Today two-thirds of population in the world is overweight. Weight loss is an immediate step to avoid risk of health problems that come from being overweight. To stay fit, trendy and most importantly healthy one should have ideal Body Mass Index. Generally BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 is considered normal.
“I am doing everything right, why can't I lose weight?” This is the most common question haunting many of us. Yoga is the perfect platform for weight loss. Breathing exercises are easy to do, cost effective and offer breathtaking results. So guys!! Get ready and try following breathing techniques (Pranayam) mentioned below for weight loss.
Sit on a yoga block with your legs crossed. Draw your body straight, with an elongated spine, neck and chin up. Place yourself comfortably closing your eyes and placing your hands on your knees. Don’t strain your abdomen muscles. Deeply inhale and exhale the air out of your nostrils. When you sniff out the air, you feel your abdomen pulling inside. Make this your routine for a good start of your day. At a stretch do around 30-50 times in a day.
Be seated in your ideal yoga posture (padmasana). Relax yourself with hands on your knees and palms facing upwards. Inhale deeply and forcefully so that your lungs are full with oxygen. Then exhale making a hissing sound. Repeat the same for 5-10 times. People suffering from heart diseases or blood pressures should stay away from these exercises.
On yoga mat sit in your relaxed position. With your right hand thumb press the right nostril and breathe in through the left nostril. For 5 seconds retain the breath. Then press your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand and leave the right nostril to exhale. Now repeat the same with left nostril closed and breathing through right nostril. Retain the breath until 5 seconds and release air through left nostril. Repeat around 10-15 times daily.
People of all ages can do try this technique. Strictly avoid doing this exercise if you are pregnant or having periods.
Sit on a yoga mat with legs crossed. Be relaxed with your body and spine straight. Use your thumb to close both your ears. With the middle finger, press lightly on your closed eyes. With the index finger, lightly press your temples. Then place your ring fingers and little fingers on the bridge of your nose. Now take a deeper and longer breath through nose and exhale slowly through nose. Repeat this technique for 11-21 times.
Posture 1: Stand erect at the edge of your yoga mat facing sun. With your feet together balance your weight. Relax your body. As you inhale, raise your arms up from the sides and as you exhale, bring your palms together in prayer pose.
Posture 2: Stretch your body backwards, with the arms rising up and biceps close to the ears. Ensure to breathe in while doing this posture.
Posture 3: Now breathe out bending forward and keeping the spine erect. Slowly bring the hands down and rest them beside the feet.
Posture 4: Breathing in push your right leg back, as much as you can stretch. Keep the left foot in between the palms facing the ground. Keep your head up.
Posture 5: Slowly take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a straight line. Keep your arms perpendicular and firmly to the floor.
Posture 6: Breathing out, softly bring your knees down to the floor. With the hips back, rest both your chest and chin on the floor. Make sure the two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin touch the ground.
Posture 7: Similar to Cobra pose, move forward and raise the chest up. Bent your elbows and keep the shoulders away from the ears. Raise your head upwards.
Posture 8: Breathing out take a mountain pose. All you have to do is gently raise your hips and tail bones upwards, chest downwards in an ‘inverted V’ (/\) pose.
Posture 9: Do this posture similar to posture 4. Breathing in push your right foot back, as much as you can. Keep the left leg in between the palms facing the ground and look up.
Posture 10: Breathing out, bring the left foot forward such that the feet are together. Keep the palms and try to touch the floor.
Posture 11: Breathing in, keep the spine up, raise the hands and gently bend backwards. Push the hips slightly outward.
Posture 12: Breathing out keep your body straight and erect. Slowly bring the arms down. Be relaxed. Surya Namaskar is a great exercise, and has tremendous health benefits.
Sit down on the floor and stretch your legs out. Bring your heels close to the buttocks by bending your right knee. Fold across left and right knee such that your left foot ankle is by the side of your right knee. Now take place your left palm beside you on the floor. Ensure your right arm is touching the toes of your left foot. Inhale deeply and stretch your spine. Breathing out twist your torso to your left and look over your left shoulder. Inhale and straighten your spine; exhale and twist. Count for 5 breaths and release the twist. Now repeat the same to the other side too.
“I am doing everything right, why can't I lose weight?” This is the most common question haunting many of us. Yoga is the perfect platform for weight loss. Breathing exercises are easy to do, cost effective and offer breathtaking results. So guys!! Get ready and try following breathing techniques (Pranayam) mentioned below for weight loss.
The outcomes of breathing exercises are promising as:
- Deep breathing increases oxidation
- Aerobic exercises stimulate metabolism
- Breathing massages your abdomen and helps burn fat faster around the mid-region
- Deep breathing burns fat for energy thereby facilitating weight loss
Yoga Breathing Techniques for Weight Loss:
1. Kapalbhati:
Kapalbhati is one of the basic breath techniques used for weight loss. Also known as breath of fire technique. Through this technique you tend to breathe rapidly, rhythmically and continuously relaxing your body.Sit on a yoga block with your legs crossed. Draw your body straight, with an elongated spine, neck and chin up. Place yourself comfortably closing your eyes and placing your hands on your knees. Don’t strain your abdomen muscles. Deeply inhale and exhale the air out of your nostrils. When you sniff out the air, you feel your abdomen pulling inside. Make this your routine for a good start of your day. At a stretch do around 30-50 times in a day.
2. Bhastrika Pranayama:
Bhastrika Pranayama basically massages your abdomen and the fat stored around it. Thus it activates and burns the fat facilitating weight loss.
Be seated in your ideal yoga posture (padmasana). Relax yourself with hands on your knees and palms facing upwards. Inhale deeply and forcefully so that your lungs are full with oxygen. Then exhale making a hissing sound. Repeat the same for 5-10 times. People suffering from heart diseases or blood pressures should stay away from these exercises.
3. Anulom Vilom Pranayama:
Anuloma means "alternate" hence this technique is also known as alternate nostril breathing.
On yoga mat sit in your relaxed position. With your right hand thumb press the right nostril and breathe in through the left nostril. For 5 seconds retain the breath. Then press your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand and leave the right nostril to exhale. Now repeat the same with left nostril closed and breathing through right nostril. Retain the breath until 5 seconds and release air through left nostril. Repeat around 10-15 times daily.
People of all ages can do try this technique. Strictly avoid doing this exercise if you are pregnant or having periods.
4. Bhramari Pranayama:
Bharmari means “humming bee" therefore this technique is also known as bee breath technique.Sit on a yoga mat with legs crossed. Be relaxed with your body and spine straight. Use your thumb to close both your ears. With the middle finger, press lightly on your closed eyes. With the index finger, lightly press your temples. Then place your ring fingers and little fingers on the bridge of your nose. Now take a deeper and longer breath through nose and exhale slowly through nose. Repeat this technique for 11-21 times.
5. Surya Namaskar:
Also known as Sun Salutation. It is a blend of twelve postures giving both spiritual and body relaxation.
Posture 2: Stretch your body backwards, with the arms rising up and biceps close to the ears. Ensure to breathe in while doing this posture.
Posture 3: Now breathe out bending forward and keeping the spine erect. Slowly bring the hands down and rest them beside the feet.
Posture 4: Breathing in push your right leg back, as much as you can stretch. Keep the left foot in between the palms facing the ground. Keep your head up.
Posture 5: Slowly take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a straight line. Keep your arms perpendicular and firmly to the floor.
Posture 6: Breathing out, softly bring your knees down to the floor. With the hips back, rest both your chest and chin on the floor. Make sure the two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin touch the ground.
Posture 7: Similar to Cobra pose, move forward and raise the chest up. Bent your elbows and keep the shoulders away from the ears. Raise your head upwards.
Posture 8: Breathing out take a mountain pose. All you have to do is gently raise your hips and tail bones upwards, chest downwards in an ‘inverted V’ (/\) pose.
Posture 9: Do this posture similar to posture 4. Breathing in push your right foot back, as much as you can. Keep the left leg in between the palms facing the ground and look up.
Posture 10: Breathing out, bring the left foot forward such that the feet are together. Keep the palms and try to touch the floor.
Posture 11: Breathing in, keep the spine up, raise the hands and gently bend backwards. Push the hips slightly outward.
Posture 12: Breathing out keep your body straight and erect. Slowly bring the arms down. Be relaxed. Surya Namaskar is a great exercise, and has tremendous health benefits.
6. Seated Spinal Twist:
Also known as Half Spinal Twist Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana. One of the best techniques, that act on your spine, vertebrae, back and hips.Sit down on the floor and stretch your legs out. Bring your heels close to the buttocks by bending your right knee. Fold across left and right knee such that your left foot ankle is by the side of your right knee. Now take place your left palm beside you on the floor. Ensure your right arm is touching the toes of your left foot. Inhale deeply and stretch your spine. Breathing out twist your torso to your left and look over your left shoulder. Inhale and straighten your spine; exhale and twist. Count for 5 breaths and release the twist. Now repeat the same to the other side too.
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