Yoga For Weight Loss
Yoga & Weight Loss
When we talk about exercise for weight loss, we seldom think
of Yoga as a means to help us lose weight. Think again, the
results might not be as good as with other types of exercise.
But undeniably, the long term benefits of yoga are too great.
Yoga has been existing for about a thousand of years, it
was started in India and right now it is popular world wide.
The type of yoga that is most often practiced in the west
is known as ‘hatha’ yoga, but this is not the
only type of yoga. The other types of yoga include kundalini,
that involves breathe work and is quite a bit different from
other types of yoga.
Some athletes do not agree with yoga as they do not believe
the fact that how something so gentle can cause you to lose
weight or significantly increase your fitness level. As a
matter of fact, it can increase your concentration, clarity
and sense of well being. There is really no reason why you
should not give yoga a try, if you are attempted by the great
benefits of yoga.
If you are a beginner, go for a beginner’s class, take
one step at a time and go slow. Hatha yoga involves a series
of different positions, with some more challenging than others.
Your goal should not be rushing into the steps, instead, you
should pick up a few steps and master the postures, do it
as precisely as you possibly can.
When done correctly, your body is being trained in a precise
skill and discipline, and the position itself can have various
benefits for your health and your mind, each of the position
has their own benefits. To lose weight, positions which bring
the chin down to stimulate the thyroid gland are beneficial
such as the classic shoulder stand.
Generally, yoga is helpful for weight loss since you will
be more conscious about your body and your postures. At the
same time, it also tones your muscles and makes your body
more flexible, easier to move. Yoga can make you look as if
you’re thinner and more attractive by getting you to
stand up straighter. Some people even claim that yoga has
made them taller, and there is one woman who claims to have
grown a full three inches! But of course, it is not true,
the fact is, once she started to stand up straighter, people
responded to her as if she were really taller.
Another interesting fact is that, although is popular for
weight loss, it can also be used to treat girls with eating
disorders such as anorexia. The logic is simple, first of
all, anorexic girls feel anxious if they can’t exercise,
since to them, over-exercising also means weight control.
During their treatment, they can’t be allowed to jog
or do other exercise that might prevent them from making progress
with weight gain. When yoga practiced in low-impact, it can
help to ease the anxiety of these girls, and it makes them
more conscious of their bodies.
In fact, it can do the same thing for people with the opposite
type of eating disorder such as binge eating or compulsive
overeating. Yoga can also help to ease emotional issues, and
if you are looking to lose weight, it can be a great choice
for you.
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