movements that are designed to synchronize your movements with your breathing in a way that seems almost like dancing. It is sometimes called ashtanga, although many people consider this a subtly different form. These more vigorous types of yoga can burn as much as 360 Calories an hour, which makes it comparable to low-impact aerobics.

Yoga Is Mindfulness

Another benefit of yoga goes beyond the mere calorie burn to give you much better results than you might think possible for so little effort. Yoga encourages you to think about your body, be aware of yourself and your emotions, and control yourself and your urges. This can help you be aware of when your body is really hungry, and when it is looking for something other than food. This can reduce snacking and other nonessential eating. It can also give you the willpower to stay on your diet.

Yoga is also great for stress relief. If you feel less stress, it’s likely you will have less stress eating. You also won’t have the stress hormone problems that can contribute to weight gain and prevent weight loss.

Find the Right Solution for You

There are many good approaches to losing weight. It can be hard to find the right one for you. However, working with a weight loss physician can help you find the right technique for you. For help getting the right formula for your weight loss, please call 303-596-3943 or contact Med-Fit Medical Weight Loss Clinic in Denver today.

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Dr. Angela Tran