If you take comfort in numbers, and you've been battling weight
gain, you just might take comfort in knowing that about 40 percent of
all adults in America are at least a little overweight. So you're hardly
alone in your probable disdain for the term "skinny jeans."
But let's say you're determined to put a little more distance between you and the rest of the adult population - not to mention you and the waistband of your "regular fitting jeans." And now you've gone to your physician and asked for a regimen to help you lose that extra weight once and for all.
And now you want to know: is yoga good for weight loss?
If your physician is completely honest and forthcoming, he or she will recommend yoga as part of a regimen to lose weight, in addition to the most obvious ways: reducing your daily caloric intake and increasing the calories you burn through exercise. Put another way, what yoga offers is the promise of weight loss through healthier living.
So is yoga
good for weight loss? Absolutely. But unless you have time to practice
this age-old discipline for hours every day, seven days a week, it
probably won't help you shed pounds, in and of itself. It does not pack
the same calorie-reducing punch as riding a stationary bike or running
on a treadmill.
Yoga helps to tone and strengthen muscles; it also improves range of motion and flexibility. People who regularly practice yoga appear toned and sculpted. But it may help to remember that muscle is denser than fat and so weighs more than fat, too. At the same time, practicing yoga helps to burn fat.
If all this sounds complicated, author and yoga instructor Richard Rosen attempts to set the record straight in his review of the book Yoga Burns Fat by Jan Maddern: "The premise of the book is that yoga has two prime benefits for people wanting to lose weight: one, it improves digestion and so eliminates constipation, water retention, and bloating; and two, it improves blood circulation to major endocrine glands (such as the thyroid and pancreas) that 'control your appetite, moods and sleep patterns'... as well as improved self-image."
Translation: yoga offers the promise of weight loss through healthier living, including a low-fat, high-fiber diet.
That word alone can produce fear in anyone trying to lose weight: "diet." Unlike other "diet plans," yoga is entirely natural. It requires no pills or capsules, no special meals and no surgical procedures. Some well-known yoga poses - the mountain, facing dog and plank poses, among them - are touted as promoting weight loss if they are done with regularity.
So if you're still wondering, Is yoga good for weight loss? Look at it this way: you have nothing to lose - except a few pounds - so it's certainly worth integrating yoga into any studious attempt at healthier (and maybe even happier!) living.
But let's say you're determined to put a little more distance between you and the rest of the adult population - not to mention you and the waistband of your "regular fitting jeans." And now you've gone to your physician and asked for a regimen to help you lose that extra weight once and for all.
And now you want to know: is yoga good for weight loss?
If your physician is completely honest and forthcoming, he or she will recommend yoga as part of a regimen to lose weight, in addition to the most obvious ways: reducing your daily caloric intake and increasing the calories you burn through exercise. Put another way, what yoga offers is the promise of weight loss through healthier living.
So is yoga
good for weight loss? Absolutely. But unless you have time to practice
this age-old discipline for hours every day, seven days a week, it
probably won't help you shed pounds, in and of itself. It does not pack
the same calorie-reducing punch as riding a stationary bike or running
on a treadmill.Yoga helps to tone and strengthen muscles; it also improves range of motion and flexibility. People who regularly practice yoga appear toned and sculpted. But it may help to remember that muscle is denser than fat and so weighs more than fat, too. At the same time, practicing yoga helps to burn fat.
If all this sounds complicated, author and yoga instructor Richard Rosen attempts to set the record straight in his review of the book Yoga Burns Fat by Jan Maddern: "The premise of the book is that yoga has two prime benefits for people wanting to lose weight: one, it improves digestion and so eliminates constipation, water retention, and bloating; and two, it improves blood circulation to major endocrine glands (such as the thyroid and pancreas) that 'control your appetite, moods and sleep patterns'... as well as improved self-image."
Translation: yoga offers the promise of weight loss through healthier living, including a low-fat, high-fiber diet.
That word alone can produce fear in anyone trying to lose weight: "diet." Unlike other "diet plans," yoga is entirely natural. It requires no pills or capsules, no special meals and no surgical procedures. Some well-known yoga poses - the mountain, facing dog and plank poses, among them - are touted as promoting weight loss if they are done with regularity.
So if you're still wondering, Is yoga good for weight loss? Look at it this way: you have nothing to lose - except a few pounds - so it's certainly worth integrating yoga into any studious attempt at healthier (and maybe even happier!) living.
Karen Barr is a mother, designer, and lifelong dieter. She runs
Yoga Weight Loss Expert [http://www.yogaweightlossexpert.com/], where
you can find many articles and news stories about yoga for weight loss
and much more.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_A_Barr
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