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Yoga
has long been touted as a relaxation technique
that tunes the body, mind, and spirit into
working in harmony. But many fitness experts
and yoga teachers now say that yoga also
leads to effective and lasting weight loss
where other techniques have either failed
or shown minimal results.
Any weight loss program
includes regular exercise and a healthy
diet. But what’s even more important
is sticking to the program. This is hard
for most people as hectic schedules hinder
exercise time, and day-to-day stress brings
on emotional eating. Here’s where
yoga can help you.
Yoga is first and foremost a very effective
form of deep relaxation. Even the most basic
breathing exercises and poses (asanas) which
define your first yoga session will help
you clear your mind and better deal with
stress. This positively affects your state
of mind toward yourself and your life. As
you are more relaxed, you will find it easier
to control and eventually eliminate emotional
binges and snacking between meals. The deep
breathing exercises (pranayama) enhance
concentration and inner strength, which
help you stick to a diet or an alternative
exercise routine.
Yoga tones and strengthens
every muscle in your body. It also stimulates
glands that secrete hormones which increase
metabolism and alleviate depression.
As you reach more advanced levels of yoga,
you get more nimble and find it easier to
work off excess fat. The pranayamas increase
oxygen intake, thus facilitating smoother
functioning of every organ in your body.
An hour of yoga leaves you feeling rejuvenated,
which means that you feel better throughout
the day and tackle even mundane household
chores more energetically, thus burning
more calories.
If you are obese or excessively
overweight, yoga is only an indirect way
of getting in shape. It preps your mind
and body for weight loss. So, if you initiate
the other required steps in addition to
your yoga sessions, you will soon be on
your way to a lighter you and much healthier
lifestyle.
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