Power Yoga for Weight Loss
I remodeled my body and mind on the mat of yoga and the research confirms that it is effective.
I was also skeptical when I first thought of power yoga as a means of weight loss. Would this sedentary habit, to which I would rather attach myself than perspire, aid me in getting rid of difficult pounds? I chose to treat it as an individual experiment, and engage in a 12-week program to find out what would occur.
The findings were deep to my surprise. My whole attitude toward food and stress changed as well as my body. I found out that power yoga is not only about calories-burning but also a holistic health metabolic and body recomposition instrument.
When I sat down to the science, I discovered that other researchers had reached similar conclusions: one 12-week intervention resulted in a substantial decrease in the waist circumference an average of 3.8 cm greater than the control group–including body fat percentage and muscle mass. This is how I opened these advantages to myself.
The Science of the Sweat: Power Yoga Trims Your Waistline.
On the surface of it, a yoga session may not appear to be the most strenuous exercise. Even then I soon found out that power yoga is quite another thing. The unceasing flow of poses, along with the emphasis on strength and endurance gives the impression of a strong physiological reaction. Scientists have discovered that yoga does have moderately effective positive impacts on anthropometric variables, i.e. it can really transform your body measurements.
What makes it so effective? Its action, based on my experience and the scientific literature, is a result of several major mechanisms:
To begin with, power yoga is a yoga that generates metabolic fire. Power yoga also keeps you in motion, unlike certain other types of gentle yoga. This is a moving form of exercise that raises your pulse rate, which places you in a fat burning zone like any other form of cardio. But you still have them long after you have rolled up your mat. The muscle growth of challenging poses such as the plank and chair pose imply you are developing lean tissue that burns more calories even at rest, and hence, elevates your resting metabolism.
Second, it attacks fat in the stomach. One exceptional study was dedicated to women who are abdominally obese- a life threatening form of fat, which is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic problems. Following 12 weeks of consistent practice, the yoga group experienced a much greater improvement in waist circumference than the control group who did not change their level of activity at all . This indicates that yoga can be very useful in slimming the waist.
Third, yoga reprograms your stress reaction. It was probably the least anticipated advantage that I had. The power yoga breathing and mental concentration helped me to control stress better. So what is the relevance of this to weight loss? Chronic stress increases cortisol, which stimulates belly fat accumulation, and causes a craving to eat unhealthy food. The yoga practice can break this cycle, by calming your nervous system.
It is not merely evidence in individual cases–evidence in data. Here is a comparative study that yoga was put to the test:
Comparison: Yoga and Walking as Exercise to lose weight.
Aspect Yoga Group Results Walking Group Results.
My Power Yoga Utensil: Pose That Has Changed My Body.
Yoga is not made equal insofar as weight management is concerned. Continuing my journey, I realized that which poses made the most important contribution to my body structure and my strength. These are the poses that were my basis:
Plank Pose (Phalakasana): This was my power house ab strengthening my core. Planking exercises do not only involve your stomach muscles but the rest of your body. I also observed that my posture has been improving in weeks and my core has become stronger as never before.
Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana): I was only able to support myself a few seconds at first. However, as the strength of my abdomen increased, so was the capability of staying in the pose. This deep belly involvement is unbelievably efficient in order to develop core, stability.
Warrior Poses (Virabhadrasana I, II, III): The sequence of poses had turned into my metabolism stimulant. The power of these standing position develops unbelievable lower body strength and stamina. My heartbeat got higher, my muscles were working in my legs and glutes holding Warrior II, and my body was gaining metabolic stimulation, which is my point above.
Chair Pose (Utkatasana): This yoga position appears easy but is a deceptive one. A seated pose in the air trains your thigh, glute and core muscles at the same time. It is a chair that builds up lower body strength, but is invisible.
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar): This flowing was my cardiovascular exercise in yoga. The successive sets of Sun Salutations raise the heart rate, give the body full body strength and develop the continuous movement that power yoga is so useful in burning calories.
The beauty in these poses is that they combine to form a complete exercise that requires strength, endurance and flexibility at the same time.
Designing My Power Yoga Success Routine.
It was very important to find the appropriate frequency and the intensity of my results. I arrived at a sustainable solution through experimentation – backed by evidence:
I wanted to have 3-5 sessions a week, and the time of each practice was about 60 minutes. This frequency was sufficient to induce change and at the same time to permit recovery. The study population of one research was taking an average of 30.2 hours of guided yoga during 12 weeks which is approximately 2.5 hours per week- similar to mine.
Regularity was much more valuable than precision. On other days my energy was low, and I made more modifications. Other days I was very powerful and could push myself more. The secret was to appear on my mat on a regular basis.
I also got to know how to listen to my body. Listening to the physical feelings in the body – one of the fundamental aspects of yoga – made me realize the difference between being really hungry and feeling emotional, between being tired and challenging. This conscious state of awareness did not end with the mat and translated into having a positive effect on my eating habits.
More than the Physical: The Mental Changes To Make the Weight Loss Stick.
The physical changes were unbelievable, but the change in mindset and feelings is what made the weight loss last longer in my life:
Yoga developed conscious eating and not dieting. Prior to yoga, I used to eat in a distracted manner, before a screen or on the job. I became so preoccupied with my current awareness that the practice of yoga transferred to my eating. I started to pay more attention to the flavors and textures, becoming more aware of my true hunger and ceasing to eat when I was full and not stuffed.
It stopped my eating circle of stress. The breathing exercises I learnt on the mat were the tricks that I could apply anywhere when stress was approaching. When I felt anxious instead of grabbing snacks, I would take a couple of minutes to breathe consciously. This has changed the pattern of my relationship with food since it is an interruption in my stress-response pattern.
My self-esteem and body image was also greatly enhanced by the practice. The researchers discovered that ladies who practiced yoga to affect abdominal obesity claimed improved self-esteem in addition to the alterations in their physiques. This was my direct experience, as my physical ability and power on the mat increased, so did my admiration of what my body was capable of, not merely its appearance.
Asked Questions about Power Yoga.
Am I required to be a flexible person in order to begin power yoga?
Not at all! This was the greatest confusion I had when I started. Flexibility is not a requirement of starting an yoga practice. The very practice will help increase your flexibility as time goes by. Of course it is always good to begin where you are, and honor the current capacities of your body.
What is the difference between power yoga and other forms of yoga used to lose weight?
Power yoga focuses on strength and stamina by a vigorous sequence of poses. It is also high-intensity and demanding thus it is very efficient in calories burning and also in building of muscle. You will certainly lose some sweat, as opposed to some of the softer varieties.
Before taking power yoga, should I eat?
It is better to have an empty stomach when you are practicing. I do not normally eat within two hours of the classes. The presence of food in your stomach may lower your energy level and mobility, which makes the practice ineffective and uncomfortable.
How about problems with the old injuries or physical limitations?
Always inform your teacher of any kind of injuries prior to the commencement of the lesson. They are able to give adjustments to poses to make sure that you practice safely. Like a wise studio says, any yoga you practice will help–the worst thing a body can do is nothing.
What is the rate of results that I would achieve with power yoga?
Although others experience strength and energy improvements in a few weeks, body composition changes are usually long term. The abdominal obesity study, conducted over 12 weeks on women, showed that there were considerable changes in waist circumference, which were reduced (). Stability is even more useful than intensity as far as permanent outcomes are concerned.
Would power yoga or do I need any other exercise to help me in losing weight?
Power yoga may be your main workout, however, it is useful to other practices to many individuals. The comparison study between walking and yoga revealed that both the practices enhanced the anthropometric variables, implying that they can be used as a complement. Others yogis also like to include walks in their practice as an enjoyable balance of air and other movement patterns.