The Power of Yoga to Help You Lose Weight |
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You're probably well aware of the ability of yoga to lower your stress levels, improve your flexibility and tone your muscles. However, it's not so well known for its contributions to weight loss. Yoga isn't typically your first thought when it comes to burning off calories. That's why many people are surprised to find that it's a great way to help you lose weight. Conventional yoga isn't a vigorous type of exercise. While it conditions and tones your muscles, you're not likely to work up a sweat during a yoga session. The fact is, though, that you're working your muscles, which means your body is burning calories. Therefore, you'll get more benefit from your aerobic workouts if you include yoga in your fitness routine. An important component of yoga is discipline of mind and body, which will help you stay committed to your exercise program and healthy eating habits. Yoga reinforces the link between your body and your mind. Therefore you feel more motivated to care for your body. This is very helpful for people who want to lose weight but have trouble getting motivated. If you plan on using yoga by itself to help you drop some pounds, there are some new variations on the traditional practice of yoga. These have the advantages of both yoga and aerobic exercise in one package. And to make it easy, there's a huge variety of yoga DVDs that you can buy that will give you an effective workout. Here's a look at some of the more common kinds of yoga. Vinyasa Yoga: This particular form of yoga involves moving from one pose to another, all the while paying attention to your breathing. The Sun Salutation is a typical position, but there are many others. This style of yoga is typically performed in an overheated room so that you sweat profusely. Ashtanga Yoga: This is an intricate approach to yoga, integrating six series of individual poses, or asanas. The moves become progressively more difficult, so you have to learn them in the correct sequence so you can slowly develop the skills necessary to handle the more complex positions. Power Yoga: This is 21st century yoga, a combination of breathing techniques mixed with fast paced yoga moves. These kinds of yoga provide more benefit to your heart than the more traditional forms of yoga. They won't quite give you the workout of a cardio class. However, you still get the dual advantages of aerobic fitness along with the muscle toning and flexibility of yoga. Your weight loss program will surely benefit. And these kinds of yoga are great for people who are too busy for more than one workout routine. Yoga and aerobics don't appear to have much in common. Nevertheless, yoga training can boost the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. As well, there are new ways to practice the art of yoga that have more aerobic benefit for your body. If you're dissatisfied with the results you're seeing from your normal exercise program, why not give yoga a try. More Information Learn more about the ancient tradition of yoga at Simple Yoga, a guide to yoga exercises that will improve your body, mind and spirit. |
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