Yoga is great form of exercise for those looking to add flexibility, strengthening and relaxation to their lives. In addition to these great benefits, yoga can also be a great exercise for weight loss. The goal of all exercise for weight loss should ultimately be to burn calories and increase the heart rate. These are the two of the most important components of weight loss. There are specific yoga exercises that help promote weight loss more than others. Yoga and Weight loss are great combination.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is an exercise that focuses on breathing, posture, flexibility, balance and stress reduction. There are many types of yoga practices, with the most common being:

• Ananda yoga: This is a gentle form of yoga in which the practitioner focuses on meditation
• Ashtanga Yoga: also known as power yoga, this is a very rigorous form of yoga due its fast-paced nature and increased cardiovascular workout.
• Anusara yoga: This yoga practice uses challenging positions, and is considered a very communal type of yoga. The class uses pairs and groups to help one another complete the poses.
• Vinyasa Yoga: this is a very fast-paced form of yoga that incorporates many poses. The transitions between poses are fast, and no two routines are ever the same.
• Hatha Yoga: this is a slow-paced yoga, which many beginners practice. Hatha yoga focuses on breathing exercises, and transitions between poses very slowly.
• Bikram yoga: this yoga is practiced in a sauna-like room, with temperatures at around 100 degrees. The heat helps to promote detoxification, increase flexibility and uses a 26 pose series. The transition between the poses is slow, due to the heat.

Can Yoga Aid Weight Loss?

While many people do not consider yoga to be a vigorous exercise, they are definitely forms of yoga that burn a considerable number of calories. Yoga can burn anywhere from 150 to 300 calories an hour. This is on pace with other forms of less vigorous cardiac activity like walking or swimming. Since yoga helps to build muscle, increase flexibility and reduce stress-it’s also a great exercise to do in conjunction with other activities that encourage weight loss.

Which Yoga is Most Effective in Weight Loss?

While all exercise is helpful in weight loss, the tow most effective calorie burning yoga is power yoga and Vinyasa yoga. Both types of yoga encourage increasing your heart rate, breaking a sweat and using fast-paced movements. This type of workout has been known to aid in the goal of weight loss, as cardiovascular activity helps to burn calories and increase metabolism. The slower yoga programs can be used in conjunction with other exercise, such as biking, running or aerobics- to also achieve weight loss.