Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEating HabitsBetter SleepBurning CaloriesRestorative YogaHow Often to Do YogaYoga Poses to Do at Home
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Eating Habits
Better Sleep
Burning Calories
Restorative Yoga
How Often to Do Yoga
Yoga Poses to Do at Home
As a mind-body practice that supports physical, mental, and spiritual development, yoga can help you lose weight. Yoga consists of three parts—the physical poses (asana), meditation (dhyana), and breath work (pranayama). The combination of these components creates a practice that can have positive effects on overall health.
The physical practice of yoga can be great exercise, especially the more active forms of asana, the poses. The poses can help you build muscle, create endurance, and burn calories, leading to weight loss.
While practicing the poses can lead to weight changes, the combination of the physical movements with the mindfulness components of yoga can lead to a sustained change in how you approach food, physical activity, stress, and other elements that affect weight.
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Yoga and Mindfulness Can Aid Your Eating Habits
While many people think of yoga as simply doing the poses, thepractice of yoga can influence all aspects of life. The literal translation of yoga is “to yoke,” “union,” or “to join.” People who practice yoga translate this to mean the union of the body and the mind.
The work done in the physical practice of yoga is meant to carry over to the mental state. For example, when you hold a challenging pose, you learn that enduring a challenge can create change. Moving through the poses also requires much attention to detail.
Paying attention to how you move and feel in each moment createsmindfulnessaround the body. This mindfulness can lead to more healthy eating and lessemotional eating.You may also begin to pay attention to how food makes you feel.
People withchronic stressoften turn to “comfort foods” to help them deal with the stress. One theory suggests that the stress response system lessens with the consumption of higher-calorie foods, and a pattern of becoming stressed and eating comfort foods to cope with the stress emerges.
Yoga is a stress management tool that can help change this pattern. Yoga lessens the stress response, leading to more healthy dietary choices.
Yoga and Better Sleep Are Also Associated With Weight Loss
Yoga can help with sleep patterns and assist in weight loss efforts.Getting good sleepis beneficial for weight loss. Better sleep health is associated with weight and fat loss.People who get adequate sleep without interruptions are less likely to experience issues with body weight regulation.
Various studies have shown people who practice yoga reported bettersleep quality.While the physical practice ofyoga can help with sleep patterns, other aspects of yoga can also help with sleep.
Yoga nidra is a type of meditation that is known as yoga sleep.It helps people achieve a deep relaxation state that can leave the body feeling well-rested without a full night’s sleep. Lying in savasana at the end of a yoga class and allowing the body to fully relax is a type of yoga nidra.
What Types of Yoga Burn the Most Calories?
While practicing yoga burns calories, some types of yogaburn more caloriesthan others.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa yoga is a type of yoga that involves flowing from one pose to another without much rest. The focus is on moving with the breath. Constant movement, along with poses that challenge the muscles, leads to an increased heart rate and higher caloric burn.
Vinyasa yoga increases cardiorespiratory fitness and is a great alternative to other aerobic exercises.
People who practice yoga also experience an increase in muscle mass, which leads to a higher overall caloric burn.
Power Yoga
Power yoga is like Vinyasa yoga but takes an athletic approach.It adds variations to poses like planks (a move for core strength) and focuses more on muscle strength and endurance.
A power yoga class can feel like a fitness class focusing on whole-body conditioning.
Ashtanga Yoga
Vinyasa and power yoga were derived from Ashtanga yoga, a type of yoga that uses a set series of poses focused on strength, endurance, and flexibility.Ashtanga is known for being highly disciplined. People who practice ashtanga follow a set schedule, practicing nearly every day.
Can Restorative Yoga Help With Weight Loss?
Restorative yogafocuses on slowing the body down and relaxing into the poses for a deeper stretch.In restorative yoga, poses are held for longer periods of time. Props such as blocks or bolsters help hold the body in these poses so there is no discomfort.
While restorative yoga might not directly affect weight loss in terms ofcalories in, calories out, restorative yoga can reduce stress and promote better sleep which are factors that can contribute to weight loss.
How Often to Practice Yoga for Weight Loss
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults achieve 150 minutes ofmoderately intense physical activitya week to maintain baseline health and prevent disease. The intensity and duration of activity need to increase to lose weight.
People starting a fitness routine may only need 150 minutes of physical activity to experience weight loss. If yoga is your only physical activity, practicing at least 150 minutes a week can lead to weight loss. This can look like doing three vigorous 50-minute classes a week.
People adding yoga to their physical activity routine may find that practicing one to two times a week is enough to lead to weight loss.However, others may need to practice yoga daily to see results.
Creating a yoga routine does not need to be complicated. Several basic flows and core poses can build endurance and muscle strength and can be done at home. If you are new to yoga, it can be beneficial to go to a beginner yoga class or work with an instructor to become familiar with the poses before practicing them at home.
Sun Salutations
The sun salutations are agroup of posesfocused on moving the body. They are often used as a warmup and a way to add a cardiovascular element to a yoga practice.
Sun Salutation A
Sun Salutation B
Boat Pose
Boat pose is a core-strengthening pose. To practice boat pose:
Plank Pose
Plank is another core strengthener. To do it:
Summary
Yoga is a mind-body practice that can help you lose weight. The physical poses, combined with attention to mindfulness, breath, and stress reduction, can lead to sustained changes in how you approach food, stress, and sleep—all factors that influence weight.
Mindfulness may lead to better food choices and less emotional eating. Yoga can also reduce stress, which can reduce the need for “comfort foods.” Yoga can also help with sleep, which can aid weight loss efforts.
Vinyasa, power, and Ashtanga are more physical types of yoga that burn more calories than other types. While these types of yoga can lead to a higher calorie burn, restorative yoga and its focus on relaxation can also contribute to weight loss.
You should get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week, but likely more to lose weight. Depending on your current physical shape, you may need to practice yoga twice a week or daily to achieve weight loss.
Creating a yoga routine to lose weight at home does not have to be complicated. Sun salutations combined with boat and plank pose can be a great start to getting the body moving and strengthening the core and other muscles.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Watts AW, Rydell SA, Eisenberg ME, Laska MN, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga’s potential for promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among young adults: a mixed-methods study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):42. doi:10.1186/s12966-018-0674-4Braun TD, Schifano ED, Finkelstein-Fox L, et al.Yoga participation associated with changes in dietary patterns and stress: a pilot study in stressed adults with poor diet.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101472. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101472Kline CE, Chasens ER, Bizhanova Z, et al.The association between sleep health and weight change during a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention.Int J Obes (Lond). 2021;45(3):639-649. doi:10.1038/s41366-020-00728-8Xie Y, Liu S, Chen XJ, Yu HH, Yang Y, Wang W.Effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:664499. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664499Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, et al.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Tsopanidou AΑ, Venetsanou FD, Stavridis IS, Paradisis GP, Zacharogiannis EG.Energy expenditure during a Vinyasa yoga session.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020;60(8):1110-1117. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10821-1Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C, Kelly P, et al.The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health related quality of life in older adults- systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019;16(1):33. doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2Schubert MM, Clark AS, De La Rosa AB, Newcomer SC.Heart rate and thermal responses to power yoga.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018;32:195-199. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.07.003Mewada A, Keswani J, Sharma H, Tewani GR, Nair PMK.Ashtanga yoga ethics-based yoga versus general yoga on anthropometric indices,trigunas, and quality of life in abdominal obesity: a randomized control trial.Int J Yoga. 2022;15(2):130-136. doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_63_22Miyoshi Y.Restorative yoga for occupational stress among Japanese female nurses working night shift: randomized crossover trial.J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):508-516. doi:10.1002/1348-9585.12080Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al.The physical activity guidelines for Americans.JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854Csala B, Szemerszky R, Körmendi J, Köteles F, Boros S.Is weekly frequency of yoga practice sufficient? Physiological effects of Hatha yoga among healthy novice women.Front Public Health. 2021;9:702793. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.702793
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Watts AW, Rydell SA, Eisenberg ME, Laska MN, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga’s potential for promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among young adults: a mixed-methods study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):42. doi:10.1186/s12966-018-0674-4Braun TD, Schifano ED, Finkelstein-Fox L, et al.Yoga participation associated with changes in dietary patterns and stress: a pilot study in stressed adults with poor diet.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101472. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101472Kline CE, Chasens ER, Bizhanova Z, et al.The association between sleep health and weight change during a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention.Int J Obes (Lond). 2021;45(3):639-649. doi:10.1038/s41366-020-00728-8Xie Y, Liu S, Chen XJ, Yu HH, Yang Y, Wang W.Effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:664499. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664499Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, et al.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Tsopanidou AΑ, Venetsanou FD, Stavridis IS, Paradisis GP, Zacharogiannis EG.Energy expenditure during a Vinyasa yoga session.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020;60(8):1110-1117. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10821-1Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C, Kelly P, et al.The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health related quality of life in older adults- systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019;16(1):33. doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2Schubert MM, Clark AS, De La Rosa AB, Newcomer SC.Heart rate and thermal responses to power yoga.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018;32:195-199. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.07.003Mewada A, Keswani J, Sharma H, Tewani GR, Nair PMK.Ashtanga yoga ethics-based yoga versus general yoga on anthropometric indices,trigunas, and quality of life in abdominal obesity: a randomized control trial.Int J Yoga. 2022;15(2):130-136. doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_63_22Miyoshi Y.Restorative yoga for occupational stress among Japanese female nurses working night shift: randomized crossover trial.J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):508-516. doi:10.1002/1348-9585.12080Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al.The physical activity guidelines for Americans.JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854Csala B, Szemerszky R, Körmendi J, Köteles F, Boros S.Is weekly frequency of yoga practice sufficient? Physiological effects of Hatha yoga among healthy novice women.Front Public Health. 2021;9:702793. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.702793
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Watts AW, Rydell SA, Eisenberg ME, Laska MN, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga’s potential for promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among young adults: a mixed-methods study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):42. doi:10.1186/s12966-018-0674-4Braun TD, Schifano ED, Finkelstein-Fox L, et al.Yoga participation associated with changes in dietary patterns and stress: a pilot study in stressed adults with poor diet.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101472. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101472Kline CE, Chasens ER, Bizhanova Z, et al.The association between sleep health and weight change during a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention.Int J Obes (Lond). 2021;45(3):639-649. doi:10.1038/s41366-020-00728-8Xie Y, Liu S, Chen XJ, Yu HH, Yang Y, Wang W.Effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:664499. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664499Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, et al.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Tsopanidou AΑ, Venetsanou FD, Stavridis IS, Paradisis GP, Zacharogiannis EG.Energy expenditure during a Vinyasa yoga session.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020;60(8):1110-1117. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10821-1Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C, Kelly P, et al.The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health related quality of life in older adults- systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019;16(1):33. doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2Schubert MM, Clark AS, De La Rosa AB, Newcomer SC.Heart rate and thermal responses to power yoga.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018;32:195-199. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.07.003Mewada A, Keswani J, Sharma H, Tewani GR, Nair PMK.Ashtanga yoga ethics-based yoga versus general yoga on anthropometric indices,trigunas, and quality of life in abdominal obesity: a randomized control trial.Int J Yoga. 2022;15(2):130-136. doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_63_22Miyoshi Y.Restorative yoga for occupational stress among Japanese female nurses working night shift: randomized crossover trial.J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):508-516. doi:10.1002/1348-9585.12080Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al.The physical activity guidelines for Americans.JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854Csala B, Szemerszky R, Körmendi J, Köteles F, Boros S.Is weekly frequency of yoga practice sufficient? Physiological effects of Hatha yoga among healthy novice women.Front Public Health. 2021;9:702793. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.702793
Watts AW, Rydell SA, Eisenberg ME, Laska MN, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga’s potential for promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among young adults: a mixed-methods study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):42. doi:10.1186/s12966-018-0674-4
Braun TD, Schifano ED, Finkelstein-Fox L, et al.Yoga participation associated with changes in dietary patterns and stress: a pilot study in stressed adults with poor diet.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101472. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101472
Kline CE, Chasens ER, Bizhanova Z, et al.The association between sleep health and weight change during a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention.Int J Obes (Lond). 2021;45(3):639-649. doi:10.1038/s41366-020-00728-8
Xie Y, Liu S, Chen XJ, Yu HH, Yang Y, Wang W.Effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:664499. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664499
Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, et al.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7
Tsopanidou AΑ, Venetsanou FD, Stavridis IS, Paradisis GP, Zacharogiannis EG.Energy expenditure during a Vinyasa yoga session.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020;60(8):1110-1117. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10821-1
Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C, Kelly P, et al.The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health related quality of life in older adults- systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019;16(1):33. doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2
Schubert MM, Clark AS, De La Rosa AB, Newcomer SC.Heart rate and thermal responses to power yoga.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018;32:195-199. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.07.003
Mewada A, Keswani J, Sharma H, Tewani GR, Nair PMK.Ashtanga yoga ethics-based yoga versus general yoga on anthropometric indices,trigunas, and quality of life in abdominal obesity: a randomized control trial.Int J Yoga. 2022;15(2):130-136. doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_63_22
Miyoshi Y.Restorative yoga for occupational stress among Japanese female nurses working night shift: randomized crossover trial.J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):508-516. doi:10.1002/1348-9585.12080
Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al.The physical activity guidelines for Americans.JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854
Csala B, Szemerszky R, Körmendi J, Köteles F, Boros S.Is weekly frequency of yoga practice sufficient? Physiological effects of Hatha yoga among healthy novice women.Front Public Health. 2021;9:702793. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.702793
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