10 Common Mistakes Yogis Make When Trying to Lose Weight
You’ve heard that yoga is great for helping you lose weight but are you making one or more of these mistakes along the way? They are all too common, especially for beginners!
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1. Underestimating what yoga can do for you.
Yoga is one of the most underestimated fat-burning exercises in the world today. It has been proven in conclusive studies to help people lose weight, control their cravings, lower their stress levels, and help build lean, calorie-burning muscle.
2. Skipping relaxation.
Relaxation allows the muscles to relax and cortisol levels to come down. This will allow for greater fat burning and faster results. Don’t skip it!
3. Not doing the right poses for your goals.
Different poses have different purposes. Some will help with flexibility, and some will help you burn tons of calories. Know the differences and which ones are best for your goals.
4. Not having a workout schedule.
Just doing random yoga workouts is not the path to finding success in weight loss. Find a program that has a schedule you can keep up with.
5. Holding your breath.
When losing weight, 81% of the fat cells are exhaled through your breath. Make sure to breathe deeply through your poses for best results!
6. Focusing on the perfect pose.
There is no such thing as a perfect pose. Focus instead on bettering yourself every time you’re on the mat, and the fat burning will happen naturally from your own personal challenge.
7. Forgetting to diet.
While yoga is an amazing fat loss resource, you cannot continue to eat junk and expect to lose weight. Don’t neglect your diet when losing weight just because you’ve picked up a calm yoga practice!
8. Not practicing often enough.
Do yoga at least 3 times a week for optimal fat burning. Anything less and you will not be able to lose much weight. Make yoga a habit!
9. Not tracking your progress.
Keep a journal, and take notes on your weight, measurements, and progress with different poses. The mirror will play tricks, but your journal will let you know if you’re on the right track!
10. Not having a step-by-step plan to help you through the process.
The biggest problem most people face when losing weight with yoga is not having a step-by-step plan to help you progress.
If you are looking for some additional tips and an actual workout plan, our Yoga Fat Loss Bible for Beginners is a great place to start.
It comes with everything you need to get started, including a complete 12-week workout plan, a flexibility guide, and a beginner’s guide to meditation!
It also now comes with complete video workouts!
It’s a great solution around for those looking to lose weight, get more flexible, and relieve aches and pains with a calm yoga practice.
It will show you exactly how to melt away stubborn body fat with a regular yoga practice and has the top 50 fat-burning yoga poses every beginner should learn.
You can check it out by clicking here.
Always remember that the most difficult part of doing yoga getting yourself on the mat!
Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article or have any questions!
I see that you said to practice at least 3 times per week. For how long?
Barbara, I would recommend 30 min – 1 hour. It really depends on what you’re working on and what you want out of it. I practice for about an hour every day, because I am working really hard on my flexibility. If you’re trying to actively lose weight, I would recommend at least 30 mins and more if you can spare the time. 🙂