Yoga, a practice that has been around for millennia, has been known to provide numerous health benefits and helping you lose weight can also be one of them. Of course, you will need to perform a more physical form of yoga than a relaxing mental experience to be able to burn enough calories to lose weight. Well, this article discusses yoga for weight loss in depth, providing you with 5 different poses that will help you get the best results in the long term. Let’s get into them.

5 Yoga Poses for Weight Loss

It’s important to mention that in addition to helping you lose weight, these poses are also great for improving your flexibility, muscle tone, athletic health, cardio health, and respiration. It can also help reduce stress. 

1. Plank Pose – Chaturanga Dandasana

   The plank is a common pose that’s used outside of yoga as well. In this realm, it’s known as the chaturanga dandasana pose, and it has been known to help strengthen your core. Your core is the set of muscles in your abdomen and back that is responsible for keeping your body strong and balanced.
   To perform a plank pose, you must keep your body parallel to the floor with your toes and palms keeping you in that position. Holding this pose for as long as possible can help you develop your core and work toward weight loss.

2. Downward Dog Pose – Adho Mukha Svanasana 
   

   The adho mukha svanasana is great for working out certain muscles, including those in your arms, back, and thighs. The pose stretches your calves, lengthens your hamstrings, and strengthens your shoulders as well. It can be even more helpful to hold this pose and breath slowly, allowing you to further engage and tone your muscles. In addition to that, you will improve blood circulation and overall focus.
   You can do the downward dog pose by keeping your feet and palms flat on the ground. You must also bend your back in a way that keeps the upper and lower halves of your body straight.

   Warrior Pose – Virabhadrasana

   Holding the virabhadrasana pose can be fairly intense, which can be great for helping your body burn more calories to aid with weight loss. Thus, this pose is one example of how yoga for weight loss can be effective because you are working out the muscles in your legs (specifically your quads), arms, shoulders, back, and abdomen. Therefore, you’ll both tone and develop strength in these muscles, which can help with keeping you more focused during your training and balanced.
   
   The warrior pose is similar to doing a lunge exercise, except you also raise your arms over your head and allow your palms to touch each other. Moreover, you should hold this position for as long as you can with one leg in front and then switch to leaning on the other. That way, you’ll work both legs out, and you’ll get the best results from this yoga position.

3. Bridge Pose – Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana

   The bridge pose is essential when using yoga for weight loss. Also known as the sethu bandha sarvangasana pose, you can perform it to improve your thyroid levels, work your glutes and back muscles, improve digestion, and even regulate hormones more effectively. In turn, you can begin to feel how this pose can help with cutting out some fat in your body. 

   This pose is a rather challenging one to perform. So, it requires you to keep your feet, the back of your head, your neck, and shoulders flat on the floor. By raising the rest of your body in the air, you must grab your ankles with your palms. Hold this position and breath slowly to feel its intensity build.

4. Shoulder Stand Pose – Sarvangasana
   

   The Sarvangasana pose is yet another challenging one to master. That said, once you incorporate it into your yoga sessions, you’ll be able to really put your body through its paces. In addition to helping you develop your upper body muscles, leg muscles, and core, you can also improve your thyroid levels and boost metabolism, all of which are essential for losing weight. 

   A shoulder stand is when you keep your shoulders, head, and neck on the floor. You must place your palms on your back to help support it. Also, make sure that your legs and back are completely straight. It may help to clench your glutes to keep yourself straight and balanced.

5. Twisted Chair Pose – Parivrtta Utkatasana

   Also known as the yoga version of a squat, the Parivrtta Utkatasana pose is an intense exercise that works your glutes and quads the most. Of course, your back and abdominal muscles are also engaged because you must twist your torso and keep your body balanced. While this is the last pose in this article on yoga for weight loss, it is no less effective than the ones mentioned above.

   So, this pose requires you to bend in a squat position with your feet together. Next, you must bring your hands in a prayer position and then twist to the right. You can switch the sides for the best results. 

    

Making the Best of Your Weight Loss Routine 

If you want to quicken your weight loss results, you can couple your yoga sessions with a few sessions of cardio exercise every week. There are different types of cardio exercises, including high-intensity interval training or steady-state cardio. 

That said, yoga for weight loss can be enough if you simply want to start seeing your body being reshaped in a matter of months. Of course, you should also eat healthy with more focus on getting important nutrients into your diet. You don’t have to eat less or fast, but try to cut out some unhealthy items from your daily diet. As a result, you’ll experience better physical and mental health in the long term.