Best Yoga Asanas & Exercises for Weight Loss

If strenuous exercise is not your thing, try yoga for weight loss!

Yoga offers a more relaxed way of losing weight than aerobic exercises. While it is true that yoga burns a lesser amount of calories, it is nonetheless a great and effective way to lose weight.

Here are 15 top asanas and how they can help you shed those extra pounds.

Check them out!

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15 Best Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss

Below are some of the best yoga exercises for weight loss! Check them out!

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Dog Pose

The downward dog yoga pose focuses on strengthening thigh muscles, arms, hamstring and back. Holding this pose also helps improve blood circulation and focus. In addition, it helps strengthen abdominal muscles and stretches hamstrings and calves.

2. Ardha Pincha Mayurasana or Dolphin Plank

The dolphin plank strengthens the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches and core. In addition, it boosts the vitality of arms and legs. Further, this pose helps calm the brain and relieve stress. Moreover, it also helps to remove mild depression.

3. Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

Probably the most popular yoga for weight loss is the cobra pose. It strengthens the spine, tones buttocks and other back muscles. But the most significant benefit of this pose is that it helps burn belly fat and improves digestion. It also helps benefit the reproductive organs of both males and females.

4. Chaturanga Dandasana or Four-limbed Staff Pose

This yoga pose is a part of the sun salutation pose. It strengthens the arms and wrists and tones the abdomen. The pose is quite difficult to perform and requires sufficient strength of the arms to perform.

5. Chaturanga Dandasana or Plank Pose

The plank pose is among the best yoga poses for weight loss as it involves a remarkable number of body muscles. Moreover, this asana also aligns the whole body and strengthens the spine and the muscles around it. Further, it is also responsible for improving core strength, posture and stability.

6. Dhanurasana or Bow Pose

The benefits of this pose include strengthening of back muscles, posture improvement, and stimulation of reproductive organs. This asana also opens up the chest, shoulders and neck. Besides, it tones the leg and arm muscles, reducing stress and fatigue. It stretches the entire front body, such as the torso, ankles, throat, hip flexors, thighs and groins.

7. Navasana or Boat Pose

Navasana tones the abdominal muscles and strengthens the lower back. This yoga pose also strengthens and improves the abdomen, spine, hip flexors and abdominal organs. Finally, it aids in improving digestion, which is an essential component of losing weight.

8. Parivrtta Utkatasana or Twisted Chair Pose

This yoga pose works on the core area and the lower and upper back. Fat burns when the abdominal muscles are stretched. This pose also aids in improving digestion. Some of the primary muscles this pose helps to strengthen are the quads, glutes, shoulders, knees, hips and ankles. Hence, try the twisted chair yoga pose for weight loss.

9. Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand

The shoulder stand pose helps to improve the lower abdomen by toning the muscles effectively. Further, it relieves constipation and indigestion, creating a healthy gut. It is also known for boosting metabolism and maintaining thyroid levels. Finally, it strengthens the upper body, abdominal muscles, respiratory system, and legs, and improves sleep.

10. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge Pose

The bridge pose stretches the chest, neck, spine, hips while also strengthening the back, buttocks, and hamstring. It also aids in digestion, circulation of blood, alleviating stress and mild depression. Moreover, it soothes tired legs.

11. Surya Namaskara or Sun Salutation

Famous Hindi film industry actress Kareena Kapoor credits surya namaskar for maintaining her svelte figure. It is widely accepted that such yoga poses are beneficial for weight loss. Apart from strengthening the back and muscles, it is also viewed as a complete workout regime for the body. The sun salutation series of poses also stretches and tones the significant muscles, keeping the waist trim while stimulating the digestive system.

12. Trikonasana or Triangle Pose

Muscles that the triangle pose affects are the thighs, knees, and ankles. Moreover, other parts of the body which are stretched include the hips, groins, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine. Further, the triangle pose helps to improve digestion and is highly beneficial for many ailments such as anxiety, infertility, neck pain, etc.

13. Upwards Dog Pose

The upwards dog pose strengthens the arms, as the pose significantly uses the muscles. It also helps balance body weight and aids in gradual weight loss compared to other forms of yoga.

14. Utkatasana or Chair Pose

Probably the most beneficial yoga asanas for weight loss, the chair pose produces a lean stomach, a toned butt, and legs. It can even help you get the hourglass figure that you are looking for! Moreover, this yoga pose also aids in building muscles.

15. Virabhadrasana 2 or Warrior 2

The Warrior 2 pose is beneficial for stretching different body parts such as legs, ankles, groins, chest, lungs, shoulders, etc. Moreover, it increases stamina, stimulates abdominal organs and alleviates backaches.

These were the 15 recommended yoga poses that help to lose weight. You can also try others such as the fish, the butterfly and the crescent pose for weight loss.

How Effective Is Yoga for Weight Loss?

According to experts from the University of Minnesota, American College of Sports Medicine, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, yoga is not very effective for weight loss as it burns fewer calories. Yet, it can help with healthy living, mindfulness and proper eating. Further, since yoga helps to relieve stress, it can help reduce stress-eating.

On the other hand, however, yoga helps to increase metabolism and influences body shape changes. Moreover, the experts concur that choosing the more active forms of yoga is more beneficial.

Who Should Avoid Doing Yoga for Weight Loss?

Practitioners mainly do yoga to stay stress-free and improve certain conditions such as poor blood circulation, arthritis, lower back pain etc. While yoga is mostly believed to be safe for everyone, there are some exceptions.

For example, women should avoid yoga during their menses, and yoga should not be performed in a state of worry or stress.

Further, those with low muscle strength can get injured during yoga. That is why caution is advised.

Also, those with osteoporosis should avoid doing certain poses, as should persons with knee, hip, neck and back pain.

Hot yoga, on the other hand, can cause illnesses such as dehydration and heatstroke. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle should avoid certain poses as it may put you at risk for some injuries.

To sum up, yoga for weight loss is a great idea for those who want a slower weight reduction process. However, it would be best to carry out the poses with help and guidance from a trainer or teacher.

Disclaimer: Take the help of a qualified and experienced yoga teacher or trainer before you start yoga to reduce the risk of injuries. Moreover, you will need to consult with a doctor before you begin yoga.

Frequently Asked Questions

All

Can weight loss yoga asanas tone your body?

Yoga can tone the body very well as it stretches every muscle group and adds tension. Hence, connective tissue and muscle fibres get longer, maintaining a toned appearance.

How many times a week should a person do yoga to lose weight?

Yoga is best practised two and five times a week. Moreover, your body can slowly ease its way into a schedule.

When should one do yoga for the best weight loss results?

The best time to do yoga is early in the morning, between 4 to 6 am. This timing is prescribed from an Ayurvedic perspective.