Have you ever thought about giving yoga a try, after learning how supposedly helpful and soothing it is to your body and mind? What if this exercise was not only good for your mental health, but it was also a good way to lose weight?
In this guide, we will take a look into how many calories yoga can burn, and whether or not it is worth it as a weight-loss activity.
Can You Lose Weight Doing Yoga?
Yes, you can lose weight through yoga! Despite being less physically taxing than other types of exercise, like running or lifting weights, yoga is actually a fairly effective method for losing weight.
However, you must keep in mind that your calorie consumption will also have a big impact on how much weight you’re able to lose. As with any form of exercise, burning more calories than you ingest is the fundamental goal of weight loss.
Burning calories requires physical activity, and depending on a number of variables, yoga may be an effective form of exercise.
How many calories that you can burn during yoga will depend on numerous factors, including the type of yoga you practice, how long the session lasts, how much energy you retain throughout, and based upon your biological gender.
While it may not be the best exercise for losing vast amounts of weight in a shorter period of time, it is a great way to keep yourself fit, both physically and mentally.
What Is The Average Amount Of Calories Burned During Yoga?
It is very important to keep in mind that outcomes will vary from person to person, given that body type, weight, workout length, and pace all affect how many calories you can burn.
As a general guideline, you normally burn about as many calories in a 30-minute workout as you weigh. For instance, if you weigh 150 lb, you might burn off close to 150 calories in a half-hour.
In comparison to other exercises, this isn’t a particularly large amount of calories to lose. For example, the average person would lose around 295 calories if they were to go for a swift jog for half an hour. If they were to swim laps for half an hour, they would lose around 255.
However, just because you won’t lose as many calories during yoga doesn’t mean that you should dismiss it altogether. It is still a fantastic way to keep fit and lose weight, and it is far less physically demanding compared to running or swimming.
If you’re serious about losing weight and want to give yoga a try to aid in the process, keep in mind that you should maintain a low calorie intake while including yoga in a full workout program.
Is Yoga A Good Way To Lose Weight?
Although yoga is a fantastic option for weight loss, you shouldn’t rely on it as your only type of physical activity to help you burn calories. You must incorporate more activities into your regimen if you want to lose weight more quickly.
As we explained earlier, you should bear in mind that swimming and jogging will be far more effective for burning calories. This is because they are far more physically taxing compared to yoga, as you are moving your body faster and harder.
That being said, there is no reason that you couldn’t stick to just yoga, and lose weight a little more gradually. If you lose your weight in calories over half an hour of performing yoga, that means that you will lose double that amount if you decide to exercise for a whole hour.
So, if you weigh 150 lb, you could lose up to 300 calories if you were to do yoga for a full hour. If tried two hours, you could double that number again.
Although, like any form of exercise, we do not recommend overdoing it. Yoga should ideally be practiced in shorter, more frequent sessions of 20 to 45 minutes each. This should take a total of 3 to 4 hours, stretched out over a few days, for the optimum results.
You will notice steady weight loss and considerable gains in your mobility, range of motion, endurance, coordination, inner calm, and general well-being if you can practice yoga three or more times each week.
Further Health Benefits Of Doing Yoga
As we have already briefly mentioned in this guide, yoga is not all about burning calories and losing weight. In fact, yoga is so much more than that.
While it is considered to be a sport, it is more of an activity that works as a form of mindfulness. While some people prefer to get their frustrations out while running, or lifting weights, doing yoga can help to release stress and anger through calmer methods.
Yoga can help you become more in tune with your own body, both physically and mentally. For this reason, those who practice yoga find that they feel a lot more relaxed in general following the activity, and can even fall asleep easier and faster afterward.
Those who take part in yoga also report to have a higher level of self-esteem and confidence. Not only is yoga great for your physical body, building strength and burning calories, but it is equally healthy for your brain, and your thoughts and feeling.
Finally, those who do yoga find that they are a lot more flexible than those who don’t, and they are far less likely to experience stiff joints as they get older. Studies have shown that those who practice yoga over the age of 50 are less likely to gain weight as quickly as their peers.
Final Thoughts
As a general rule, it is believed that a person will burn the number of their weight in calories while doing yoga for 30 minutes. A person who weighs 120 lb will likely lose around 120 calories within half an hour.
However, there are many variables that will affect this, including what kind of yoga you do, how much effort you put into it, as well as many other factors.
All in all, yoga is a fun way to keep yourself fit and healthy, despite not being the quickest way to shed excess weight. When it comes to looking after your body and your mind, yoga is one of the greatest activities you can take part in.
We hope you found this guide helpful.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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