Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

Everyone has heard that Yoga is good for you – why? They say it can cure your back pain, relieve anxiety, and reduce stress. New research even reveals that flexibility, which is greatly enhanced by yoga, slows aging.  One of the biggest questions regarding the benefits of yoga is, “Will I lose weight?”

According to Timothy Burgin, author of Using Yoga for Weight Loss:

Yoga is not a quick fix, but can be an excellent long-term holistic approach to losing excess weight – and keeping it off. Yoga creates many other positive changes: improves self-esteem, increases mental focus, reduces stress, promotes flexibility and increases strength and balance. Metabolism is the chemical processes that creates energy in the body and is regulated by the endocrine system, especially the thyroid.

Yoga has a powerful stimulating and strengthening effect on the endocrine organs and thus can boost metabolism to burn more calories. The twisting, back-bends, forward-bends and inversions done in yoga massage the internal endocrine organs, regulating their function and improving local circulation. Along with yoga’s effect on metabolism, the age-old weight loss formula of reducing calorie intake and eating a healthy diet is important. If the weight gain is due to a hormonal imbalance, the poses that affect the thyroid in the neck will be helpful.

There are many, many styles of Yoga (most with names that reflect those who made them popular), so taking one class gives you a small perspective of what Yoga can be. Much of popular yoga taught today comes from a variety of fitness styles, often called Vinyasa or flow. Add breath sequencing with alignment & you have active body conditioning.

For each movement asana there are multiple benefits, such as – eases fatigue, aids digestion, relieves lower back pain, eliminates toxins & strengthens, creates optimal spinal alignment – which also improves overall health and well-being. The anatomical effects go way beyond increased circulation and flexibility. Yoga is more than an exercise. I like to think of Yoga as a body science with an ancient history. Yoga’s efficacy is vast, but use common sense & precautions. If you have any medical condition, you should check with your health care professional before starting a yoga practice.

Some love their first class & can’t wait to take another, while others may have gone to a class that did not fit their needs & comfort zone. If you are new to Yoga – it is best to go to introductory classes that fit your fitness and ability levels. I recommend going to a dedicated Yoga studio with certified instructors and a variety of classes to meet your needs. The more you learn and apply the proper techniques, the better your body will feel and the more relaxed your mind will become.

Be persistent, practice diligently and you will reap the mind and body benefits that Yoga has to offer.

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