Power Yoga – Will It Shred Belly Fat and Help You Lose Weight?
Yoga, a balance between the body, mind, and soul, has often been recognized for its mental benefits but not so much when it comes to weight loss.
So, does it offer weight loss benefits?
Yes!! Depends on the type of yoga asanas you include in your routine.
Though all types of yoga work in favor of toning up your body and removing those extra layers of fat, power yoga has got almost similar effects as regular cardio.
As you give power yoga a chance, you will find yourself not only losing weight but also getting confident.
But since many of you might not be aware of what power yoga is and what discipline it comprises, here we’ve got a detailed review for you along with power yoga exercises for weight loss.
What is Power Yoga?
Power Yoga is quite different from regular yoga as it’s not about just moving, rather it’s about moving quickly.
It presents you with strength and flexibility through transitioning between various poses of yoga.
This increases your heart rate, contributing to weight loss.
Since it comes from the powerful roots of the Ashtanga branch of yoga, it also lifts up the body’s heat, improving your stamina.
As power yoga works like a whole-body intense workout, it is pretty popular around the different corners of the world.
In summary, this modern form of yoga gives you a perfect fusion of ancient values and weight loss!
Hence, it serves as the upbeat version of the common yoga practices followed making it more interesting to explore.
Benefits of Power Yoga for Weight Loss
Weight loss is a balanced equation between the calories coming in and the calories going out.
To manage a healthy weight, it is important to expend more calories than you take in.
This is only possible in two ways:
- Physical activity
- Metabolism
Now, the question is how does power yoga work for stimulating these two processes?
First, it burns more calories than a regular yoga class.
Since the poses involve quick movements, you require more energy to tackle them resulting in rapid conversion of fat into energy.
Further, it also increases your heart rate that results in more weight loss.
First, power yoga also contains many exercises that focus on strengthening your muscles helping them tone better.
Secondly, it also shoots up basal metabolic rate helping you burn more calories than you would with regular yoga.
In simple words, it combines all the benefits of regular yoga and more, offering you:
- Enhanced ability to burn calories
- Strength, stamina, and flexibility, toning your core
- Boosted metabolism
- Enhanced cognitive ability to focus on your goals
- Soothing effect on your mind flushing out all the negativity
But you might wonder why some choose power yoga for belly fat over the gym workouts?
Why Power Yoga for Weight Loss and Belly Fat?
Power yoga is a vigorous form of regular yoga, furnishing more benefits than your regular cardio.
However, many people might wonder, why power yoga for weight loss?
Well, yoga is that one routine that would not just demand physical strength. Rather, it’s about changing your lifestyle to get fit and healthy.
It also develops a connection between your body and mind that helps you adapt to the changes you bring in through the journey.
This will help you amend your eating habits and daily routine, fostering some peak benefits.
In fact, power yoga for weight loss for beginners, on a comparative note, works better than regular exercises and yoga.
Hence, it actually forms the best option for an individual who wants to imbue positive changes in his/her body and life.
With this being said, we move to the next important part of power yoga, the power-packed poses.
[Top 11] Power Yoga Poses for Weight Loss
Here are some of the thrilling and powerful power yoga poses for weight loss fast, along with some tips to practice them.
But before you start with the exercises, we would like to point out one thing.
Yoga must begin with a Suryanamaskar. It’s just like a warm-up that prepares you for the coming intense workouts.
Further, these power yoga poses for weight loss with pictures will guide you through the routine:
#1. Basic Squats
In terms of power yoga, basic squats are known as the Utkatasana, which helps you in toning your thigh muscles.
All you need to do is squat down half the way and get back to the normal position.
However, special emphasis is on the technique of breathing where you must follow proper inhaling and exhaling while going down and coming up.
#2. Cobra Pose
If you wanna do power yoga to lose weight in 10 days, this is a powerful pose to try out for losing belly fat.
Stretch your midsection and chest to feel the stretch on your mid-section as you find it enlarging.
Keep on stretching for around 10 to 20 seconds. Exhale out as you get back to the normal position.
Try out this pose early in the morning on an empty stomach for a flat belly.
#3. Plank
The picture over here might fool you as people often think that plank is quite easy to follow.
But for beginners, it could be a bomb.
However, once you win over the obstacles coming between you and the plank, you can master it.
All you need to do is hold on to the plank for around 30 seconds, but initially getting the pose could be challenging.
Since it demands lots of muscle strength, doing it for a longer duration out of a sudden can be tiring.
Hence, start with 10 seconds and gradually move onto a longer duration.
#4. Tree Pose
Might sound easy, but, just like plank poses, it’s a great challenge for your body.
As you start practicing the pose by standing straight on one leg, you will see how it affects your lower body.
However, make sure you keep your hands together to maintain a balance and prevent yourself from collapsing.
Try holding this pose for 30 seconds and then repeat the same for another 30 seconds with the other leg.
This will definitely help you lose fat from the stubborn areas.
#5. Lunge
It’s an ideal pose for toning your legs and hips while also burning stubborn fat from your belly region.
Toning your lower body also boosts your flexibility around the joints.
To follow the asana, focus where you keep your hands, as they determine the area you will be working at.
Your knees should be at a 90° angle from the floor.
Holding this pose for 10 seconds can be helpful while also trying to repeat the pose 5 to 6 times a day.
This is only for your initial days. As you get used to the exercise, increase your repetitions and the time duration.
#6. Downward Facing Dog
Out of all the other asanas here, this one is the easiest of all and you won’t even need any support for it.
In fact, if you are a beginner, this pose is not gonna screw you up as it is an easy yoga for weight loss and belly fat.
All you need to do is balance your body on two hands while moving your hips in the upward direction.
This pose helps strengthen your core while burning excess fat around your bellies.
It also helps to tone your muscles and hips.
#7. Bow Pose
If the major agenda of following power yoga for weight loss is to trim down your waistline, then you can choose to go ahead with this one.
This yoga asana mainly helps you in working on your core, thighs, and back.
Further, it has got many more benefits like:
- Treating indigestion and bloating
- Correcting your posture
- Aiding in back problems
#8. Standing Forward Bend
Can one single pose get you a perfect belly, slim waistline, and toned legs?
Well, yes, if it’s standing forward bend pose.
The pose burns calories by working on your abdominal muscles.
However, when you first start with this asana, you might find stretching and balancing your legs a little challenging.
But practice would make you master it.
Mastering it would help you control the flexibility of your legs, thighs, spine, and head.
Additionally, it has got some more benefits like:
- Reducing belly fat
- Providing a natural glow to your face
- Healthy hair because of better blood flow
#9. The Triangle
Also famous as the trikonasana in the disciplines of yoga, it’s a simple pose that everyone can do.
All you need to focus on is twisting your body to reshape your figure.
It mainly works on your belly, hips, thighs, and waist, burning fat from all the stubborn areas of your body.
In fact, if you are someone troubled with obesity, this pose would help you in stretching your body to lose those extra pounds.
#10. Abdominal Churning
It’s an ideal way of losing weight around your belly. However, keep a strict focus on your breathing while doing the exercise.
Inhaling and exhaling while you perform it in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions is quite important.
It will strengthen your lower body while also toning it.
#11. Child’s Pose
This pose is usually performed after completing your power yoga practice, mainly at the end of the session.
It helps to relax your spine and stretch your body to calm down the muscles that have been worked upon.
Just stretch your hands in front of you while pushing your hips back on your heels.
Rest for around 40 seconds while inhaling from your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Now, get on your mat and get going with these power yoga asanas.
But…
Know that there are some cases where it is not advisable to perform power yoga.
When Should You Not Practice Power Yoga for Weight Loss?
Power yoga is mainly for losing weight and trimming down fat layers.
But if you wanna follow it for healing pains, then this is ideally not what you are looking for.
Also, there are certain more scenarios where you must not practice any postures of power yoga:
- Pregnancy
- Serious injuries
- Recent surgery
- A serious disease
Moreover, you can definitely consult your doctor and ask for his suggestion and guidance for any of the power yoga asanas.
Wrapping Up
Yoga has been among the best ways to lose weight and reap maximum benefits than any other form of workout.
Though yoga is not as aggressive as other forms of workouts, it does its job finely and with perfection.
Talking about power yoga, it’s an ideal form of practice to include in a weight loss plan.
There are many power yoga for weight loss online tutorials that you can refer to for the same to learn some basic rules of yoga.
While power yoga helps weight loss, the major challenge that hinders people from practicing it is: Getting on the mat!
So, find things that motivate you to practice it.
FAQs
Here are some of the most asked questions answered.
#1. How long does power yoga help in weight loss?
If you’re actually serious about losing weight with power yoga, you ideally need to invest almost 60 minutes in your yoga practice for at least 5 to 6 days a week.
If you choose to follow this, you will ideally see the results within 2 to 3 weeks from the day you start practicing the yoga postures.
#2. Is it OK to do power yoga every day?
Of course!
In fact, it would be the best way to work on your body as it involves intense postures targeting different areas.
You can even combine your yoga with healthy weight loss foods to see the best effects.
#3. Is yoga better than gym?
There’s a difference between a gym session and a yoga session.
A gym session usually leaves you tired and hungry, while yoga helps in better digestion.
Though, because not all yoga asanas burn as many calories as the gym exercises, you might find the gym attractive.
But power yoga challenges you too. In the end, the choice lies in your hand.
#4. How much weight can you lose in a month with yoga?
Inculcating power yoga to reduce weight in one month can be really helpful in losing around 10 to 12 kgs. But for that, you must couple it with healthy low-calorie clean foods.
#5. Has anyone lost weight through yoga?
According to a study, more than 15000 adults who were in their 50s were able to lose 5 pounds on average by doing yoga once a week for 4 years.
When yoga, once a week, can do so much, you can expect the results to be better when done every day.
#6. What is the best time to do yoga for weight loss?
The best time to do yoga for weight loss is early on in the morning on an empty stomach.
However, you can also start practicing the asanas before sleeping or in the evening, at least 2-3 hours after lunch.
This might also help in better weight loss while enhancing your sleep quality.