Yoga for beginners?

atamrowski
atamrowski Posts: 417 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Since my New Year has started off terrible, I haven't been able to go to the gym as planned to start walking and getting some excercise in as part of my resolution to start getting this weight off. My excuse is valid; my husband has been tending to his father in CCU in the evenings which means I pick up our daughter from school and get home and get dinner ready and such when he was going to do that so I could work out after work.

Needless to say, I have purchased Element Hatha and Yoga for beginners so I can do at home so I can start moving my body parts and DESTRESS.

I know cardio is just as important for low impact excercise but will yoga help me trim and lose? I've never done Yoga in my life and just wanted to know what to expect.

Replies

  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    For weight loss you'll want a vinyasa, or flow, practice. If you are just starting out, Bryan Kest's "Power Yoga Beginner Series" is a great 25-minute practice. I've had the DVD for almost ten years and I still reach for it.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I'm no expert - took my first yoga class last week. But any movement will help you with your weight loss. It won't be a big calorie burn though. But calorie burn isn't the only health benefit we get from exercise.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,788 Member
    Any movement will help you burn calories. That said, yoga doesn't burn that much (I will have many people disagree with me here).

    Yoga can help in a couple of ways though: if you take your practice seriously - a way to get connected with your body and truly get to know it, yoga can help with food intake - knowing when you're full, knowing when you're hungry. 13 years ago when I started my practice, I was a smoker who ate junk for the most part. I would go to a yoga class then go out for a brownie as my "reward". I really think yoga helped me quit smoking and assist me to become the mostly clean eater I am today.

    On a purely physical level yoga, for me, is body weight exercises. I hold poses for a long period of time - until I cannot hold them anymore - much like working until failure that people do with weights.

    Yoga also helps with a sense of physical balance as well as the more obvious flexibility. While neither of these will help you lose weight, they will help with preventing injury - which will keep you moving and help you lose weight.
  • monkeybuddha
    monkeybuddha Posts: 33 Member
    Have you tried any of Sadie Nardini's vinyasa yoga workouts? I really enjoy her style of teaching and definitely feel like I'm getting a great workout. Tara Stiles also does some great flows, some of which are focused for weight loss. They both have free routines on Youtube.

    Whatever you go for all movement is better than none and yoga has so many other amazing benefits alongside weight loss.
  • atrebor18
    atrebor18 Posts: 235 Member
    I agree that yoga doesn't burn as many calories as other exercises but its still better then nothing and I feel AMAZING afterwards. I like feeling all stretched out and relaxed. I like to do yoga every other day and my cardio/weight stuff the other days, I think its a good balance. The atmosphere of yoga is my favorite, all dark, quiet, warm and cozy, I wish the gym was like that sometimes lol

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