Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

• Most people do not consider yoga to be a vigorous form of exercise and question its effectiveness in facilitating weight loss. Yoga typically burns up to 150 calories per hour for the average person, whereas even the less rigorous forms of exercise, such as walking, can burn more than 300 calories at a moderate pace.
  
  Yoga builds lean muscle, increases flexibility and reduces stress levels in the body. By reducing stress levels, the body is able to release its natural hormones and insulin efficiently. Stress has long been recognized as an impediment to weight-loss, so reduction of stress levels, along with muscle building and increased cardiovascular work, will aid in shedding body weight.
  
  

Which Form of Yoga Works Best?

• Although its effectiveness is still debated, yoga practitioners generally advocate more rigorous forms such as "power yoga" (Ashtanga yoga) an Americanized version of the traditional Kundalini techniques. Power yoga is a fast-paced, vigorous routine that focuses on proper oxygenation of the body while creating the desired cardiovascular effect.
  
  

How to Practice Power Yoga

• To get the most benefit from power yoga, sign up for a class led by a professional yoga instructor. This will ensure the use of proper technique and help the beginning practitioner avoid unnecessary injury due to poor technique. If no classes are available or are simply not affordable, purchase a quality yoga workout on DVD. Be sure to read the description to make certain that the workout itself is one focused on power yoga techniques and principles. If possible, buy more than one DVD in order to provide variety and keep you motivated. Another alternative to a class is buying a game such as The Biggest Loser for the Nintendo Wii Fit, which constantly changes the workouts for variety's sake and also has a built-in calorie counter and weight-loss specific recipes.
  
  

Proper Diet for Weight Loss

• In order to reduce body weight, caloric intake must be considered as a key component of your program. One way to determine proper caloric intake is a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator. Many are available online. BMR indicates the number of calories your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day. Once you have determined your BMR, simply reduce that number by 300-500 calories per day. It takes 3,500 calories of energy to burn one pound of body fat. By reducing your diet by 500 calories per day, you will ensure that you burn an extra 3,500 calories per week and, thus, one pound of body fat weight.
  
  By adding a yoga routine to a diet plan and executing that routine three to five days per week for a minimum of one hour per day, it is possible to increase weight loss to 1 1/2-2 pounds per week. Also drink lots of water to facilitate your metabolism and keep the body properly hydrated. Follow these simple techniques and suggestions, and you should see positive results in as little as two to three weeks.