Being over weight or obese as a result of excess fat deposits in the body poses a number of heath challenges. Obesity has been linked to such health conditions as heart, coronary and other diseases whose treatment is not only a problem but also expensive. In order to address the serious health challenges that obesity presents, various programs have been developed. Such include exercise programs specifically designed to burn fat from the body. A common trend that is now emerging amongst program developers is to design or incorporate yoga in fat burning exercises.
After being practiced for ages in India as a meditative practice that produces perfect spiritual insight and tranquility, yoga practice has spread across the world, finding its place as an effective physical, mental and spiritual practice that enables on enables one to achieve overall optimum health. While yoga involves varied exercise techniques, some of the techniques have been established to encourage body organs to produce hormonal secretions, in effect increasing the body’s metabolic rate. Increased metabolism definitely leads to burning of excess fat otherwise stored in the body.
Apart from fat burning, the specific yoga asanas (exercise techniques) are very effective in producing proportionate body form. Unlike other fat burning exercises, yoga does not make one anorexic or slim. The simple deep breathing exercises only increase oxygen intake up to body cells, with fat cells naturally burning stored fat once in contact with oxygen. The fact that yoga practice also stimulates tired thyroid glands also makes it one of the most effective ways of maintaining healthy body weight. One of the benefits of yoga that is related to fat burning is its effect on anxiety. Anxiety is usually the major reason for overeating and the fact that yoga eliminates anxiety therefore allows one to eat only enough, in effect preventing obesity.
Compared to other traditional fat burning exercises, yoga has been established to help one burn less fat. While one can burn up to 300 calories with a traditional fat burning exercise in one session, yoga can only help one burn up to 150 calories. The slow rate of burning fat is actually encouraged by some nutritional experts who argue that losing calories at a fast rate is actually not healthy to the body. The fact that yoga burns body fat steadily has made it the most preferred way of burning excess body fat by many, especially women.
The fact that the practice of yoga leads to the formation of a very strong connection between body and mind has been established to be very helpful. Because of the connection, one becomes aware of what to eat and realize when he/she is full. This conscious awareness enables one to naturally control his/her appetite, which in effect prevents overweight or obesity. Although nutritionists and other health professionals appreciate the positive effect of practicing yoga in eliminating excess fat from the body, they still emphasize on the need for one to avoid junk foods and carbonated drinks. In addition, one should also stop eating anything between meals.