Is it possible to lose weight with yoga? Yoga and excess weight, is it possible to lose weight by doing asanas. A little more about the key techniques

Is it possible to lose weight with yoga?

Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian civilization, which often helps a person begin new life. With the help of yoga, you can overcome many ailments: physical inactivity, obesity, metabolic disorders, depression and neuroses.

Many people ask, is it possible to lose weight with yoga?

Experts answer that first of all regular classes Yoga brings our unbalanced bodies into a state of harmony and teaches us to control our body. Hence the conclusion: if a person learns to be the master of the musculoskeletal, respiratory and other systems of his body, he will inevitably lose weight.

Yoga as a way of life, philosophy and richest treasury gymnastic exercises if taken seriously, it will definitely give results, including weight loss, because without regular gymnastic exercises and proper breathing, the human body loses the flexibility of joints and muscles, accumulates fat and toxins. The body becomes more and more defenseless against diseases. Systematic yoga classes strengthen the self-regulatory mechanisms inherent in humans by nature.

Yoga is not an easy path To light body and clear consciousness. Starting to practice breathing exercises and gradually mastering asanas, anyone will feel how leisurely movements and static loads as if they revive all the problem areas of his body and make them work - no worse than other types of gymnastics.

The effect of losing weight does not appear immediately, and this forces some to quit classes and look for fast diets. But when weight loss becomes noticeable, an incentive arises to continue and complicate the exercise.

The first level - hatha yoga - contains exercises and asanas that help you lose weight. For example, uttanasana is an intense stretching pose that removes fat from the waist, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and strengthens the upper legs. Chaturanga Dandasana or staff pose tones the abs and improves posture. Vasisthasana strengthens the oblique abdominal muscles and directly affects weight. Paripurna Navasana or general boat pose is very effective; it tones the entire body, strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves digestion.

There are many similar poses in the yoga arsenal. There are entire systems that focus on losing weight, for example, Asanas for weight loss Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.

The deep meaning of asanas lies in the redistribution of compression, stress and tension in the human body, which leads to the control of physiological processes. Yoga increases endurance many times over, since the stress on the body is quite significant.

It is better to start classes under the guidance of an instructor who will select exercises in accordance with the existing problems, and to study in a group - this is very stimulating. However, not everyone has the opportunity to visit yoga centers.

You can find specialized literature or video courses containing special complexes yoga exercises for weight loss, and practice on your own. However, in this case, willpower and perseverance are required.

Having chosen yoga classes as a way to lose weight and improve overall health, it is very useful to supplement them with a balanced diet, running or race walking. Then how to lose weight the main objective will be achieved even faster.

Many people notice that yoga reduces appetite. This encouraging fact will help keep you from overeating. It was also noticed that literally in the first week of classes even the most simple exercises are starting to be enjoyable. According to the definition of physiologist I.P. Pavlov, this state is called “muscular joy”; it has a great positive impact on a person’s state of mind. So yoga is not only a way to lose weight, but also a mechanism that regulates the psyche.

Yoga has been considered effective since ancient times health system, which restores not only a person’s physical problems, but also leads to harmony in the spiritual and mental state. Yoga classes are very popular today.

By using a set of exercises based on yoga teachings, you can correct your posture, develop flexibility, relieve stress, and also lose weight. excess weight.

Yoga is, first of all, a complex teaching. Starting to use the practice for the purpose of losing weight, a person receives the necessary physical activity, which helps burn calories, improve metabolism and normalize proper nutrition.

Exercises used for weight loss are called “shatkarmas”. They help improve performance digestive system and saturate the body with oxygen. During classes, a special breathing technique is used, which is gradually used in a person’s everyday life.

In the process of performing yoga exercises, most of the muscles of the whole body are worked out. And after just a few months of training, you can notice how slim and attractive your body becomes, as well as how flexible and light it appears.

You can start yoga classes at any level of training. it is recommended to use individual or group training with a trainer who will develop a special program taking into account problem areas. When the experience of knowledge accumulates, then you can perform yoga exercises for weight loss on your own at home.

If you have any illnesses, you must inform the instructor about them so that he can select the optimal program for your classes.

You should be careful when practicing yoga for diseases such as sciatica, nervous system, heart disease, blood disease, oncology, vertebral or umbilical hernia.

Rules for doing yoga

• Exercises should be performed regularly.
• The first training sessions should not last long.
• It is advisable to exercise on an empty stomach.
• The exercises must be performed on a mat.
• Before classes, you should ventilate the room.
• Use correct technique breathing.
• Before class, be sure to warm up.
• If pain occurs, you should stop doing the exercises. You need to start gradually, you should not take on complex exercises right away.

Types of yoga

It is difficult to say for sure which type of yoga is most suitable for weight loss; it all depends on the person’s goals and his problems. Let's look at the main types of yoga:

It is considered the most common type of yoga. This doctrine is based on physical training body to meditation, helps strengthen the spirit and body.

Practice helps to reduce excess weight, saturates the body with oxygen, normalizes metabolism, and has a beneficial effect on vision. This teaching is suitable for people who have problems with joints and spine.

Particular attention in the training is paid to the exact position of the body, where muscles that are little used in ordinary life are involved, because of this, excess weight loss occurs.

Ashtanga. This type of yoga is based on breathing correctly, but are performed using connectives without stopping.

Exercises for weight loss

There are a wide variety of yoga exercises for weight loss that help not only lose weight, but also improve your health. Let's look at some exercises that are most often used for such purposes.

Warrior Pose

This exercise helps burn excess fat.

Twisting poses

These exercises help cleanse internal organs, improve the functioning of the digestive system and have a positive effect on a person’s overall health. There are many twisting poses. Let's look at the general twisting pose in yoga.

Execution: lie on your back, extend your arms at shoulder level on both sides, palms should look down, bend your knees as you inhale, lower them as you exhale bent legs to the left and turn your face to the right. Then repeat everything, only in the other direction.

Uttanasana pose

This pose helps stretch the thigh muscles and has a good effect on the human body.

Execution: you need to stand up straight, spread your legs, take a breath and calmly bend forward as low as possible, reach with your hands to the floor and clasp your shins with them, remain in this position for at least 30 seconds, and then rise.

Boat Pose or Navasana

This pose helps strengthen muscles and is good for digestion.

Execution: accept sitting position, straighten your legs and put them together, straighten your back, lower your arms along your body. Next, take a deep breath, lower your body back so that your back and legs are straight, raise your legs above the floor, maintaining the angle between your legs and torso. Then you need to raise your arms and stretch them forward.

Shavasana pose

The exercise is performed for relaxation. Helps the body relax and relieve tension.

Execution: you need to lie on your back or on the mat, turn your feet out, and your hands should not touch your body. You first need to concentrate on your feet, feel which of them is tense, and try to relax this place.

After the feet relax, you need to smoothly switch your attention higher - to the ankles and shins, now you need to relax this part of the body. Next, move your attention even higher. And so you need to gradually relax every part of the body up to the head.

Dog pose

This exercise is considered basic in yoga, helps to stretch many muscles, and has a good effect on the digestive system.

Execution: you need to spread your legs, put your hands on the floor, while your palms and feet should be on the same line, the body in this position should resemble a triangle. After completing the exercise, you should relax.

If we talk about losing weight, then yoga is great way lose extra pounds. But to achieve noticeable results, it is recommended to exercise at least 2 times a week, as well as eat right and exercise healthy image life.

It should be remembered that yoga is, first of all, a system that includes a set of actions aimed at solving specific problems. And if you follow the system strictly, you can achieve excellent results. A beautiful figure will become a reality, not a dream!

Photos of yoga for weight loss

One day in India, a student came to his guru and asked how he could lose weight. The teacher gave him two eggplants different sizes and said, “You can eat them when the larger eggplant gets smaller and the smaller one gets bigger, and they both become the same size.” Being an obedient student, the man waited a month for the vegetables to change and drank only water. Then he returned to his teacher and said: “Sir, nothing has changed!” The Guru replied, “Throw away the eggplants. You've already reached your goal ideal weight and absolute health."

Fasting for a whole month is too radical a way to lose weight, but to lose weight , yoga masters have a simple recipe: drink more, eat less and perform asanas . All together is the only way to stabilize body weight. Modern people have problems with overweight, because they eat much more calories than they burn off in daily workouts. Reduce the number of calories you consume and you will extend your life.

In addition, excess weight ages a person by 20 years. It's not just about your appearance - being overweight puts you in the same risk category for dangerous diseases as older people.

Today there are voices in favor of excess weight, they say it is too a slim body- these are unhealthy fashion trends, and every person is beautiful in his weight. However, excess weight causes tumors, cancer, allergies, sleep disturbances, depression, heart disease, and hypertension. And along with the expansion of the waistline, the number of cases of type II diabetes is growing.

Yoga diet

The yogic diet includes several basic rules. Firstly, to reduce body weight, you need eat in small portions. Secondly, never you can't eat while standing. And finally, if you feel hungry between meals, eat light, organic foods- for example, apples from a personal farmstead.

Include the food of a real yogi in your diet, and along with daily exercise you will achieve amazing results!

Wake-up drink

For one serving:

• juice of half a lemon,
• 1 cup of warm water.

Pour lemon juice into water and drink through a straw for half an hour while going about your morning routine. If you drink this drink every morning, it will cleanse the liver, intestines and blood, and also suppress your appetite.

Contraindications:

Lemon juice is contraindicated during pregnancy and low blood clotting. Also, despite the fact that allergy to citrus fruits is a childhood disease, the drink should be drunk with caution by all allergy sufferers.

Yoga mono-diet for quick weight loss

For 4 servings:

• 4-5 zucchini with skin,
• 4 stalks of celery,
• 1 sprig of parsley,
• 1 sprig of mint,
• coarse black pepper - for taste,
• 1 pack of low-fat cottage cheese.

Wash and dry the zucchini and celery and cut off the stems. Wash and dry the parsley and mint. Steam the zucchini and celery until tender (about 15 minutes), then puree in a blender, adding the parsley, mint and ground black pepper. Serve with low-fat cottage cheese.
For 40 days, eat only this dish. Eat as much as you want, but no more than three times a day. In addition to the fact that such a diet helps you lose weight, the yogic delicacy perfectly cleanses the stomach and cleanses the skin.

Contraindications:

Thanks to natural ingredients, this diet is safe for health and allows you to exclude all other foods from your diet. However, celery, which is part of the serving, is not recommended to be eaten during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. So, put off yogic weight loss until your baby is on a regular diet.

Complex of asanas for weight loss

Any physical activity burns calories and helps you lose weight. You can run in the morning, go to Gym or swim in the pool. But there is often not enough time and energy for dynamic training, and smooth yoga asanas can be performed at home at any convenient time of the day.

These static exercises have the same effect as intense exercises. strength training, but they will bring your body back to normal even faster, without pumping over individual muscles and removing fat from the waist and hips.

There are three types of obesity - we gain weight:

• on the hips,
• at the waist,
• on the forearms and around the chest.

Women are characterized mainly by the first two types, so the complex of asanas for weight loss includes the most effective poses for these areas of the body.

What asanas to do to lose weight?

Asana 1: Pawanmuktasana

Lie on your back and relax. As you inhale, bend one leg at the knee, clasp your ankle with your hands, and as you exhale, pull your leg as close to your chest as possible. Raise your head so that your nose touches your knee. Hold this position for half a minute, then return to the starting position. Repeat the asana with the other leg. This pose prepares your internal organs to more difficult exercises and warms up your abdominal muscles, increasing your flexibility.

How to lose weight with yoga / shutterstock.com

Asana 2: Cobra

Lie on your stomach, press your forehead to the floor, and place your palms on the floor near your shoulders. Using force abdominal muscles , lift your chest up, straightening your elbows slightly. Do not lift your palms from the ground and do not strain buttocks . If you can't completely tear off chest off the floor and bending is not scary, the main thing is that you activated the right muscles. Stay in the asana for thirty seconds.

Asana 3: Arc

Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and grab your ankles with your hands. Keeping your knees together, begin to straighten your legs, lifting your chest up. Climb as high as you can. Look up. Stay in the asana for thirty seconds, trying to breathe through your diaphragm. You will feel your body rise and fall with your breath. Rest in a child's position: sit on your heels, rest your forehead on the floor, and spread your arms freely to the sides.

Asana 4: Padma Paschimottanasana (bending)

Sit on the floor, straighten your legs. Pull your toes towards you. Keep your knees straight. Inhale and raise your arms above your head, lengthening your spine toward the ceiling. As you exhale, bend your torso forward and grab the thumbs legs If you can't reach your toes, use a strap or towel. Try to relax and stay in the asana for 2 minutes.

Asana 5: Uddiyana bandha

Stand straight, feet slightly apart and knees gently bent. Lean forward slightly and place your palms above your knees. As you inhale, relax your stomach and make it as large as possible, and as you exhale, pull in your stomach, pressing your abdominal muscles towards your spine. Hold your breath for ten seconds, keeping your stomach pulled in. Then take a few breaths in and out, working your abdominal muscles. Hold your breath again, pressing your stomach toward your spine. Repeat the cycle 10 times.

If you think that this physical activity not enough, exercise twice a day, in addition to complex for weight loss choosing any other asanas.

There is a lot of controversy regarding yoga as a way to lose weight. This is not surprising, since the effectiveness of the result depends on the nature of the exercise, nutrition and attitude towards yoga. In this article we will look at exactly how yoga helps you lose weight and what you need to do for this.

How yoga helps you lose weight

Yoga is a system of self-knowledge. First of all, it eliminates the root cause of the appearance extra pounds, which lies deep in the subconscious. Yoga classes change your vision of the world, daily habits and improve your body. There are many types of yoga. Dynamic yoga, which is characterized by active exercises, is ideal for eliminating excess weight. But beginners are recommended to start with the first steps of hatha yoga. This will prepare the body for more complex loads, which is very important for overweight people who may have blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases etc. Over time, you can move on to dynamic yoga.

Where to begin

It is important to remember that practicing yoga will not lead to too much fast weight loss. But this method is the most correct, and the result is permanent. As the level becomes more complex and new asanas (poses) are mastered, excess weight will begin to disappear, and the figure will acquire a refined silhouette, flexibility and lightness. First, choose a suitable teacher and explain your problem to him. Studying with good coach, you will always feel peace and comfort. If you want to study on your own, use a set of high-quality video lessons (presented at the end of the article). Some yoga centers have special classes for overweight people.

Proper nutrition

By practicing yoga, many people become vegetarians. This does not mean that all practitioners need to adhere to such austerity. Refusal of meat occurs only if such a desire arises. A general rules no one canceled food. It is recommended to eat small portions every three hours, limit the consumption of sweets, fatty and rich foods, and also introduce more vegetables and fruits into the diet. You do not need to eat anything heavy 1.5 hours before class. You can drink water and juices. The same rule applies for 1.5 hours after training. It is also recommended not to eat four hours before bedtime.

Correct breathing

For exercises to really help you lose weight, it is important to perform them with proper breathing. Exhale through the mouth (forcibly) and with the sound “hee”. This technique will help saturate all the cells of the body with oxygen, which will start the process of cell cleansing and begin to burn fat. With proper breathing, after 7-10 minutes energy will appear (there will be a lot of it), the body will become hot, sweating and weight loss will begin. Make sure that the abdominal walls move all the time. You should feel like you are breathing from your stomach, not from your lungs.

Regularity of training

Irregular exercise will not bring results. Create a training schedule and strictly follow it. Two classes a week will not be enough - at least three. If you want to receive quick results During the first month, practice every day for at least an hour. But again, it is recommended to approach this gradually.

If you are practicing at home, use the following tips:

• Before class, do some visualization. It will help free your brain from unnecessary thoughts and tune your body in the right way. Imagine what you want to get from yoga.
• After visualization, do an active dynamic warm-up that will help to calm down and relax your entire body. Consciousness and the body will come into a vigorous active mode.
• At the end of each practice, do not forget to do savasana. This pose relaxes all muscles, calms breathing and the nervous system.
• If you're just starting out in yoga, avoid doing exercises that are too difficult.

The question of the effectiveness of yoga for weight loss is relevant for many - both for those who are going to go to their first practice, and for those who are already doing yoga or another type of physical activity. But it’s rare that an instructor will give a definite answer to this question, because the effect of yoga on the body depends not only on perfect execution asanas, but also on many other factors - the right direction, nutrition, instructor, breathing exercises and so on.

AiF.ru was told by professional kundalini yoga teacher Irina Nelson.

Milich Maya, AiF.ru: Can yoga help you lose weight?

Irina Nelson: Yes, sure. But before you choose this particular method of solving problems with excess weight, it is worth understanding what yoga is. Yoga is a system of self-knowledge. There are a huge number of types of yoga. If you want to lose weight with the help of yoga, then know that the reasons for excess weight concern not only physical body, they can be buried deep in the subconscious, or, as yogis say, in the subtle bodies. These include: the emotional body, the mental body and several others. The cause of a disease sometimes appears long before its physical manifestation. Psychologists often say that excess weight is a subconscious fear, a desire to isolate yourself from the world. And in this case, yoga can change the vision of our world, daily habits, and you will be surprised how your body will change.

Where to begin?

— Which direction among the variety of styles is better to choose for those who are focused on losing weight?

— Overweight people need to start with simple yogic practices, since they may have various health problems associated with obesity - blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, spinal diseases. And, naturally, intensive breathing practices are not suitable for them, and also, due to the lack of appropriate training, some exercises that require flexibility. Therefore, I recommend starting carefully with the first steps of hatha yoga. An experienced teacher will always tell you which exercises should be avoided, because in yoga there are exercises that lower or increase blood pressure. Outstanding teacher and yogi Iyengar was very demanding of his students, so Iyengar yoga requires endurance. In yoga, in general, there is a hard, demanding approach, it is called the father’s principle, and a soft one – the mother’s approach, when the student does something rather for his own pleasure.

— How to find your teacher? What do you recommend paying attention to?

- You need to pay attention to your intuition, how pleasant and comfortable this person is to you. With a good teacher, you will rush to class with impatience and anticipation of pleasure. If you force yourself to study, then this is probably not your teacher. You fall in love with a good teacher and become one. In addition, it is important to consider what style suits you. Some people who lack willpower love it when the teacher is tough enough to force them to study. And some are for a soft approach. You need to combine these factors, and then you will find your ideal teacher and fall in love with yoga forever.

Where to go?

— How do you feel about practices such as Bikram yoga and Hot yoga? After all, they are aimed at losing weight, but are they effective and not dangerous?

— Any type of yoga is effective, but you must take into account your level of training. Plus, see exactly how much excess weight you have - 3-5 kg ​​or a high degree of obesity. Naturally, in the latter case I would not recommend starting with Bikram yoga and hot yoga. Because these activities in 100% of cases will lead to aggravation of problems with blood pressure, if any, or to disruption of the cardiovascular system. You should not experiment, otherwise you may harm yourself.

In addition, some people like active exercises - and they need dynamic yoga; others need relaxation due to low stress tolerance, and then it is better to choose practices that promote deep relaxation. And some generally love the philosophical aspect; mantra yoga (chanting mantras) or bakti yoga (serving a favorite deity) is suitable for them.

I repeat, there are a huge number of types of yoga, as many as there are people. And the fact that yoga is suitable for everyone is absolutely true, but it is extremely important to determine your type and soberly assess your capabilities. This is what will help you find your favorite yoga or a combination of practices that will lead to improved health, pure consciousness, not polluted by the external information environment, and, as a result, mental balance.

— Are there special yoga classes for very fat people?

— Such classes exist. For example, there is the ancient science of Ayurveda, which allows one to identify diseases in the deep layers, at the cellular level, and with the help of cleansing practices various types harmonize all body structures. As a result, a person sheds unnecessary pathological formations in the form excess fat and toxic substances. Recently I was at the Atreya Ayurvedic center, where before my eyes changes took place in a man who looked very obese. The doctors, having found out his body type, mindset and habits, prescribed him the right treatment. This type of yoga is many thousands of years old. And only now it comes into our lives.

Organization of classes

— Is it necessary for those who practice yoga to give up meat and adhere to a vegetarian diet?

- I would rephrase. Anyone who decides to become a vegetarian should do yoga. Because you can’t just give up meat out of nowhere, waking up one morning. The fact is that when a person gives up meat, he must master yogic techniques that allow him to compensate for the energy of rough food, which includes meat, in particular its red varieties. With the help of asanas and breathing practices, you can fill your body with energy of much higher quality than the energy that we get from rough food after killing a living creature. This is why many who decide to give up meat do not achieve the expected effect, because this step is not supported by anything.

— Many who attend yoga classes in groups do not like breathing exercises and think that they are useless. Is it really?

- Breathing exercises - powerful additional source vital energy, which in yoga is called “prana”. With the help of breathing exercises, you can treat and mitigate the course of such serious diseases as asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Most people use only upper clavicular breathing, depriving themselves of the huge reserve of energy that can be supplied through properly administered breathing.

— Does yoga have any contraindications?

— Of course, you need to be careful with any type of physical activity. It is important to avoid those exercises and asanas that can lead to injuries due to overexertion, or due to the presence of pre-existing injuries, so be careful with microtraumas of the knees and joints and be sure to warn teachers about previous injuries.

- How long can the path to ideal body?

— How long the path can be depends on the flexibility of the mind and the degree of awareness of the person who has decided not only to lose weight, but also to bring into balance all the systems of his body.