Yoga is popularly known for inner peace and body awareness but its also believed to lose weight.
Yes! Yoga is the powerful way to attain inner and outer fitness at the same time.
It can improve your severe body function, detoxify your body, bring natural glow, weight loss and many positive changes that you can’t imagine for improving your life.
But which yoga pose works effectively for weight loss?
Now, its supposed to be a correct question. Your weight loss mechanism depends on the yoga you select.
Poses that stretch and moves your body maximum at every angle work best for you.
Here, as per our yoga expert, we have created a list of 12 yoga pose for weight loss that can be very effective only if practiced regularly.
List of yoga poses for weight loss
1. Sun Salutation
Sun salutation is very powerful yoga pose for weight loss, especially for belly fat.
Benefits:
- Anti-aging
- Reduce belly fat
- Improve blood circulation
- Anti-anxiety and keep calm
- Improve flexibility
- Improve bad postures
- Glowing skin
- Open emotional blocks by flowing new energy through sun
How it works:
Sun salutation is complete body stretch from top to bottom as each moves target different muscles to stretch your body maximum. These deep stretch flow new energy to your body through sun that removes all mental and emotional blocks. The number of repetition of one complete cycle is directly connected to your weight loss. Means more you will repeat the cycle, more your body will tend to lose weight.
Time Duration:
One complete circle of Surya Namaskar (right and left leg) consist of 12 yoga pose that hardly took 30-40 seconds. Means within one minute, you can complete 2 rounds. Do as many rounds you can for 10 minutes or more. But make sure don’t practice more initially as it may hurt your body. First, you need to develop flexibility and strength to reach up to that level.
Precautions:
- Pregnant women should not practice.
- People having spinal problems and injury should not try.
- People suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia, and during menstruation should avoid this pose.
2. Standing Forward Bend
If you really want flat belly to look slim and sexy then regularly practice this yoga pose for weight loss. It pressurizes your abdominal muscles and takes work from them to burn your extra calories.
Benefits:
- Improve digestion
- Ease menopause, asthma, and migraine
- Weight loss
- Reduce fatigue and stress
- Burn stomach fat
- Beautiful hair
- Soothe lower back pain
- Therapeutic for osteoporosis and sinusitis
How it Works:
Standing forward bend is warming up pose that you can start at beginner’s level to improve flexibility. Bending downward stretch your legs and hip muscles tightly, and tend to faster the blood circulation and heartbeats. Be in this position for few seconds to let your energy flow. It works effectively to flatten your stomach and strengthen your legs.
Time Duration:
While bending down, tuck your tummy for 10-15 seconds and exhale to release this pose. Repeat this pose for 2-5 times initially and then increase gradually for faster results. You can take rest of 5 seconds in between each pose. For beginners, this is easy and best yoga pose for weight loss (To start).
Precautions:
- Pregnant women should avoid this pose.
- People having spinal disc disorder should refrain this pose.
3. Downward Facing Dog
The downward facing dog is second simple yoga pose for weight loss that anyone can do easily. The only thing you need to keep in mind is stretching your body in the upward direction.
Benefits:
- Strengthen your arms and shoulders
- Blood flow to brain and help to cool down nervous system
- Help to build strong bones
- Blood flow to face gives you glowing face
- Weight loss
- Improve flexibility
How it works:
It’s weight bearing pose in which you need to balance your whole body weight on both hands. It helps to build the strength of your hand’s muscles by burning fat around arms. Its excellent way to tone your arms and biceps.
Time Duration:
One of very easy yoga pose for weight loss that may not turn out to be faster but surely very helpful to perform others effective yoga pose. Repeat it at least 5 times and increase gradually to improve flexibility.
Precautions:
- Avoid this pose if you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Pregnant women should avoid or perform under the supervision of experts/doctors.
- If you are suffering from a chronic injury to the back, hips, shoulder, and arms, then don’t perform.
4. Half moon
Improving stability and balancing can be done by yoga too. Half-moon is great yoga pose that you can try to lose some pounds from thighs and stomach.
Benefits:
- Relief from digestive distress- Indigestion and constipation
- Open chest and shoulders
- Reduces anxiety, depression
- Improves balance, coordination
- Burn thighs fat
- Help to alleviate back pain
- Strengthen back and leg muscles
How it works:
Initially, it may be difficult to balance your body but keep trying as later you are going to feel excellent. It stretches your belly and thigh’s muscles, therefore, help to burn fat. Holding this pose for a long time can fasten your fat burning mechanism.
Time Duration:
Hold this position for 5-10 deep breathe. If you are a beginner then take wall support to aid balance.
Precautions:
- Don’t practice this pose if you are suffering from a headache, insomnia, or diarrhea.
- If you have neck injury then shouldn’t turn your face to top hand. Just continue looking straight ahead.
- Always try to work within your own limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, the first talk to your doctors before practicing any yoga pose.
5. Cobra Pose
Don’t miss it, as its going to work amazing on your body.
Benefits:
- Firm your buttocks
- Opens up your chest, lungs, and heart
- Soothe back pain
- Reduce stress and fatigue
- Improve menstrual irregularity
- Improve flexibility
- Weight loss especially stomach and belly fat
- Improve digestion
How it works:
Cobra pose is popularly known to burn belly fat as it stretches your chest, abdominal and stomach most. It also relieves you in back and neck pain.
Time Duration:
Hold this pose for 10-20 seconds or till 4-5 breathe. Feel your stomach pressed on floor and chest lifted above for maximum stretch.
Try to increase your holding time regularly for faster weight loss. You can also take a break of 10 seconds in between poses to relax your muscles.
Precautions:
- Relax, when you feel slight pain while stretching.
- Pregnant women and people having back injury must not perform this pose.
6. Boat Pose
Benefits:
- Improve digestion
- Tone your abdominal muscles
- Stimulates kidneys, thyroid an intestine
- Stress relief
- Strengthen your spine and hip muscles
How it works:
Your whole body weight balance on your midriff as it works as the base in this pose. Initially, it may be hard to balance but regular practice can help as this is powerful yoga pose for weight loss especially stubborn belly fat. Just little practice can tone your abs and soon you will be able to see the difference.
Time Duration:
Hold for 15-20 seconds and gradually increase your time and no. of repetition.
Precautions:
- Pregnant women avoid this pose.
- Don’t practice if you are suffering from insomnia, hernia or spinal injuries.
7. Twisted High Lunge
Another great yoga pose for stubborn belly fat that put extremes pressure on your stomach by twisting and help to lose some fat.
Benefits:
- Improve digestion
- Strengthen lower body
- Relax your spine
- Improve flexibility in rib cage
- Burn fat around stomach
- Stimulates internal organs and kidneys
How it works:
Twisting put extremes pressure on your abdomen and upper body that utilize most of your energy and help to burn fat/calories.
Time Duration:
Try to hold this pose for 10-20 seconds and repeat 3-4 times to make it work for you.
Precautions:
- People with knees injuries, arthritis, and lower back injuries shouldn’t practice this pose.
- Pregnant women avoid this pose.
8. Chair Pose
You may feel a bit uncomfortable to sit on the imaginary chair as it stretches your muscles deeply and utilize most of your energy. No, doubt, you need to be little determined to stay longer in this yoga pose for weight loss (thighs and lower belly).
Benefits:
- Tone your thighs, ankle, and knees muscles
- Balance your body
- Strengthen lower back and torso
- Stimulate hearts, diaphragm, and abdominal orangs
- Reduce thighs fat
- Tones your butt muscles
How it works:
This is modified version of squats that tone your thighs and hip muscles. Sitting on imaginary chair boost blood flow in your body and continued to seek for energy to maintain.
Time Duration:
Hold this pose for 3-4 breathes or 15-30 seconds initially. Regular practice can improve your holding capacity and physical abilities.
Precautions:
- Avoid this pose for chronic knees pain, arthritis, and damaged ligaments.
- Don’t practice with a headache and insomnia.
- Practice carefully during menstruation or in lower back pain.
9. Cobbler Pose
May look very funny yoga pose for weight loss but really worth to you.
Benefits:
- Stimulate abdominal organ, ovaries, and kidneys
- Relieves stress and fatigue
- Relieve the symptoms of menopause
- Therapeutic for flat feet
- Consistent practice of this pose until late into pregnancy is said to help ease childbirth
- Help to lose fat around inner and outer thighs
- Stimulate heart and improve blood circulation
How it works:
This butterfly pose works great on your inner and outer thighs muscles. It stretches and relaxes your lower body at the same time.
Time Duration:
You can continue this pose for 1-2 minutes easily and increase your time limits gradually. If you are a beginner then practice slowly as more practice may hurt your thighs muscles. So start easy.
Precautions:
- Avoid if you have knees injuries.
10. Wheel Pose
This yoga pose works great on mind, body, emotions, and fat, therefore, takes you towards more happiness and fearlessness by increasing awareness.
Benefits:
- Strengthen your arms, abdomen, legs, shoulder, and chest
- Improve respiration
- Enhance nervous system
- Balance hormonal secretion
- Remove fat buildup
- Tighten hips muscles and flexibility
- Release emotional and metal blocks
How it works:
This pose focus on flexing of the whole body like shoulders, wrist, hips, abdomen, and quadriceps, therefore, helps strengthen your everybody parts especially abdomen and thighs.
Time Duration:
Try to hold this pose for 10-20 seconds initially and gradually increase your time and repetition for faster weight loss. You may take rest of 5-10 seconds in between poses to relax your muscles.
Precautions:
- Don’t practice if suffering from high blood pressure and headache.
- Avoid if you have tendonitis in the wrists or carpal tunnel syndrome.
- If you feel hurt in your lower back then immediately come out from this pose.
11. Upward Plank Pose
It raises your inner strength and releases emotional blocks from your heart.
Benefits:
- Strengthen your legs, back, triceps, and wrist
- Open your chest, shoulders, and abdomen
- Burn fat around arms
- Relax your mind and nerves
How it works:
Also known as spiritual lightening pose as it allows your heart to rise high. Balancing your core body on wrist put extreme pressure on your arms therefore also helps to burn fat around arms.
Time Duration:
Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds and repeat 2-5 times initially. If you are a beginner then don’t practice more, start with the lowest number and then increase gradually. Take rest of 10 seconds in between poses for relaxation.
Precautions:
- If you have wrist injury then avoid this pose.
- For neck injury, try to avoid it and for the minor injury, you can perform it in seek of experts by using wall or chair as support for your head.
12. Warrior 3
This pose requires lots of core strength and energy to perform therefore work as effective yoga pose for weight loss. By seeing pictures, you can’t imagine the effort side to perform this pose. It may look very easy to perform but burn lots of calories while practicing it.
Benefits:
- Improve balance and your bad postures
- Strengthen your shoulder, ankles, and back muscles
- Improve memory and concentration
- Tone your entire body
- Strengthen your legs and improve hip flexibility
How it works:
Initially, it may be a bit difficult to handle this pose, so, take someone support to hold your body in straight line. Holding this position use your most of energy and burn calories to lose weight. Tell someone to take pictures while performing or you may practice it in front of a mirror to correct your pose.
Time Duration:
Try to hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat for 3-4 times.
Precautions:
- Avoid this pose if suffering from high blood pressure and heart problems.
Things to remember before starting any yoga pose for weight loss
- Always moves within your own limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, then first talk to your doctors before practicing.
- Pregnant women consult with doctors or yoga experts before starting.
- Don’t think yoga is the fastest way to lose weight. It may take time but be regular otherwise it won’t work for your body. The results will be amazing on your body.
- Apart from yoga, you need to consume a balanced diet.
- Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and low calories high fibers food.
- Stay away from junk, and oily foods.
- Along with yoga, try detox drink, infused water, weight loss smoothies and juices for faster results.
When all these things will work together then surely you will be satisfied with your weight loss result. Share it and don’t forget to connect with us. Be healthy, Take care!