It’s an age-old question, if you want to get healthy, shed a few pounds, and increase energy, is it good to do yoga for weight loss?
There are so many different options you have when you want to get healthy. When you want to lose weight. I mean, you can do aerobic exercises, you could do weightlifting, you can do CrossFit, you can do HIT, you can even try cutting calories. But what is the best option for you?
Is it Good to Do Yoga For Weight Loss?
Hey guys welcome.
This is Jimmy and today I want to answer the question: “Is it good to do yoga for weight loss?”
Do you ever ask, can I just get a video and watch it on my TV, in my living room and do some exercises there? What should I do?
And there is a little bit of controversy on this because if you go to a fitness center or a gym and ask them the question: “Is yoga good for weight loss? What do you think they’re going to say?
No, because they want you to work out.
They want you to get a membership and work out in their gym.
If you go to a CrossFit place and ask them: “Is yoga good for weight loss?” They’re most likely going to say no because they want you to do more of the Olympic type weightlifting more of what they do.
And if you go to an equipment company because you want to buy a treadmill or a bike or elliptical and ask them the question: “Is yoga good for weight loss?” Likely they’re gonna say no because they want you to buy their treadmill or their bike.
So the question is: “Is yoga good for weight loss?”
What is the answer?
Here’s the answer.
Yes and no.
It is great for weight loss, and actually. It’s essential for a certain population of people. And for some other people, it’s not the best option. But who is it best for?
Who Yoga Is Best For
Yoga is good for people who are over the age of 35, especially if you’re inactive. If you spend most of your day behind a desk sitting, or on a couch, or even sitting in your car commuting.
If you have stress and anxiety, which most people over 35 do, then most likely your cortisol levels are high.
Do you have aches and pains? It could be an indication that you have chronic inflammation in your body, which is a result of high cortisol levels.
So yes, it is best for this population of people.
Why is that?
First, when you turn 35, typically we have more stress and anxiety. That can drive up our cortisol level to where it’s chronically elevated. This interferes with your body’s ability to burn fat, to be healthy, and to lose weight.
Why Yoga Is So Effective
Probably the most powerful thing about yoga is, I call it the triad, thought, breath, and contraction.
Do you sometimes feel like you eat only a little bit, but yet it seems like your fat grows?
It could be because of high cortisol levels.
When you have control of your thought, breath, and contractions then you have what’s necessary for you to tap into your autonomic system. That’s how you to start to lower your cortisol levels.
Now, if you don’t take what you learn on the mat during a yoga session off the mat and apply it into your life.
Meaning when you start to feel stressed or feel anxiety, you step away and take a breath and be present with what’s happening in your body, then don’t expect any changes.
However, if you do step away and breathe, and take control of your body. Then it can dramatically lower your cortisol levels. It’s one of the best things that you can do to start managing your stress and to bring those cortisol levels down.
Yoga Is Safe For Everyone
The second reason why yoga is best for people older than 35 is that it’s safe.
Out of all the different exercises and activities you can do. Yoga is unique in that you can self modulate, you can self modify whatever movement pose, whatever activity you are doing.
If you are de-conditioned because you haven’t been active, you haven’t exercised. Then you can do an easier pose. Once you start to feel challenged, you can stop there and it’s safe. You don’t need someone to guide you for yoga.
A beginner can stop when they feel their limit, and a stronger person more athletic person can push themselves more. They go stronger into the movements and poses and they can really challenge themselves.
The beginners can take it at their own pace, you don’t necessarily need someone to come and tell you, slow down or don’t go.
Now if you a good instructor who is aware of your situation, then they will most likely give you modifications as well.
But like I said, a lot of it, you can do it yourself.
One of the most important things to getting healthy, burning fat, and losing weight is to have your muscles, your lean muscles tone and conditioned.
Time Under Tension
For people over 35, there just isn’t anything better and quicker than yoga. The reason is because of TUT.
TUT is a scientific principle which means Time Under Tension.
Yoga is very unique in that you hold contractions for a long duration of time, which allows you to start feeling an awareness of your body, of your joints in space, this helps you improve your proprioception and your kinesthetic system, which is necessary for you to get coordination.
As a sports medicine physical therapist, I’ve seen a lot of patients come in because they injured themselves trying to get fit, trying to do exercises that aren’t appropriate for them.
TUT (time under tension) yoga conditions and strengthens muscles much more quickly than most any other exercise or activity you can do.
The whole body movement approach to yoga is just fantastic to get your whole body conditioned, which is important. Instead of just sitting there doing a bicep curl, which only strengthens your bicep, you get to do a movement that strengthens your entire body.
So for those of you 35 and over who are inactive, have stress and anxiety issues, yoga is simply the best.
Your cortisol levels are likely so elevated that they are on a chronic level, on a chronic state.
If you have any aches and pains in your body, then that’s an indication that you have chronic inflammation in your body.
And yoga can help alkalize your body, which will really drive down the inflammation.
That’s why so many people who do yoga, beginners to elites find that the pain in their body goes away. Their chronic pain goes away.
The American College of Physicians is also recommending yoga for chronic pain across the board, and also for just everyone.
If you want to start doing yoga for weight loss and better health
and you are:
- 35 or over
- inactive
- have aches and pain
- and you definitely have more stress and anxiety than you should
then give it a try.
Hit the link below or message us and we’ll give you an introductory special so you can try it out.
If you have any questions, post them below. See you again soon. Bye.
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