On the surface, Yoga might not be the obvious choice for weight loss compared to calorie-burning, sweat-inducing bootcamp and HIIT workouts or cardio routines. But Yoga can actually be very effective for losing weight! In fact, it is arguably more effective than other forms of exercise, and here is why…

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Doctors and experts agree that Yoga can considerably tone and trim your body. A regular Yoga practice will allow you to build strength, tone stomach fat and burn calories. It helps you to develop muscle tone and improve your metabolism.

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Other than a poor diet, it should be understood that weight gain often stems from inefficient functioning of various parts of the body. Yoga is based on some basic breathing practises which cleanse, balance and rejuvenate our inner organs and their functions. Various breathing exercises and specific poses help in increasing metabolic and heart rates. Effective, long-term weight loss needs to work on both the inner and outer body.

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Moreover, as we activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System through Yoga, our hormones rebalance, injuries begin repairing, and digestion can function normally — all of which aid weight loss.

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Yoga reduces stress in the body and lowers cortisol levels, which in turn leads to weight loss. Cortisol is an appetite stimulant, hence why we tend to eat- and overeat- when we are stressed, and why we crave unhealthy foods in particular. A regular Yoga practise can help to counter this and keep the extra weight off.

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Yoga teaches body consciousness. Moving through the different poses and integrating the Yoga breathing into the practise increases awareness of your body, and this translates to other effective weight-loss habits, like eating healthily, which is key for losing weight no matter what exercise you're doing.

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Almost all of the Yoga moves focus on cleansing your inner systems, strengthening the core and stamina, increasing flexibility, and boosting your metabolic rate. However, a few Asanas (Yoga poses) are especially effective for weight loss because they speed up the metabolism by stimulating endocrine glands that regulate the metabolic rate. Read on for more about the Asanas…