Whatever your weight, there’s no better strategy for weight loss than heavy lifting and high intensity interval training (HIIT), so why bother with yoga…?
It’s simple, try going all out on HIIT every day and you’re likely to reduce your energy, immune system and burn yourself out quicker than a candle dripping with lighter fluid.
So let’s save burning for the barbeque shall we? Now, if we’re looking for fat loss and improved health, what’s the advantage in standing around in unusual poses and not moving for up to 5 breaths at a time?
See yoga as your all in one supplement for training and improving your health. Not only does it help you get a bit more flexible, but it’s an opportunity to really stretch those muscles you’ve been breaking down in your intense training sessions. Couple this with a reduction in stress and you’ve got yourself a new lower level of cortisol [1].
For those who don’t know much about cortisol, it’s the body’s “stress hormone”, giving you that “fight or flight” feeling or potentially anxiety. Not only is it often not much fun to feel stress, it also has negative effects on both your dietary choices, muscle growth, sleep and even fat storage [2].
Combine these three and you’re well on your way to a much higher level of body fat.
Getting Started
There are a huge range of yoga styles, ranging from Iyengar (holding poses for long periods), Ashtanga (regular movement from one pose to another) and even the famous Bikram or “hot yoga” (yoga in a really hot room!). It’s important to pick the yoga practice which is most suitable for you and your goals.
With the range of styles available, there is however a few key poses which and strengthen the body and relax the mind through focused breathing. One of these is the well known downward-dog or “Adho Mukha Svanasana” if you’re fluent in Sanskrit. An example video for beginners is below.
There is a huge amount of yoga videos available on the internet, simply search “yoga routine” or “yoga practice at home” and you’ll have a wide range of yoga choices. Personally, I always prefer doing yoga in a class with instructors, it’s easy to underestimate the effect guided practice can have on your ability.
As with all exercise, for the best results, form is king. Once you’re comfortable with the basic poses, there’s nothing stopping you form upping your game and slotting in another yoga session or two in around your training. This is especially easy considering many yoga sessions can be completed in 30 minutes or less!
Breathing
Breath is of the upmost importance within yoga, not only supporting you as you try to move your body into some crazy poses with control, but also helping you de-stress. This de-stressing and mindfulness causes a significant reduction in cortisol.
This not only makes it easier to resist that free donut at the office, but also minimizes the chance of spending an hour angry when that person is rude to you again for no reason! Great stuff for your weight loss strategy and your wellbeing!
Conclusion
So there you have it, yoga isn’t just a bunch of hippys and tree huggers talking about how rubbing themselves in soil connects them more to the Earth (in some very rural areas, this may be the case…).
It’s also much more than simply improving your flexibility and being able to throw your legs behind your head whilst balancing an orange on your toes.
For all the men out there also, yoga definitely isn’t just for girls!
In terms of weight loss, yoga can make it easier to resist unhealthy food, help you recover in-between workouts, support effective sleep and even burn a few calories every session!
Now what other weight loss supplement can give you all those benefits and more…?
Do you use yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle?
What’s your favourite style of yoga and why?
Know someone who need a bit more yoga in their life?
Then why not leave a comment or share on Facebook? 🙂
References:
1] Yoga and Weight Loss Part Two – Lowering Cortisol and Reducing Stress – http://www.examiner.com/article/yoga-and-weight-loss-part-two-lowering-cortisol-and-reducing-stress
[2] The Implications of Cortisol Release! – http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson.htm
