Is Yoga For Weight Loss? – The Real Truth!

Happy international “Yoga day”.

Yoga has always been linked to weight loss and this attribution is the only thing which pulls many of us to yoga mat.

Now if we consider the scientific facts about yoga, it goes on the opposite side.

So, is Yoga a real Fat Loss thing?

Yoga means to unite body and mind, where traditional yoga includes mostly seated postures and some of standing one. Even meditation is one form of yoga to attain higher level of consciousness and to awaken one’s chakras. However, It is mistakenly taken as mere physical exercise defined with specific postures, inclined towards methods to lose weight.

Now you might have joined yoga classes and you are at this very moment are already overwhelmed by the exercises that are taught there.

You might have lost some pounds after joining the Yoga Centre too, and you have started assuming that yoga is actually for weight loss, don’t you?

You might have read or watched many celebs modern Yoga Videos claiming to be the best thing for weight loss. But is it true?

Modern yoga is totally different from traditional or in other words, just the makeover of Yoga for newer gen, as they say.

And thanks to the boom of Social Media and marketing gimmicks, Yoga is more sort of commercialized.

Already many modifications are done in traditional yoga according to the purpose where it is being taught from Fitness Club to Gyms, from Offices to dance classes, etc. And with this so called “modernization” of yoga, seriousness of practicing traditional yoga and its important is lost.

Understanding The Real “Yoga”

The real Yoga is meant to purify Mind, Body and Spirit, and not to lose weight!

There are different sorts of yoga which includes Power Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Aqua yoga, and many more, but these are not the original form of yoga but modifications of it.

Traditional yoga is not for weight loss purpose. It combines physical, spiritual and mental practices along with breathing techniques, exercises and meditation.

It’s actual purpose is to unite body with soul, with meditation.

How Yoga Helps In Putting Down Weight – Indirectly?

With increasing health consciousness among people yoga is achieving greater interest and priority.

Sedentary lifestyle, 24×7 running for Jobs, fast foods, stress, sleeplessness are some of the factors leading to poor health.

So to understand how Yoga helps in weight loss as presented by various so called Yoga Classic Institutions, let’s understand how it works?

Researches have shown that the main reason behind obesity is poor eating habits.

Nowadays poor eating habits are commonly due to stress. Stress affects the body by increasing the level of “stress hormones” which is known as cortisol hormone. It increases the level of insulin in body which ultimately drops blood sugar level. So you crave for sugary, fatty foods that in result leads to overeating and intake of unhealthy foods.

With these dietary habits and absence of physical activity or exercise you put on weight rapidly.

That is the main cause of weight gain and obesity.

But obvious that with lifestyle changes and proper diet you can lose weight.

• Yoga involves physical activity that stretches your body.
• It relaxes your body and has a deeply calming effect on the whole system.
• It gives relaxation to your mind.
• With continuous breathing activity involved in Yoga, it helps to reduce stress.

Yoga connects mind with body so it provides complete harmony between the two. Emotional energies built up by stress are released after practicing yoga. So when your body and mind are completely stress free, they work normally with all normal metabolism.

When your inner body is functioning normally and you do exercises of any sort (not just the Yoga) you are going to reduce weight more efficiently.

So it’s not Yoga that is helping you to weight loss, but your stress free mind and proper physical system (of course gained by Yoga or any other physical or mental exercise) is making you lose weight. Along with strenuous exercises diet regime holds an important position in weight loss program. So if you are doing all such strenuous exercises all days a week but not following diet, it won’t make any difference other than toning your body.

You can lose weight even when you don’t do Yoga. All you need to do is to have relaxed mind and proper diet.

Yoga should not be taken as weight loss program but it should be combined with your weight loss program to make that more effective.

You need to understand that Yoga and Aerobics are different form of activities. You can combine them to achieve your fitness target/goal but you cannot address that as Yoga.

Note: It is also important to understand that all exercises are not for everyone. It should be done under proper supervision. So whether you are doing Yoga for fitness program or for flexibility it should be done correctly or else it’s not worth doing it. Consult your Yoga Masters to understand Real Yoga in much better way!