Yoga and weight loss can go hand-in-hand if practiced regularly and properly.

There are plenty of social media posts about overeating (and gaining weight) during the coronavirus pandemic. You may be planning to work on health and nutrition (later) and take classes in yoga and weight loss this summer. But why wait?

Yoga and Weight Loss at Home Now (Not Later)

Yoga may not be the most intense, calorie-torching workout, but the practice can help you shed pounds if weight loss is your goal.
–MSN.com

It’s proven that yoga and weight loss classes – working out with others – are more motivational than DIY (do-it-yourself) exercise. There are yoga and weight loss classes in Dunedin, and you can register now. But the healing services you receive from yoga should be something you seek every day.

Good nutrition and a sensible diet are very important to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition to direct physical benefits, yoga addresses other weight-loss advantages:

  • Burns calories without body-impact risks
  • Improves sleep
  • Reduces stress
  • Safely increases heart rate

Until you can safely return to Palm Harbor yoga classes, practice yoga for weight loss at home.

Vinyasa Yoga is a Customized Weight Loss Exercise

Many diet and healing instructors recommend Vinyasa yoga because you can adapt it to your own body’s ability. The movements are slow but steady. As you increase in strength and flexibility, you can increase the intensity of your workout.

Add jumps, leaps, and longer extensions to your poses to add challenges as they are needed. Don’t go overboard with weight-loss yoga. The ongoing, steady movement carefully increases your heart rate and produces the kind of body heat that is safe but effective for weight loss.

Vinyasa ‘Flow’ for Beginners

The ongoing, steady movement associated with Vinyasa yoga is called “flow.” Yoga can increase your strength and serenity as well.

Here are some Vinyasa movements for beginners:

Mountain Pose – Upward Salute

  1. Slowly inhale while raising your arms upward; palms facing the ceiling.
  2. Allow palms to meet above your head.
  3. Keeping palms together, slowly exhale while bringing your arms down to your heart.

Half-Moon – Upward Salute

  1. Slowly inhale while raising your arms upward; palms facing the ceiling.
  2. Allow palms to meet above your head.
  3. Interlace your fingers.
  4. From Mountain pose, interlace the fingers, pointing the I pointing the index finger upward toward the ceiling.
  5. Exhale and sway your right hip sideways while arching toward the left.
  6. Keep your feet flat; focus on your buttocks.
  7. Breathe out and hold for 2-4 breaths.
  8. Inhale and move your weight from the ceiling toward your feet while reaching toward the ceiling.

Forward Fold

  1. Inhale and raise your hands to your thighs, hips, and ceiling.
  2. Stretch downward with hands pointing toward the floor.
  3. Reach for the floor but don’t strain yourself. Relax. Bend your knees if that is more comfortable.
  4. Step back with your right foot and lower your knee while placing your weight on your left foot.

Plank

  1. Position yourself on your hands and knees.
  2. Breathe through your nose.
  3. Spread your fingers and begin putting your weight on your hands.
  4. While gazing between your hands and keeping your chest (and back) straight, slowly step back with your feet.
  5. With thighs lifted, try to keep your body in a straight line, angling from your head to your feet.
  6. Carefully bend your elbows and arch your thighs toward the floor.
  7. Hold this pose.
  8. Straighten your arms while arching your back toward the ceiling.
  9. Hold this pose while breathing smoothly, about 5 breaths.
  10. Slowly lower to your knees.
  11. With arms outstretched, lower your head to your knees and rest.

East West Healing Solutions in Palm Harbor: Here for You at Home

We hope COVID-19 or anything like it never happens again. You can take advantage of these days at home to tackle many home improvement projects, but yoga and weight loss for stress-relief is the best self-improvement home project ever! All excuses why you should not exercise or diet fly in the face of this unique time in our history.

If you have questions about yoga and weight loss exercises, please call 727.216.3972 to schedule a yoga class at East West Healing Solutions. We look forward to seeing you soon; meanwhile, stay healthy!