Does yoga help with weightloss?

[MusicalRawLady]

I have been taking belly dance classes since January at a really beautiful yoga center. I am thinking up taking yoga as well...but I need to choose between a yoga membership or a gym membership...my goal is weightloss. Will yoga help with weightloss?

[barose]

For me, Yoga alone doesn't help with weight loss, but it does help with strength and flexibility. For me, weight loss and great body tone comes from cardio, weights and Yoga. Not just one or the other. Hope that helps.

[Revvell]

ANY movement done regularly will result in weight transformation. As with raw, yoga is not ABOUT weight elimination any more than weight training, running and walking is... they are about health in general... weight transformation being one of the by-products.

One thing I enjoy about yoga is, I'm not doing (to me) mindless pushing of dead-weight around... I'm using my own bodyweight to strengthen while elongating muscle and sinews while strengthening bones.

Revvell

[the_lab_rat]

I'd say choose whichever one you'll enjoy more. That's the one you'll stick with the longest. Plus, having fun is a lot more fun than not having fun... if that makes sense :D

Personally I didn't lose any weight when I added yoga. But I'm not one of those people who "gets" yoga, so maybe it just wasn't right for me.

[Blazin'Jane]

I tried every exercise in the world, many of them at the same time and never lost alot of weight. Seriously, when I went RAW last December the weight just rolled off. I finally got that it was about all the food I was putting in my mouth.
About Yoga -- I love it for all the reasons mentioned above: strength, balance, flexibility (the first to go as we age), inner calm. But it's not an instant fix. It takes time to lengthen and strengthen all those sleeping muscles, but if you hang in there with it, it becomes amazing. I move so fluidly and flexibly, much more greacefully than someone 30 years younger, and I'm proud of that, and grateful. Yoga is a wonderful discipline, and classes really help.

[Ariella]

you could get lucky and find a gym that offers yoga as well and then you could get both. i teach at a few gyms and also at a studio. something to look into perhaps before you make your final decision. i see the benefits of both/

[Eva]

I am just about to do one of the download videos from YogaToday.com, which are free. There is a new one every day.

I got turned on to it by RawVee when she posted about it online a few weeks ago. They're great, and there is no excuse, since it is free and at home!

[michigan roman]

save your money and just get into RUNNING .

ever see a overweight marathoner :cool:

its what boxers / wrestlers (college/olympic type wrestling not tv type) have always done to cut weight .

plus just running from your home wastes ZERO time driving to gym , all time is spent moving towards your goals .
and alot of times i think exercise/running is hard 4 women cuz they for the most part didnt play sports growing up like boys so arent as confident with
themselves in terms of how they look exercising to others , its like they dont wanna look dorky . im not saying thats your case but if have any feelings like that i was just talking to my freind about how seeing video of ones self golfing , bowling , whatever greatly helps improve their technique . so maybe if you have these type feelings get a freind to video your running stride so you can make any adjustments needed to look cool :cool:

and one thing about running is that even if sometimes or always you dont really enjoy it the bottom line is no matter what youll get results = cardio strength improved + leg strength improved + endurance improved + fat burned off . and stronger legs and heart are the 2 best things a person can work at . in my outlook running is essential for health .

[fjernsyn]

I remember someone asking a similar question a few months ago and the response that I most identified with was that yoga didn't really help with weight loss, but it sort of went along with the whole package of weight loss. Eating healthy is difficult and you have to be in the mindset of doing the best thing for your body, rather than concentrating on depriving it of the things you used to love. So yoga fits into that, because you're helping your mind. For me, a class setting like that, especially if it's an every day kind of thing, helps as well. It's adds structure and calm to my day. And if you get to know the people in your yoga class, you might be less likely to skip it.

That said, would it be possible to find a gym/yoga combination, as someone else suggested? Or even a yoga studio that also does pilates? Personally, I hate doing cardio in the gym (except, for example, when I'm just starting out running and I can't even run 30 minutes so I'm building up stamina by running one minute then walking one, that sort of thing. In that case, I'm a little embarrassed to be out on the street. Otherwise, for me, cardio is just a lot more fun if it's a long walk in the evening or a bike ride or something.) And then if you could do yoga classes along with an occasional pilates class, you could get some additional toning, though yoga will tone you somewhat.

[okorolina40]

i find that yoga "indirectly" assists with weight loss, because of the stretching, strengthening and core exercise gained thru the poses. The mindset of yoga emphasizes balance and positive thinking, so the emotional and mental issues that may surround your weight loss goals may seem more feasible when adding something like yoga.

You will DEFINITELY get more toned and strong. You may lose a few inches, but you really need aerobic exercise - moderate to vigorous activity --which moves all the limbs and that provides the heart with some work to do :) This is what will help to burn body fat. Although increased muscle will allow your body to burn more calories while resting and sleeping, the numbers dont compare to actually doing cardiovascular exercise regularly.


Add yoga to balance out a program that contains weight/resistance training AND aerobic/cardiovascular exercise.

Blessings,

rawnaija

[barose]

save your money and just get into RUNNING .

ever see a overweight marathoner :cool:

.

Not everyone has the "build" to be a marathon runner. I run, but I find it impossible for me to run long distances (longer than 5K even). Some of the better runners I know have a thin build, small bones and not much bulky muscle. I have a lot of bulk muscle (even for a woman), large frame and curvy build. I can do short distances and sprinting among other types of workouts, but running as a primary source of exercise definitely isn't for everyone. Plus it has a high threshold for injury and knee damage. Running isn't necessary cheap either - not if you want to save your knees.

[Revvell]

Well, I have to dispute the "you can't eliminate fat w/out aerobic/cardiovascular exercise". On a vegetarian diet and ONLY lifting weights ~ no hiking, no running, not even any walking, in six weeks I eliminated all my excess fat (about 10-15 pounds). I could SEE a major difference where the flesh would hang over my bra and pants ~ GONE!

In just one week of regular yoga I can feel a difference. If people can eliminate excess weight doing qigong then, doing yoga is even more beneficial.

Revvell