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Yoga To Lose Weight In 10 Days: Nothing But A Yoga Mat And Your Own Body Weight

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September 5, 2024

Yoga is an ancient art that has taken the fitness industry by storm. Its numerous benefits drive more and more people to give this mind-body practice a try. Additionally, it is also loved due to its relaxing effect. It is one of the best forms of exercise to engage in when you are stressed, anxious, or restless. Another reason why yoga is gaining so much momentum is due to its link to weight loss.

There have been numerous debates about if and how yoga can help with weight loss. The truth is that yoga is considered an effective weight-loss tool. However, the problem lies in the pace of weight loss. More often than not, people want to see incredible results in too little time. For example, one may want to lose 10 pounds in 10 days or less. Is it possible with yoga? We have compiled the latest research in this post. Read on as we explore how you can use yoga to lose weight in 10 days.

Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

While some people prefer activities like cardio for weight loss, some may tend to lean more toward yoga. The problem is that there is quite some doubt when it comes to doing yoga to lose weight. Some people believe it works while others may think it is a mere bluff.

Researchers have discovered that there is a link between yoga and weight loss (4). According to these experts, yoga can certainly help in weight management. However, it is only effective when it is incorporated in an already existing weight loss plan.

Therefore, doing yoga can help you shed extra pounds when you do it alongside regular aerobic exercise. Similarly, try yoga while you are on a weight-loss calorie-controlled diet plan. It leads us to an important segment in practicing yoga for weight loss, which is discussed below.

How Yoga Promotes Weight Loss

Yoga is not a power-burner when it comes to calories. It means that you will not burn as many calories as you would love to when you start practicing yoga. For example, if you weigh 73 kgs and practice hatha yoga, you are most likely to burn only 183 calories in a one hour session (4).

If you were to try walking as an aerobic exercise, still weighing the same, you would burn 314 calories. Likewise, you would lose 402 calories if you were to try water aerobics. Therefore, if you want to lose weight fast, you will have to try this practice alongside other weight loss programs.

After all, the key to weight loss is focusing on a calorie deficit, healthy eating, and exercising. To lose weight with yoga, you will have to embrace all these concepts. Here are some tips that can help you out:

Mindful Eating

The vast majority of weight loss articles recommend mindful eating. While some may specify what it entails, others may tend to beat around the bush. In a nutshell, this concept entails focusing on healthy eating behaviors.

You are not only required to count and watch your calories. Experts also recommend you watch your portion sizes and be mindful of what you eat. They acknowledge that trying mindful eating alongside a yoga program can help with weight loss (8).

Being mindful of what you eat means eating a healthy and nutrient-dense diet. Healthy weight loss does not entail cutting out a particular food group. Likewise, it does not advocate for the consumption of only one food group.

Your meals must be balanced. You can ask your nutritionist or dietitian to help you develop a well-rounded weight loss meal plan. A meal plan will guide you on what you are supposed to eat. Here are examples of meal plans to consider for weight loss (5):

Sample 1

Breakfast

Protein pancakes prepared with two large eggs, half a cup unflavored protein powder, half cup almond milk, half a cup oat flour, one teaspoon cinnamon, three quarter to one cup oat or buttermilk, half teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon natural vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

Lunch

Quinoa salad

Dinner

Baked tofu sushi bowls with wasabi tahini sauce

Snack

Carrot sticks and hummus

Sample 2

Breakfast

Egg muffins made with six large eggs, four large whites, quarter teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, one cup diced bell pepper, one cup chopped fresh spinach, half a cup green peas, three quarter cup cherry tomatoes cut into quarters, half teaspoon dried mixed herbs or oregano, quarter cup crumbled feta cheese, black or cayenne pepper.

Lunch

Greek grilled chicken and hummus wrap

Dinner

Healthy turkey chili

Snack

Hard-boiled egg

Remaining Consistent

The other aspect that you have to consider is your consistency. Try to attend yoga classes on a regular basis. Ensuring you are in every class means you are putting in the effort that will help in attaining your weight loss goals.

If you do yoga from home, then create a realistic schedule and stick to it. Experts highly recommend that you look for a yoga instructor if you struggle with either the practice or consistency (10). Having an instructor pushing you and motivating you will help you stay committed to your yoga weight loss program.

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When To Call It Quits

In addition to helping you lose weight, practicing yoga can also help you with the following (4):

Improving your body’s mindfulness and your ability to regulate your meals
Reducing your stress levels, an element highly known for contributing to poor eating choices
Improving your mood and self-esteem
Reducing either your back or joint pain

However, although yoga has all these benefits, it also has its risk factors. It may contribute to injuries that can or cannot be fatal. Such injuries may require you to quit your yoga weight loss program. Remember to consult your doctor if you fit any of these categories before you start your yoga weight loss program (6):

Are pregnant
Have high blood pressure, sciatica, or glaucoma
Have breathing difficulties
Want to use yoga to manage a particular health condition
Want to replace conventional medical care with this art

See also

Should You Do Chair Yoga Every Day?

Yoga To Lose Weight in 10 Days: Evaluating The Best Poses

There are several poses you can try to fast-track weight loss. To make sure that you lose at least several pounds within 10 days, it is best if you try the poses described below. Additionally, it is best if you incorporate these poses into a workout routine. But always remember that diet is 90% of weight loss. Without further ado, here are the best yoga poses to consider for weight loss within 10 days:

The Boat Pose

One of the best poses to help you lose weight is the boat pose. Its Sanskrit name is Navasana. This simple pose is also beneficial in strengthening your core. Similarly, it stimulates your throat, making it quite helpful for your thyroid (11).

To try the boat pose, make sure you follow all these steps to a T:

Sit on the floor and extend your legs in front of you.
Place your hands on the floor by your sides. Make sure your palms are facing down.
Slowly start to lean back. As you do this, try to keep your back straight, chin tucked in, and core engaged.
Bend your knees and start to slowly lift your feet from the floor.
If you can, stretch your legs and point your feet such that your legs and body form a V shape.
Stretch your arms straight ahead such that they align with your shoulders. Make sure that your palms are facing each other and that your fingers are also extended.
Breathe deeply three to five times while in this position.
Slowly bring down both your legs and arms. Instead of just dropping them, try to hug your legs first and drop your head.
Repeat this as recommended or as instructed by your yogi.

The Bow Pose

The second-best ranking yoga pose to consider for weight loss is the bow pose. Coupled with a calorie deficit and a healthy diet, this pose is recommended to help in losing weight fast. This pose also helps in strengthening your abdominal muscles and helping with any gas or digestive problem (1). Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do the bow pose:

Lie flat on your stomach. If you experience any stomach pain or problem, stop the exercise immediately and talk to your doctor or instructor.
Bend your knees and stretch your arms backwards. Extend them until you clasp on your ankles.
If you have clasped your ankles, then slowly start to lift your chest from the ground. There is no limit to how far you need to lift your chest off the floor. Hence, do not pressure yourself but instead lift as far as you can.
Use the tension between your legs and arms to lift your thighs and upper body from the floor.
When you do, hold this position for some seconds and then release.

See also

10 Beach Yoga Poses for a Zen Summer

The Superman

The superman pose can also be coupled with the best diets to lose weight and help you slim in 10 days. Additionally, doing the Superman pose can also help in strengthening your back extensors. These are responsible for the maintenance of a good posture (7). Here is how to perform a Superman:

Lie on the floor with your face down. Extend your arms in front of your body. Also, stretch your legs out and keep them flat on the ground.
Try to simultaneously raise both your arms and feet off the ground. Try to aim at creating a gap of about six inches between the floor and your raised arms and feet.
Try to pull in your belly button and lift it from the floor to engage your core.
Always keep your head straight and facing down to avoid any neck injury.
As you stretch both your hands and feet outward, try to hold this stance for two seconds.
Drop your hands and feet to the initial stance and repeat this ten times.

The Warrior Pose

Warrior poses are quite common in most yoga programs for weight loss. Besides helping with weight management, these exercises also help your lower body and in building both your balance and stamina (3). For weight loss, you can try both the warrior one and warrior two poses. Here is a guide detailing how to perform the warrior one pose:

Start in the standing position and slowly step your right foot forward some feet away from the left one. Try to aim for either 3 or 4 feet. Your toes must be pointing out and feet firmly pressed on the floor.
Lift your arms overhead and let your palms face each other. Keep your shoulder blades down your back.
Start to slowly bend your knee as if you are doing a lunge. It will mean your right foot will be a 90-degree angle and left foot 45 degrees to the right.
Gently and slowly arch your upper back without letting your head fall back.
Hold this position somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds before switching sides.

If you want to do the warrior two pose, then follow these guidelines:

Like in warrior one, spread your legs out at least three or four feet.
Raise your arms out to the side and let your palms face down.
Turn your left foot out at a 90-degree angle and your right foot slightly to the right.
Bend your left leg at a 90-degree angle with your knee over your ankle.
Keep the right heel pressed on the floor and extend your arms away. Remember to keep your torso centered.
Let your head face the left and look past your fingers.
Maintain this position for 30 to 60 seconds before returning to the starting position and repeating this exercise.

The Cobra Pose

You can also add the cobra pose to your 10-day weight loss yoga challenge. The good thing about the cobra pose is that it helps you shed belly fat. It also does not involve any twisting. You can do the cobra yoga pose when you want to alleviate digestive discomfort (9). To perform the cobra pose correctly, do the following:

Lie flat on the ground with your face down. Keep your toes pointed out.
Place the palms of your hands on the floor at your sides, just next to your shoulders.
Slightly lift your head and gently curl your neck backwards.
Press on the floor using your palms and gently lift your shoulders and upper body from the floor. Remember to engage both your legs and abdominal muscles.
Hold this position for several breaths before releasing and lowering your body back on the floor.
Do this severally or until you complete your reps/sets.

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The Two-Knee Twist Pose

You can also lose weight in 10 days if you follow the best diets to lose weight and do the two-knee twist. The two-knee twist can help in promoting weight loss and also in opening your hips and back. It also works your abs, chest, and shoulders (2). To do the two-knee twist, follow these steps:

Lie flat on the floor with your head facing toward the ceiling. Your arms must be stretched out to both sides of your body.
Draw in your knees such that they are up to your chest. Relax and breathe normally.
Slowly start to lower the legs to one side of your body. You can choose to start with either the left or right side. While lowering your legs, remember to keep them close together throughout. You can rest your knees on the floor or a pillow. Relax while in this stance and hold it for half a minute.
Gently raise the legs back to the center position and try to engage your abdominal muscles as you do this. While on the center, drop the legs on the opposite side and do the same.

NOTE: Twisting exercises may increase your risk of injury. So, never perform them without the supervision or advice of a professional yoga instructor. Any wrong move may result in severe back pains.

The Cat-Cow Pose

The last yoga pose in this circuit to help you lose weight in 10 days is the cat-cow pose. It merely assists in bringing movement to your spine and the muscles of your back and shoulders. This pose is highly preferred by yogis when you need to stretch either your neck or chest. If you were to try this pose for such benefits, remember to consult beforehand. To do the cat-cow pose, you will need to do the following:

Begin by sitting on all fours. Your wrists should be lined up and under your shoulders. Your knees should be lined up and directly under your hips. Your face must also be facing down and back kept straight.
Take a deep breath and look up with your head. Likewise, keep your arms and legs straight and let your stomach push toward the ground. Hold this position for some seconds before exhaling.
While exhaling, you must bring your head down and tuck your chin into your chest. Similarly, pull your navel in toward your spine. At this moment, your back must not be straight. Instead, you are asked to let your back arch up toward the ceiling. Again, hold this position for some seconds before releasing.
Try to repeat these gentle movements for a minute or so. Try to listen to your body and determine an area with some tension. Once you discover it, try to release it and relax through your breathing and movements.

The Bottom Line

Weight loss is quite a tricky subject. Although it is possible to lose weight fast, it is not recommended in most cases. Yoga to lose weight in 10 days is not the most effective tool, but it is still a great addition to your routine. Try to incorporate the cat-cow pose, warrior one and two pose, cobra, boat, bow, and the two-knee twist pose into your workout plan. Remember to consult with a professional before you consider starting yoga to lose weight in 10 days.

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in this article are meant for informational purposes. They do not represent any medical or professional help. Remember to seek medical and professional advice before acting upon any of these findings.