Do You Want to Achieve Weight Loss Doing Yoga?

Weight loss is only one Health benefit of yoga

This article is about gaining your health back, if you’ve suffered a stroke, had heart or any other kind of surgery, or you just want to strengthen your mobility and core and haven’t had any injuries. Maybe you’d like to try yoga and see what all the fuss is about. Do you want to achieve weight loss doing yoga? Start a regimen and stick to it and you will lose weight. Weight loss is only one health benefit of yoga.

Practicing yoga, you may  experience weight loss, if it’s any consolation to you, I lost 16 lbs.! Do you want to achieve weight loss doing yoga? I have atrial fibrillation I was seeking a way to get exercise, build my muscle mass and strengthen my core as well as seek mental relaxation techniques like meditation. I found the health benefits of yoga, especially for seniors, was exactly what the doctor ordered (literally).

Surprisingly that recommendation from doctors is on the rise, imagine coming home with a prescription for yoga, it’s happening all over the United States! It’s such a great way to stay fit physically and mentally no matter how old you are.

Benefits and more, you may experience weight loss     

       

Many health benefits of yoga that may surprise you. Seniors and beginners have some really good choices that will improve their health and lives. Improve muscle mass and strengthen your lower back. Weight loss and inches off your waistline is also a plus!

• Hatha Yoga is Best for Seniors if you want a slower pace. Hatha yoga is restorative with chair exercises and are usually more suitable for older adults because they’re slower paced. They’re involved in holding poses for longer periods of time. Many older adults struggle to find low impact exercise that works well within their fitness solution. Yoga for seniors offers a solution and you may experience weight loss.
• Vinyasa is considered a low impact style suitable for those with joint pain, limited mobility or osteoporosis. Before starting any fitness program or routine, always work directly with your doctor. You will gain endurance and strengthen your core with Vinyasa. You will break a sweat during the 60-minute routine.
• Hatha, like gentle yoga poses suitable for seniors as well. Remember to talk to your doctor, therapist or cardiologist before starting any new exercise regimen. Studies show practicing yoga decreases stress, anxiety, depression and cortisol levels. Yoga increases feelings of hope and happiness over time.

The risks associated with mental health issues and struggles increase as you get older. Those who suffer from high blood pressure or stroke have a higher risk of depression. Yoga is often a therapeutic way to overcome some of these obstacles and to increase strength, balance and flexibility. If you experience sore muscles (always talk to your doctor first) I’ve used electric stimulation to soothe my aches and pains before, definitely works.

According to NIH, you lose range of motion such as mobility in your joints and flexibility as you age. Thus, putting you at greater risk of developing osteoarthritis, low back pain and curvature of the spine with an increase of your risk of falling. Developing a regular scheduled yoga regimen, you increase muscle mass often lost when aging. Improve your posture and strengthen your balance thus reducing your risk of falls.

C’mon, Change your lifestyle for the Better!

Do you want to achieve weight loss doing yoga?

Yoga has increased dramatically in popularity in recent years. The numbers have risen from 20.4 million to 36 million in 2012 to 2016 according to the Yoga Alliance. Did you know that there are more older practitioners than ever before, with over 14 million being over the age of 50? These numbers tell you that yoga really is for everyone and especially seniors. Yoga can help keep the body agile and help you lose weight while maintaining proprioception, or awareness of where your body is in relation to everything else, it’s incredible and so are the results you get without even trying. You can participate in yoga at any age, you may need to avoid bends and twists, you have that option and can be accommodated if you simply cannot do certain stretches or poses.

Be aware that classes and instructors vary. If you find a class that you like and an instructor that you don’t like, they never take offense, just go on Monday instead of Tuesday and see if that class or instructor works better for you. If not, go on Thursday, connecting with your instructor and the people in the class is a must have. The first thing to do when you attend a yoga class is let them know what your concerns are, especially if you have health conditions such as A-Fib or heart related problems. They will steer you toward something else that’s a better fit for you.

Guidance

Never worry that you’re on your own, your instructor is very keen and observing you. They are watching your progress in your endeavor and new journey in life. You’ll hear others in your class talk about amazing healing that they’ve experienced through yoga, everyone is unique, and they are all working towards a goal, just like you. You’ll be guided to use props called yoga blocks, straps, cushions and blankets to support your body in various poses. You’ll hold poses for no more that 3 to 5 breaths. If you’ve never gone to a restorative yoga class, you will be surprised at how much tension your body is retaining, usually people carry tension and stress in their neck and backs. Until you have a chance to stay in one position with support, you don’t feel it letting go.

Yoga Targets

Cockburn, breathing and holding position targets dense connective tissue in the body, which get especially stiff in our golden years, (Old injuries, surgeries, breaks in bones, ribs etc… get painful later on in the aging process).

Yin is a great opportunity for beginners or anyone that spends a lot of time sitting or hunched over (sometimes we don’t realize we are hunching over to compensate for pain in our backs). The poses are held longer to redirect our positioning of our posture for the entirety of our lives. Yin is also a great way for people that have balance issues (all poses are done on the floor).

Chair yoga is best for older adults or individuals with chronic conditions such as balance issues or injuries. If you can’t get down to the floor, no worries, don’t feel comfortable standing for long periods of time, or recovering from surgery that doesn’t allow you to do regular activities you may use a chair, or yoga blocks while you’re on the floor. A chair allows you to do perform poses while seated and helps while you’re standing. In general, you can expect a hatha yoga session to be slower movements that pair breathing exercises with postures. It’s more active than restorative yoga, less intense than vinyasa.

I hope you found this article to be helpful in choosing which style of yoga is a fit for you, plus a little insight never hurt.

Thank you for stopping in, Happy Holidays everyone!

Sherry