5 Hot Yoga Poses For Rapid Weight Loss

A healthy and toned body is a confidence booster. If you constantly worry about gaining weight, it’s time to do something about it. Hiding those love handles, wearing loose clothing, and resorting to mindless crash diets are not the way out. Instead, follow a reliable and workable method like yoga and try the 5 hot yoga poses listed out here for rapid weight loss.

What Is Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga is yoga practiced in a heated room. Heat and humidity enable you to hold the challenging Hatha Yoga poses better, pushing you to sink deep into the poses. Due to increased temperature, your body sweats profusely, flushing out toxins in the process.

Hot yoga is a relatively new concept popularized by Bikram Choudhury. As the popularity of yoga spread across the world, it only made sense for Choudhary to replicate the temperature of India in the colder regions where he taught it. Does hot yoga help you lose weight? Let us see.

Hot Yoga For Weight Loss – How Does It Help

Hot yoga involves practicing 26 Hatha Yoga asanas at a stretch at a temperature of 4oo C for 90 minutes. The after effects of hot yoga are great – it gives you the satisfaction of a good workout and relieves the stress built up in the body. As a result, you tend to go back to it regularly, anticipating the same satisfactory feeling of a good workout. Repeated hot yoga sessions of the following yoga asanas will make your body supple and lean. Check them out.

Weight Decreasing Hot Yoga Poses

1. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
2. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist Pose)
3. Halasana (Plow Pose)
4. Sethu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
5. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

1. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

Benefits: The Chair Pose stretches your hips, chest, and spine. It tones your legs and the knee, thigh, and ankle muscles. This asana balances the body and works best to decrease weight in the buttocks.

How To Do It

Stand straight with your feet arm length apart. Stretch your arms forward, with the palms facing downwards. Your elbows and knees must be straight. Now, imagine that you are about to sit on a chair. Bend your knees and push your pelvis down. Make sure you do not bend your knees beyond your feet. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds.

To know more about the pose, click here: Utkatasana

2. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist Pose)

Benefits: This pose tones your spinal nerves and stretches and compresses the muscles of your body. It enhances digestion and increases the amount of oxygen going into your lungs.

How To Do It

Sit down with your legs stretched out. Keep your back straight and feet together. Bend your left leg and place it near the outer right hip. Now, bend your right leg, take it over the left leg, and place it next to the left knee. Twist your torso towards the right and look over your right shoulder. Place your left hand on the right knee and the right hand behind your back. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds and then relax.

To know more about the pose, click here: Ardha Matsyendrasana

3. Halasana (Plow Pose)

Benefits: Halasana regulates metabolism. It gives your spine and shoulders a good stretch and helps the thyroid gland function well. The pose cures backaches and keeps insomnia and headaches at bay.

How To Do It

Lie down on your back. Keep your feet and toes together. Place your arms gently on either side. Now, lift your legs off the floor at an angle of 90 degrees. Then, lift your buttocks, lower abdomen, and upper abdomen along with the legs. Take the legs over your head and place them down with your toes touching the ground. Keep your legs straight and let your chest touch your chin. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds and then relax.

4. Sethu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Benefits: The pose tones your neck, spine, and chest. It massages your digestive organs, thereby improving digestion. It also improves blood circulation and cures sinusitis.

How To Do It

Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Keep the feet at arm’s length distance. The knees and ankles must fall in a straight line. Place your arms on either side of your body with the palms facing down. Now, lift your lower, middle, and upper back off the floor, making your chest touch your chin. Your thighs should be parallel to each other. Support the weight of the body with your arms, feet, and shoulders. Hold the pose for a minute and relax.

To know more about the pose, click here: Sethu Bandhasana

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Benefits:

The pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves digestion. It tones your arms and legs and improves blood circulation. This asana boosts self-confidence and is an ideal stretching exercise.

How To Do It

Stand on all fours with your head facing downwards. Now, lift your hips and straighten your elbows and knees, forming an inverted ‘V’ shape. Make sure your hands are in line with your shoulders, and your legs are in line with your hips. Push forward with your palms and straighten your neck. Your ears should be able to touch your inner arms and your gaze directed towards your navel. Hold the pose for a couple of minutes and relax.

To know more about the pose, click here: Adho Mukha Svanasana

While the above poses take care of your weight loss issues, let’s take a look at some common questions regarding hot yoga and weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times a week is hot yoga recommended?

Initially, hot yoga is recommended daily for about two months till you get the hang of it.

Is it advisable to practice hot yoga during menstruation?

Yes, it is perfectly fine to practice hot yoga during menstruation.

When is one considered overweight?

You are overweight when you are at least 20 percent heavier than the weight you are supposed to be according to your height.

How does one gain weight?

If you are consuming more calories than needed for your body and not exercising enough, your body tends to put on weight.

A lean body, apart from making you look good, will make you feel great and keep your health in check. It is easy to put on a few extra kilos owing to our lifestyle. Hence practice hot yoga for weight loss regularly. Get started!

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Author

Shirin MehdiHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Shirin is a health and wellness writer with three years of experience and specializes in writing articles on yoga and has extensive knowledge about the postures of the asanas. Prior to joining Stylecraze, she interned with an advertising firm as a copywriter and as an editorial intern for a luxury fashion magazine.

Read full bio of Shirin Mehdi