Is yoga good for weight loss?
The main method of losing weight is creating a calorie deficit when you reduce your energy intake (diet) and increase energy expenditure (exercise).
The main goal of training in this scheme is to increase calorie expenditure. This means that the more intense and longer you exercise, the more calories you will spend and the faster you will lose weight. In this regard, yoga is practically useless.
Half-hour workout burns Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights - Harvard Health from 120 to 178 kcal, depending on body weight. About the same amount can be spent in half an hour of leisurely walking (5.6 km / h).
A light run at a speed of about 8 km / h will burn twice as many calories.
However, yoga can still have a positive effect on weight and body composition.
Analysis
Yoga: What You Need To Know | NCCIH a 2013 study found that of 17 yoga-based weight management programs
13 helped
A narrative review of yoga intervention clinical trials including weight-related outcomes participants to adjust the percentage of fat and muscle for the better, even if the weight remains unchanged.
Similar data were obtained in a later review of Mindfulness and Weight Loss2015: Of eight randomized controlled trials, six confirmed the benefits of yoga for weight loss.
A year later, new
analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of yoga on weight-related outcomes10 scientific papers have found that yoga is effective for lowering body mass index in overweight and obese people, but not for those whose BMI is within the normal range.
There is also some evidence that yoga helps maintain weight in the long term. In one
research
Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in healthy, middle-aged men and women analyzed the lifestyle and weight of 15.5 thousand people between 35 and 40 years old.
It turned out that doing yoga for four years reduces the risk of getting fat. Slender people (BMI - less than 25) practicing this system of exercises gained on average 1.4 kg less than those who did not exercise. As for the overweight subjects, the training helped them lose about 2.2 kg in four years. Overweight people who ignored classes, during the same time, gained an average of 6 kg.
Thus, yoga can help those who are overweight, but are in no hurry to lose weight and are ready to immerse themselves in the practice for the sake of health and pleasure.
But even in this case, one cannot speak of indisputable effectiveness, since many studies from the above reviews included few participants and had methodological problems. More high-quality scientific papers are needed for concrete conclusions.
In terms of existing research, scientists suggest that people lost weight not through increased calorie expenditure, but through other mechanisms.
How yoga can help you lose weight
Reduces stress
A high degree of nervous tension is often
leads
Perceived stress correlates with visceral obesity and lipid parameters of the metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis to gaining excess weight - both due to "seizing" sweets and other junk food, and due to hormonal changes.
With chronic stress, people have consistently elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that
promotes
Deconstructing the roles of glucocorticoids in adipose tissue biology and the development of central obesity the accumulation of fat in the abdomen and prevents it from losing. Moreover, even in
case
Influence of sleep restriction on weight loss outcomes associated with caloric restriction calorie deficit.
Regular yoga practice lowers the level
of stress
The Effect of Yoga on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Women, which in the long term can help get rid of excess fat reserves.
Improves hormonal profile
Yoga also affects other hormones responsible for energy metabolism in the body. In one
experiment
Adiponectin, leptin, and yoga practice found that experienced yogis had 36% more leptin and 28% more adiponectin than beginners.
Leptin is responsible for suppressing hunger, and adiponectin maintains insulin sensitivity. A decrease in the levels of these hormones leads to weight gain, obesity, and the development of metabolic diseases.
Teaches mindful eating
If you are used to eating dinner while watching TV or a smartphone, it is very easy to miss the moment of fullness and eat more than your body needs.
A mindful eating strategy
apply
Mindful eating may help with weight loss - Harvard Health in the treatment of eating disorders, and it works as well as psychotherapy and educational lectures on the topic. Moreover, this approach increases the pleasure of eating and makes it easier to control your eating habits.
Learning mindfulness through yoga, people
start
Yoga in the Management of Overweight and Obesity - Adam M. Bernstein, Judi Bar, Jane Pernotto Ehrman, Mladen Golubic, Michael F. Roizen, 2014 notice how hard and unpleasant it becomes after overeating,
are learning
Yoga - Benefits Beyond the Mat - Harvard Health Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, has become increasingly it is better to track the onset of satiety and finish the meal exactly when you are full, and not when the food on the plate runs out.
How to do yoga for weight loss
Exercise regularly and fully
Engage
A narrative review of yoga intervention clinical trials including weight-related outcomes yoga for 60 minutes a day, at least three times a week.
You can arrange for shorter sessions, for example in the morning or during the day, but three times a week, find an hour of free time for a full workout
Unlike running or strength training, yoga does not require a long rest to recover, so you can safely arrange sessions for 1-1.5 hours daily.
The longer and more often you practice, the
it is better
Yoga: What You Need To Know | NCCIH for weight loss and health in general.
Combine different aspects of the practice
Yoga includes not only asana holding but also elements such as breathing and meditation. And although they are often seasoned with spiritual and religious contents, it is not at all necessary to think about chakras and imagine lotuses.
Both breathing techniques and meditation (concentration on an object or event) have a positive effect on the central nervous system, help relieve stress and more effectively deal with it in everyday life.
By complementing exercise with breathing and techniques of focusing on your body or mind, you
increase
Yoga: What You Need To Know | NCCIH benefits from yoga practice.
Find out more
Don't forget about mindful eating
Over time, yoga classes will help you feel your body better and give up unhealthy foods and overeating. But if you want to lose weight faster, you can take a step in that direction before it happens of its own accord.
Pick a time when you can be alone, take your time, and focus all your attention on food. Turn off the TV, put your smartphone and books away.
Take small bites and chew slowly. Concentrate on food - feel its taste, texture, and smell. Try not to be distracted by extraneous thoughts and stay in the present moment.
Monitor your sensations to understand when the satiety has come. And don't be afraid to leave food on your plate - you don't have to send everything in there.
You can also try the following
methods
Mindful eating may help with weight loss - Harvard Health:
- Hold cutlery in your non-dominant hand or try eating with chopsticks.
- Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes and try to stretch out your meal for that time.
- Before opening your refrigerator or food cabinet, ask yourself if you are really hungry. If you are unsure about this, try doing something like reading, taking a walk, or doing breathing exercises. If the hunger was not physiological, but emotional, during the class it will leave you.
Is it possible to quickly lose weight with yoga?
Yoga is a long-term project to maintain a healthy and healthy weight. This practice does not lead to rapid weight loss, especially in people with a BMI within the normal range.
If you get up on the scales every morning and measure the volumes, looking forward to when the excess weight will go away and the cubes will appear, you will most likely simply be disappointed and abandon classes, recognizing them as ineffective.
Yoga is suitable for those who are tired of constant diets and exercises that do not bring pleasure, want to accept and love their body, make friends with it and learn to listen to it.
If you need to shed a few pounds for an event or are striving for a figure like the cover of sports magazines, consider other options for physical activity. For example, a combination of cardio and strength training, or high-intensity interval training.
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