Do you want to lose weight with Yoga? I am sure everyone wants to burn that extra fat! Even I wanted to do it while I was getting started with yoga.
And once I got started, I saw some really fantastic results. So, In this article I am going to share my best 14 yoga asanas for weight loss!
Yoga is one of the most ancient forms of fitness and is now globally accepted as the most beneficial ways of remaining fit. If you practice yoga on a regular basis, then it can surely provide you immense benefits in weight loss. Also, doing yoga is simply not about just exercising; it also provides great relief in fatigue and stress.
If you are facing weight issues and want to work on your weight quickly and efficiently, then yoga would prove to be the foremost option for you trust me!
Here are the easy-to-perform yoga asanas that can be practiced by both men and women for weight loss, even at the comfort of your home.
1. Bridge Pose Yoga (Setubandha Sarvangasana)
If you are looking forward to tone your thighs and abs, then this position of yoga is the most ideal for you. The action when you have to touch your chin with your chest helps in massaging your thyroid gland gently which helps in the production of metabolism regulating hormone.
When you press your feet down, it also involves your back and thighs which is good for toning these muscles. The bridge pose yoga also aids in improving digestion.
How to perform this asana:
- While keeping your feet flat, just lie down on your back keeping your arms on both the sides.
- Exhale and push up your torso in such a manner that your head and neck are flat and parallel to your feet.
- If you want to be more flexible, you can grab your ankles or cling to your fingers beneath the arch.
Remember that this pose places stress on the neck and back. So, avoid it if you have had any past injury concerned to back or your neck.
2. Frog Pose Yoga (Bhekasana)
This yoga asana would not only help you in loosing those extra pounds, but also provide a nice gait. This asana helps you to stretch your chest and abdomen and therefore, you get an enhanced body posture.
During this asana, your belly is put under a lot of pressure which helps to control fat from the belly, lower body and your abdomen. Your hip region is also affected by it, and therefore it helps to reduce fat from there too.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie down on your stomach, flat.
- Try holding your feet with the help of your hands while pushing your neck upwards.
- Now inhale, while bringing your shoulders together and lifting your chest in the upward position. Ensure that your hip is touched with your feet’s heels while you perform this asana.
- Hold on for 1 minute and then get back to normal posture.
Do not perform this asana if you have neck, shoulder and back issues. Also, it should be avoided if you have high BP or migraine problem.
3. Plow pose yoga (Halasana)
If you are the one who has a sedentary lifestyle and has a bad body posture, then this pose can prove to be fruitful for you. Plow pose aids in toning the buttocks muscles. It is an excellent pose for cutting fat organically from your body as it involves multiple body muscles in the action.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie down on your back with your arms sideways and facing to the down.
- Keep your feet flat. Now, start raising your legs from your lower body.
- Take the support of your hands – by keeping them sideways to your hips, and then bend your legs and try touching your toes in front of your head on the floor.
- Keep your hands straight on the floor while performing this asana.
- Stay in it for a few seconds and then get back to your normal posture.
If you have diarrhea, hypertension or any kind of liver disorders, then it is recommended to not perform this yoga pose.
4. Locust pose (Salabhasana)
The locust pose also aids in strengthening your belly, chest and your shoulders, apart from giving you a toned figure. It also helps you to relax and stimulates your abdominal organs.
Locust pose is the ideal pose for weight loss, particularly for the ones who have fat centered around their belly. It puts strain on your belly and therefore aids in melting the stubborn fat.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie down on your belly with arms kept besides.
- Keep your palms open and forehead on the floor.
- Keep your big toes together and while you exhale, lift your arms, legs, upper torso, and head in the upward direction.
- Let your arms be in line with the floor and stretch the tip of your fingers. Your arms must face towards the wall.
- Keep your back and neck straight and look to the front.
- Stay & Hold in this position for 30 seconds and then exhale.
Keep a break from this pose if you have had any back or neck injuries.
5. Eagle pose (Garudasana)
This asana aids in strengthening your upper back, calves, ankles and shoulders while being among the finest poses for weight loss. However, it is a bit challenging to perform.
The eagle pose makes the most use of your upper back, shoulders and thighs and thereby, cuts fat from your upper body and thighs. It also works on your hip area.
How to perform this asana:
- Stand straight while lifting your left foot and bending your knees.
- Focus your balance on the right foot and place your left thigh on the right thigh.
- Then place your left foot on the calf of your right foot, and then on its shin.
- Keep your arms stretched and in-line with the floor. Cross your arms while keeping the right one above the left one.
- While keeping your right and left palms facing one another, wrap your right arm over the left one and bend your elbows.
- Stay strong in the pose for around 15 seconds before going back to normal.
Avoid this pose if you have any sort of knee injury.
6. Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
This asana escalates your energy level and helps in enhancing your digestion power. You can tone your legs and arms while performing this asana regularly.
This yoga pose is a good form of stretching which helps to boost your confidence and cut down fat from your body. You can also get relief from back pain while practicing this asana on a regular basis.
How to perform this asana:
- Bend towards the floor on your knees and hands.
- Your hands should stretch from your shoulders and knees must be placed down the hips.
- While exhaling, stretch your knees upwards and raise your heels.
- Raise your sitting bones and stretch the tail bone.
- Now, push the upper thigh in the backward position while you exhale.
- Keep the blades of your shoulder firm and keep your head in between the arms.
- Hold in this pose for around 50- 60 seconds.
If you are having high blood pressure problem or are pregnant, do not perform this asana.
7. Pranayama
This is a kind of breathing exercise that helps in supporting weight loss when practiced in the right manner. Pranayama helps to enhance the body’s level of metabolism which helps in losing weight efficiently and quickly.
Taking deep breaths in Pranayamas, help to fill your lungs with the right amount of oxygen, thereby boosting the body’s metabolism.
How to perform this asana:
- Breathe deeply and with the help of your right hand’s thumb, close your right nostril.
- Inhale and exhale with your left nostril and then perform the same on the other side.
You should take advice from a doctor if you have breathing issues.
8. Butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana)
Butterfly yoga asana works best on your ‘inner thighs fat loss’. It helps to improve your digestion power and also strengthens your knees and spine. If you are suffering from menstrual discomfort, then also you must practice this yoga regularly to get benefits.
How to perform this asana:
- Sit straight on a yoga mat with legs stretched behind your body.
- Now bend your legs at the knees and keep your feet soles attached to each other.
- Now pull your legs through your hands in a manner that the right heel touches your left heel, and keep them as near to your pelvic bone as you can.
Do not pressurize yourself when you are performing this pose as you might not be much flexible in the beginning. But over time, you will develop the flexibility.
9. Chair Pose Yoga (Utkatasana)
You can reduce your thighs, buttocks and belly fat by performing this yoga asana daily. It needs focus and concentration on the muscles that are used in the practice, which flushes out extra fat from the body.
How to perform this asana:
- Stand on a floor while folding your palms.
- Bend on your knee and stretch your arms upwards keeping your thighs in line with the floor.
- You can remain in this posture according to your capability. Ensure that you take deep breaths as long as you are in this position.
10. Boat pose yoga (Navasana)
If your focus is on reducing weight around your waist, hips and belly, then performing this pose is an excellent choice as it is the finest option for weight loss without any side effects. It helps to shed those extra inches from the waist and tummy and gives your body a fine shape.
How to perform this yoga:
- Sit down on a mat and keep your legs straight. Place your hands in such a way that the fingers must be facing your feet.
- Now, slowly lean towards your back.
- Stretch your torso’s front and while exhaling, keep your knees bent.
- Lift your feet upwards while keeping a 45 degree angle for your thighs.
- You need to Hold this pose for around 15 to 20 seconds.
If you are having asthma or heart problems, then you must avert this pose. Also, do not practice it during your menstrual cycle.
11. Seated Forward Bend pose (Paschimottanasana)
The seated forward bend pose provides a good stretch to your complete body. A pressure on your thorax and abdomen is created when you perform this asana which improves the respiratory functioning of the body and also helps to cut down weight due to increased metabolism.
Apart from cutting down obesity, this yoga pose also aids to boost your appetite. While practicing it daily, you will see that you have improved digestion and notice a new energy in you.
How to perform this asana:
- Sit down on a floor and keep your legs straight.
- Stretch out your front torso and bend yourself forward, until your hands touch your feet.
- Hold the position for around 1 minute.
12. Shoulder stand pose (Salamba Sarvangasana)
This asana provides a myriad of benefits when performed in the right manner. It helps to stimulate your abdomen and thyroid glands, tones your legs and butt and help instill great energy in you.
When it comes to weight loss, it helps with neck fat. Also, your stomach and thighs are under good stretch, so those portions are also covered for losing weight.
How to perform this asana:
- Place your head on the floor.
- You should use a blanket for supporting your shoulders.
- Now, keep your arms on either sides of the body and bend your knees.
- Start lifting your knees upwards.
- Now bend your elbows and stretch your arms to bring both your arms together.
- While doing this, your torso should be kept at an angle of 90 degrees to the floor.
- Stay Time: 20 to 30 seconds.
People with blood pressure, heart and neck conditions should not perform this asana. Also, you should not try it in case you are pregnant.
13. Bow pose yoga (Dhanurasana)
This yoga asana is quite difficult to perform, but it has a lot of benefits to offer. Bow pose is not only good for cutting fat from your body, but also tones your legs and arms.
Your abdominal region is stretched while doing this pose and it ultimately helps to reduce fat from within the body. It also helps to stimulate your abdomen and neck and also enhances your body posture.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie on your belly.
- Let your hands rest near the torso and keep your palms open.
- Exhale and bend your knees.
- Now, hold your ankles with your hands and ensure that a good space is maintained in between your knees and your hips.
- Inhale, and lift your thighs and knees from the buttocks.
- Breathe in, stay in this position for 20 seconds, and then breathe out.
14. Wind-Relieving pose (Pavanamuktasana)
If you have fat centered around your abdomen, then this yoga pose is meant for you. The best part about this pose is that it is easy to perform.
As indicated from its name, helps in gas release from your body. It is the gas which blocks your intestine. This pose engages your knees to put pressure on your belly which helps in minimizing belly fat.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie down on a mat facing the wall and straighten your legs.
- Inhale, and bend your legs towards the knees.
- Use your hands to grasp your legs and then press your legs on the stomach.
- Try to bring your knees to your chin by lifting your head.
- Hold pose for 15 to 20 seconds.
Pregnant women and those with abdominal problems should refrain from it.
Remember
The most arduous thing about yoga is stepping on a yoga mat. You need a lot of commitment for it. Since your health and well-being is paramount, stop thinking and start your journey towards weight loss with these top 14 yoga poses for weight loss which I told you about.
I hope you find my list helpful. I have listed all yoga poses you need to see your weight loss results.