There are many approaches to take toward losing weight. A combination of calorie counting and exercise is the most straightforward and effective, while for many people some of the more unusual diet plans can wind up being more trouble than they’re worth.
However, one technique for boosting weight loss is often overlooked. The ancient practice of yoga can greatly help your dieting effort, even if a session doesn’t burn through calories quite as quickly as cardio or jogging. Here are five reasons why it works.
1) Stress Management
One of yoga’s most widely acknowledged benefits is the way it promotes calmness and serenity, helping to alleviate the stresses of everyday life. This assists your weight loss in two ways.
First, with less stress in your life you’ll be much less likely to reach for the comfort of sugary, fattening foods as a temporary escape.
Second, when you’re less anxious, your body contains lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. One of the many effects of this hormone is to stoke the ‘fight or flight’ response, and it generates a strong compulsion to build up your energy reserves ahead of an emergency. In short, stress boosts cortisol, which stimulates your appetite, particularly for high-calorie foodstuffs.
2) Energy Boost
Another result of frequent yoga is that your natural energy levels will slowly increase. This helps weight loss by making you feel more active and ready to take physical exercise, rather than spending your evenings confined to your couch.
However, there’s also a highly useful secondary effect. Repeated yoga sessions are known to raise your resting metabolic rate, which in essence means your body uses more calories each day just to function. The effect is small but significant: you can actually begin to burn off fat even while sitting still.
3) Better Movement and Poise
Over time, yoga provides a stronger sense of the body, with increased flexibility and poise developing as you progress. You’ll be more likely to find exercise not only easier, but more enjoyable as you take pleasure in your new agility.
4) Increased Mindfulness
Yoga doesn’t only put you in closer touch with your body but also with your mind. As you become more adept, you’ll find that you’re able to concentrate better and for longer, and become more attuned to the way you feel in the moment.
You’ll notice which foods make you feel lively and which make you feel sluggish or mentally fuzzy. For most people, a healthier, less fattening diet is the natural result of this increased mindfulness.
5) Better Sleep
Lastly, the combination of a calmer mind and increased physical exercise means you’re more likely to sleep well. High levels of fatigue are a known factor in excessive weight, as the tiredness makes your body crave energy in the form of sweet or fatty treats. Sleep better at night and you’ll snack lighter in the day.
And one of the best things about yoga is how easy it is to start and how flexible it is to fit into your daily routine. There’s almost certainly a class in your area, or you can simply practice using online videos from the privacy of your home.
Either way, if you feel that your slimming efforts could use a little extra support, taking up yoga is a great place to start.