Can yoga help you lose weight? There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that it helps with mobility, but less evidence that exercise is actually a calorie torcher. Published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health one study (opens in new tab)a 60-minute vinyasa exercise was shown to burn fewer calories than a walking session on a treadmill.
There is some evidence that yoga can help certain individuals lose weight, but the average healthy person does not see much change. (opens in new tab) There are many, so if you invest in one of the best yoga mats (opens in new tab) It’s worth sticking with it for now. Here are the latest research findings on yoga and weight loss:
Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?
A systematic review of 445 records published in preventive medicine (opens in new tab)concluded that there is little evidence to suggest that yoga can have a dramatic effect on body weight in healthy people. He notes that there were some significant changes in recorded weight. It depends on the frequency and intensity of your yoga sessions.
Studies also show that yoga can lower your basal metabolic rate, the amount of energy your body needs for its housekeeping functions.This slowing down slows down the movement of the entire body, which means the body needs fewer calories for housekeeping functions.Research published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2006 (opens in new tab) Those who practiced yoga had a 13% lower basal metabolic rate than those who didn’t.
The study involved over 100 participants who were prescribed a variety of hatha yoga exercises designed to accelerate and slow down their metabolic rate. The participant said that this routine he continued for more than six months.
The study also found an average decline in basal metabolic rate for women of 8% compared to 18% for men. Lead author her MS Chaya says that the physiological deceleration from yoga “creates a propensity for weight gain and fat deposition.”
In fact, this study emphasized that a sufficiently high rate of decline in basal metabolic rate means that yoga practitioners need less food and fewer calories. If you keep eating like this, you’ll actually gain weight.
Can yoga help build muscle?
Yoga is thought to be a way to improve flexibility, but there is some evidence to suggest that it can also help build (or at least improve) muscle.
A study in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (opens in new tab) Significant improvements in muscle strength were seen in men and women who practiced yoga compared to controls. However, strength gains may vary depending on the type of yoga you practice.
Yin or restorative yoga classes, for example, affect connective tissue and focus on passive stretching. The more dynamic Bikram or Ashtanga yoga, on the other hand, works more like aerobic exercise, with more challenging poses and faster-paced classes. So you can expect strength gains when you do the latter. This is called active stretching.
One of the ways yoga helps you build muscle is through pose progressions. Gradually try out different variations of poses to increase your skill level. This was discovered by a study published in the Journal of Complementary Therapies of Medicine. (opens in new tab).
Can yoga help improve other aspects of your health?
Yoga has many other health benefits, some of which include increased flexibility, improved mental health and well-being, reduced stress, and better sleep.
Research published in the International Journal of Yoga (opens in new tab) We tracked college athletes for 10 weeks. We had two groups. One had yoga sessions every other week and the other had no yoga at all. There was a significant difference in flexibility in the group that participated in biweekly yoga sessions, but not in the group that did no yoga activity.
Yoga has also been shown to benefit mental health and wellbeing.International Journal of Yoga (opens in new tab) .
The study also found that regular yoga practice had a positive impact on people’s ability to fall asleep. . Participants also reported feeling more rested in the morning.
So while yoga may not lead to weight loss, it does offer many other benefits that can help you live a happier and healthier life.
This article is not intended to provide medical advice and readers should consult a doctor or health care professional before adopting any diet or treatment.
