Yoga is a fitness regimen that is gaining popularity in recent years. So what is it and how is it different from other forms of exercise, such as running and strength training? Power Yoga is a type of yoga that has a power component to it. It is a combination of yoga postures that are done with a combination of power and breath. Power Yoga can be used to achieve a number of goals, including weight loss, increased flexibility, and improved overall health.
I am going to be honest with you and tell you that people have been asking me this question for nearly 7 years. And while I am perfectly content to answer your questions, I wanted to create a simple and easy to follow guide that you can use to determine if yoga actually helps you lose weight.
I’m not a yoga expert, but I have been practicing for a couple of years. I started out with the regular slow-flow yoga, and later I went to Power Yoga (PY). When I try to lose weight, I try to do a combination of the two. I do PY for the muscles and stretches and regular yoga for the spiritual aspect. Sometimes doing both at once is hard, so I do PY first and then do regular yoga as a break.. Read more about power yoga weight loss before and after and let us know what you think.
The practice of yoga cultivates a relationship between mind, body and spirit. Each part is equally important, but the body often gets the most attention because it occupies the physical space and is the medium through which the mind and soul work. Every day we have to put on our body, move it to where it needs to go, and place it in a space where there are other people to interact with.
That’s why it’s so important to feel comfortable and secure in your body, so you can go through life with a solid foundation. Although the practice of yoga teaches us to detach from attachment to end results, yoga can contribute to weight loss and allow you to have a more harmonious relationship with your body.
Many of you have asked: Can Power Yoga help me lose weight? Here is my answer, but first…..
Table of Contents
What is Power Yoga and how does it differ from other popular yoga styles?
When you come to a power yoga class, you should not only expect to move, you should expect to move fast. Power yoga combines strength, flexibility and cardio through rapid transitions between poses, which will raise your heart rate and make you sweat.
The original Power Yoga was founded by Beryl Bender Birch and was a type of Ashtanga yoga that developed at a faster pace. However, the term power yoga is now used to describe any vigorous vinyasa class.
Power yoga teachers design their own sequences, so depending on the teacher, your experience may be quite different. In some classes, stretching exercises are added between postures or vinyasas, such as climbing exercises, crunches or push-ups.
How does yoga help with weight loss?
Yoga in general can promote weight loss in several ways. Many twisting and bending yoga poses can be a form of self-massage, rubbing the limbs together or against the floor. This pressure can stimulate your internal organs, allowing them to do their job better. Thus, a better functioning digestive system can contribute to weight loss.
Some researchers suggest that yoga stimulates the activity of the vagus (nervous system). It affects the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that influences cortisol secretion. Cortisol is known as a stress hormone and can cause inflammation in the body. When this happens, your body tends to hold on to the extra weight. Yoga classes help maintain cortisol levels and a healthy weight.
Besides influencing physiological processes in the body, yoga can also influence our behavior and make us live more consciously. Yoga cultivates a deep connection between mind, body and spirit, and when all these parts are in tune, we move through life with more intensity and purpose. We are more in tune with our bodies and understand better what is happening to us.
How does this affect weight loss? Some studies have shown that the mindfulness developed in yoga classes can translate into mindful eating behaviors. Some yogis are able to recognize when they feel like eating out of boredom, habit or stress and can refuse to do so.
In this way, yoga in general helps to maintain a healthy body composition. But, uh…
How exactly does strength yoga promote weight loss?
Weight loss comes down to a simple equation: more calories from food than calories in food. You need to consume more calories (based on your basal metabolic rate and physical activity) than you take in (what you put into your body).
Let’s look at the first part of this equation – calorie consumption. In its simplest form, there are two processes of calorie consumption: 1) physical activity and 2) basal metabolism.
- Power yoga burns more calories than traditional yoga classes. Why? Faster movements, faster heart rate, more energy required, more calories burned. In addition to the cardiovascular benefits, strength yoga includes exercises to strengthen the muscles to make them stronger.
- Did you know that just by being a living, breathing human being, your body is already burning calories? Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories you would burn if you sat still all day. This is the number of calories needed to sustain life – to pump blood, breathe in and out, and for cells to perform their daily tasks.
Yes, the slower forms of yoga can also help.
While you may not burn calories in gentle or slower restorative yoga classes, they can also contribute to weight loss and should not be overlooked for their benefits and supporting role in weight loss.
How do you do that? Gentle or restorative yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The PNS is responsible for the body’s responses in resting and digestive mode, including digestion, muscle and injury recovery, hormonal activity, and breathing (as opposed to the activation and impulse responses of the sympathetic nervous system in fight or flight mode, which puts the body into response mode).
The hectic nature of the day can lead to high stress levels and the constant activation of fight-or-flight responses. Working at a slower pace allows the PNS to do its job, which can help with weight loss.
Enjoy the trip!
Yoga asanas promote inner contemplation. I encourage you to focus on how you feel in this moment, in every moment of the pose. Forget the idea that this pose can affect your body shape. Look for sensations such as an opening of the heart, an increase in energy level and awareness.
These are the things you can take from the mat into the world, no matter what the number on the scale is. The positive changes you make on your carpet will carry over into your daily life, and one positive change will lead to another positive change. Don’t get attached to the end result and learn to enjoy the journey.