Yoga to Reduce Belly Fat

Yoga to reduce belly fat is a hot topic in the yoga community these days.  What kind of yoga will reduce belly fat?  Should we even use yoga to reduce belly fat?  After all, yoga is a sacred practice and weight loss is not the goal of yoga.  Yet, many people who want to reduce belly fat have a limited amount of time to be in their bodies, and they want to spend that time in a way that improves their overall mind-body health and not just their physical health.  These people are asking if yoga can help with reducing belly fat and we have the answers.

Is yoga better than the gym to reduce belly fat? 

It really depends on what you’re doing in your practice and what you’re doing at the gym.  Either could potentially work and either could potentially not work for you, depending on what you’re doing with your body.  Overall, it’s a matter of personal preference, but many people prefer yoga for several reasons.  

Reasons many people prefer yoga to the gym for reducing belly fat:

• If you’re practicing Vinyasa, a flowing form of yoga that connects the breath to movement, you’re transitioning quickly from one pose to the next.  The body recruits stabilizing muscles to help with these transitions, and many of these are in the core.  The psoas, the deeper layer of abdominals and the obliques are activated when we move through these transitions.  For example, if you’re in downward facing dog and you step the right foot forward into high lunge and then rise up with the hands overhead, you’re relying on your core to stabilize you through those transitions.  These are muscles that aren’t often activated in the gym.  Basic crunches and core work on the floor usually miss a lot of these muscles.

• Yoga reduces stress and stress can be a big contributor for stubborn belly fat.  Simply reducing the stress can help that stubborn belly fat to melt away.   Research shows that high cortisol levels are connected to belly fat, and yoga is clinically proven to reduce cortisol levels thereby reducing stress and decreasing belly fat.

• Yoga can be practiced anywhere and doesn’t usually require any complicated equipment.  Sometimes the hassle of driving to the gym, finding a parking place and waiting your turn for machines can be so discouraging that people resist going through the process.  Yoga can be done from the comfort of your own home at any time.

• Yoga is a full body practice, pulling in all of the body’s muscle groups.  Working out at the gym often involves isolating specific muscle groups and working that muscle group for a specific number of reps in sets of 3.  When trying to reduce belly fat, isolating the belly isn’t necessarily the way to go.  There are many muscle groups that surround the core that work in conjunction with the core as we move.  All of these muscle groups need to work in unison to get the desired effect. 

Is 20 minutes of yoga a day enough to lose weight?

There are many styles of yoga, and some of the more vigorous practices can help you burn calories in just 20 minutes a day.  

When practicing Vinyasa yoga, you’re moving a little faster, syncing the breath and movement.  The heart rate is higher throughout the practice with this style of yoga and you’re therefore likely to burn more calories.  If you haven’t practiced Vinyasa before, I recommend finding a slower paced class first and then working your way up to more of a power flow.

Hot yoga can also be good for weight loss.  Not only are you practicing a more vigorous style of yoga that gets your heart rate up, but you’re also sweating and releasing toxins throughout the practice.  This can help with burning calories and melting fat.  There’s also the afterburn effect from hot yoga that many people experience.  For about an hour after you’ve finished your hot yoga class, your heart rate remains elevated.  

Honestly, all yoga can help you lose weight if that’s your goal.  You’re burning calories whenever you’re moving. While Vinyasa and Hot Yoga can get you to your goal most quickly, all forms of yoga are helpful.

Why am I not losing weight doing yoga? 

Weight loss is a formula that takes into consideration the calories you’re taking in and the calories you’re burning.  In order to lose weight, you have to be burning more calories than you’re taking in.  Sometimes people get the calorie burn they desire with yoga, but then they aren’t eating mindfully so they have a tough time losing weight.  In other scenarios, the style of yoga that you’re practicing may not be getting your heart rate high enough for you to find that calorie-burning zone.  Practicing Vinyasa or Hot Yoga can help to get your heart rate higher so that you can burn calories.

How long does it take to reduce belly fat with yoga? 

You will start to feel a difference in your body after your first yoga practice and results become visible rather quickly.  While every body is unique and different, it’s safe to see you will see visible results within the first two weeks with daily practice, even just 20 minutes a day.  

What is the best time to do yoga for weight loss?

Traditionally, mornings are the best times for yoga to help you burn calories and energize you for the day.   

When your goal is to get the heart rate high enough to burn calories, you’re probably engaging in a more energetic practice which means that you wouldn’t want to practice right before bed time because you would have a hard time falling asleep.  

Mornings are also a great time for yoga because traditional yoga texts tell us its best to practice on an empty stomach.  Practicing before you’ve eaten will be most helpful for you.  You will then be building muscle mass and burning calories which will help you continue with this momentum throughout the day.

I think there’s also the energetic benefit of mindful eating that comes when you practice in the morning.   Once you’ve worked hard in your body towards reaching your goals, you are less likely to self-sabotage by eating foods that work against you.  Practicing in the morning sets the stage for a day of mindfulness, aligning your intentions and actions.

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