By Brittany Anas, Prevention
Real talk: Sometimes getting to the gym and crushing an hourlong workout packed with sprints on the treadmill, dumbbell squats, and burpees
sounds less than appealing. And as much as we love building muscle and
cranking out sprint intervals, not everyone rolls that way.
[post_ads]But, news flash, that's totally fine, says Jessica Matthews, author of Stretching to Stay Young, professor of yoga studies at MiraCosta College in San Diego, and senior advisor for health and fitness education for the American Council on Exercise. In fact, Matthews says that yoga can be a perfect way to chill out and work towards your weight loss goals. As long as you pick a class that's a bit challenging, you're in good shape, she says.
"For individuals who have weight loss
in mind, they may opt to choose a type of yoga experience that is more
physical in nature, such as a Vinyasa, ashtanga, or a fusion-style
fitness yoga class," Matthews says.
Plus, yoga can lead to more mindful eating, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet.
"I have found that women who regularly practice yoga become more in
tune with their bodies and, almost by default, they start eating
healthier," Gans says.
But don't just take their word for it. These women share how yoga actually helped them lose weight and get in shape.
"Once I decided I was ready to start an exercise plan, yoga was the obvious go-to workout for me. It was something I could come back to every day and didn't require the amount of recovery other workouts do. I get my cardio, resistance, and stretching in during one 75-to 90-minute session. For the first few months, I committed to going every single day. Now, I go to class at House of Jai five to six days a week, mainly practicing vinyasa. I also took some conditioning classes, which my studio offers to help yogis to learn about their alignment.
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I could barely hold a plank at the beginning. Now I'm doing a tripod headstand crow! Physically, I have a totally different body after starting yoga. Also, I've found that being more connected to my body makes me more mindful about what I eat. I track my calories every day, and I've learned to handle my stress on the mat. Going to a class full of people who encourage me inspires me to keep up my hard work. My instructors told me that I should teach one day, and so now I'm in the midst of yoga teacher training so I can pay this gift forward."
—Donna Cheifetz, lost 45 pounds
"I broke my leg in several places in the spring of 2015, and that led to emergency surgery. The surgeons put a collection of screws in me that would make a hardware store envious and told me I had to wait 3 months before bearing any weight on that leg. I felt defeated, I gained weight, I lost mobility, and I had to learn how to walk again.
I had a second surgery in the fall to remove most of the hardware, which delayed healing further. When I was brave enough to go to the gym again, I started with basic restorative flow yoga classes. Though I'd never done yoga before, I learned to modify the moves and speak up about my limitations. Each week, I found one thing I could be proud of, like balancing one second longer or going one inch deeper in a pose. Connecting to my breath and making time for me made me mentally and physically stronger each week.
"I also learned that being active will only get you so far when you're trying to lose weight. So I started counting calories a couple of months into practicing yoga, and I started seeing progress in my weight. It turns out that balancing my carbs, fats, and proteins was just as important as balancing on my yoga mat! I work out six times a week, taking yoga classes four or five times a week and doing cardio at least once a week.
[post_ads]I started with hatha and restorative-style classes at first to learn the basics. And after five months of level one classes, I moved into the level two heated power yoga classes. While you burn more calories in the power classes, the basic classes were important for setting a foundation and building confidence to tackle the power classes. I stay motivated by recognizing how awesome it is that I am able to move, breathe, and walk."
—Callie Stephens, lost 15 pounds
"When I reached my highest weight of 345 pounds, I was at a real low point in my life. I wanted to get in shape, but I wasn't keen on going to a gym for exercise. Since I'd seen others achieve weight loss success through yoga, I decided that DDP yoga DVD workouts at home were the perfect option for me.
The physical strength I garnered through yoga gave me confidence in every area of my life. Besides getting me moving, yoga helped me pay positive attention to my body. And that led to better food choices. In the beginning, I didn't want to be too strict about what I ate or go on a diet because that always backfired. So I simply began eliminating the most damaging junk foods I was hooked on and went from there. I work out five days a week.One of the biggest revelations I had during this process is that my body actually wants to move.
When I miss workouts now, my body feels it! My yoga workouts combine cardio conditioning, strength training, and stretching without weights or jumping around. I loved it so much that I'm now a DDPYOGA instructor. After weighing more than 300 pounds for 20 years, every day after I started getting in shape brought new gifts to me: My clothing was looser, I could wear jeans again after two decades in black stretch pants, and I fit into movie theater seats. Feeling better was my biggest motivator."
"At first I was taking a yoga class two to three times per week and
walking two to three times per week. Then I learned to do my practices
at home and started doing yoga almost every night. I find that even a
restorative yoga workout is intense if I do the poses right. What kept
me motivated was the amazing results I could see and how fantastic I
felt. Plus, I got a wardrobe I liked for the first time in my life. The flexibility
I gained was mind-blowing.
I always told myself that I was not flexible
because of my genetics, but I was wrong. When I started, I could barely
do a seated forward fold, and now I can fold flat on my legs. Also, the
core strength I gained protected my lower back—even after a torn disc. My energy levels have been off the charts compared to when I was carrying extra weight and eating badly."
—Lorraine J. Kauffman, lost 55 pounds
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"I've been a gymnast
and dancer my whole life, but I struggled to get into yoga. I was bored
to tears trying to do it. But when I ripped a calf muscle during a Zumba class,
I had to find an alternative way to work out. That's when I found this
outdoor yoga class inside of a garden. The gardens were beautiful, and
there was something about this class that really got me into yoga. Now I
do yoga about three times a week, and I like all different types.
I
found it challenging at first and then started looking for more advanced
classes as I made progress. I lost about 10 pounds in 6 weeks. In
addition to becoming more flexible, I feel like yoga took my core to the next level. I knew I had a six-pack in there that was screaming to get out."
—Lori Cheek, lost 10 pounds
