Yoga has been practised for ages and has been the most tried and tested exercise one can perform at the convenience of their home. It is a refined workout developed by Rishis from our ancient India, who had documented their training in the books known as Upanishads, where the entire practice has been meticulously explained. Performing Yoga helps to enhance your mental and physical health and hence considered as an ideal exercise for weight loss. The breathing patterns involved in Yoga helps to correct our metabolism, regulates blood flow and also helps to rejuvenate overall body functions.
As the ongoing COVID is linked with uncertainty and stress, a meticulous exercise like yoga will certainly be a stress buster, without risking your life. Practising yoga will ease your health, anxiety and physical tension. The meticulous movement and controlled breathing pattern in yoga will keep you mentally and physically strong. Yoga has been considered one of the best exercises during lockdown to keep all health concerns away. Being practised from traditions, yoga improves your strength, balance and flexibility. Besides all, it also boosts alertness and positivity and if practice regularly, contributes a greater advantage to evade heart diseases.
Benefits of Performing Yoga
Despite having several types of exercises for weight loss, Yoga still manages to establish its presence, as being the most effective medium to tone up your physical presence. Combining Yoga with healthy eating habits, offers wholesome benefits to lose weight, thus helping to keep your mind and body always fit and focused.
- Increases Flexibility – Performing Yoga asanas helps to generate greater flexibility. The more flexible you are, the better the chances become for lesser injuries. A flexible body is fully capable to withstand more physical stress and reducing injuries in case of any muscle imbalance.
- Improves Respiration – The well-defined breathing mechanism in Yoga improves the inflow and outflow of the air in a much-patterned way. This patterned breathing is necessary for our overall wellness and lasts with greater advantages. Breathing has immense physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits. Yoga is one of the best breathing exercises that helps in reducing stress, calms our mind and thus offers an overall improvement to make our lungs healthy.
- Manages Stress – Stress is the sole reason that leads to obesity. It is highly necessary to reduce stress, as it may lead to many health hazards. Stress itself is devastating, as it opens up the pandora’s box of pain, anxiety, insomnia, and the inability to concentrate. To overcome stress, Yoga plays a pivotal role in bringing your mind, body and breath in harmony, thereby eliminating stress.
- Improves Heart Functions – Heart diseases have been drastically increasing nowadays. This is only because of poor diet and reduction of required physical activities. However, to improve your heart Yoga comes with a boon to evade all cardiac disorders. Performing Yoga regularly helps to maintain our blood pressure levels, thus helping to cure hypertension. The reduction in hypertension allows reducing the incidence of stroke and heart diseases. High cholesterol, blood pressure and inflated blood sugar levels are all factors that can increase your risk for heart disease. Well, practising Yoga and its respective asanas, will certainly improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels because it lowers down blood pressure by improving artery relaxation. In this way, breathing exercises proves beneficial for the health of our cardiovascular system.
Top 5 Yoga Asanas That You Must Try
1.) Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
The Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose yoga asana works on strengthening and reducing fat in abdominal muscles, primarily in the stomach region. Practising this yoga asana regularly will certainly help in flattening your tummy and also relaxing your lower back.
Steps To Do Bhujangasana
- First lie on the floor, facing downwards
- Second spread your hands on the floor, next to your shoulders.
- Now stretch your legs back, top of the feet touching the floor, and slowly inhale and lift up your upper body.
- Remember your pubis and toes form a straight line and touch the floor.
- Try to hold this position for 25-30 seconds.
- Lastly, release and come back to the lying down position on an exhalation.
2.) Dhanurasana (Bow pose)
The Dhanurasana or Bow pose yoga asana is quite challenging as it offers a stretch in the abdominal region, which helps to loosen the belly fat. Besides all, this asana improves digestion, and strengthens the thighs, chest, and back including your arms and legs.
Steps To Do Dhanurasana
- Lie flat on the stomach with your face down.
- Bend your knees and hold your feet with your hands.
- Now slowly start lifting your upper body, just like you do in the cobra pose and simultaneously also lift both your legs.
- Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds, gradually increasing to 90 seconds.
- Release with an exhalation.
3.) Kumbhakasana (Plank Pose)
The Kumbhakasana or the plank pose yoga asana is the best kind of yoga asana that burns fat rapidly and also helps to strengthen your upper body.
Steps To Do Kumbhakasana
- Lie flat on your stomach facing downwards.
- Now slowly lift your body by using the pressure of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels balancing on your toes.
- Facing forward make sure that your wrist should be on the mat and your shoulders should be right above your wrist.
- Hold the position for a few seconds by keeping your abdominals engaged and then slowly relax.
- Try to extend the time in this pose each day.
4.) Naukasana (Boat Pose)
The Naukasana or the boat pose yoga asana is another asana that works on your side and front tummy muscles and strengthens your core.
Steps To Do Naukasana
- Lie down on the ground with your hands by your side.
- Now slowly raise your hands and legs together from the ground making a V-shape, hold your belly in and above the ground at all times.
- Keep your hands straight, parallel to the ground.
- Hold this position for 10-60 seconds, while performing deep breathing.
5.) Setu bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge pose)
The Setu bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge pose yoga asana helps to promote digestion. Performing this asana produces the metabolism controlling hormone in our body, which helps to burn more fat.
Steps To Do Setu bandha Sarvangasana
- First start by lying on your back, with knees bent and feet flat.
- With your heels firmly placed on the ground, lift your tailbone up such that your hips and lower back are off the yoga mat.
- Now place your hands under your hips and lace the fingers together.
- Now use your glute muscles, hamstrings and abdomen to hold your bottom and back up.
- Slowly release your fingers and lower your tailbone back down.
- Relax and repeat the posture according to your calibre.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
