Yoga has been known to offer a multitude of benefits for both the body and mind. By combining various poses, stretches, and intentional breathing, yoga can improve your flexibility, strengthen muscles, and enhances posture. Regular practice will allow your body to reap the benefits of relaxation, reduced stress levels, and boost your cognitive clarity. It also helps with balance, coordination, and circulation while promoting digestive health.
For those who don’t enjoy rigorous workouts that drench them in sweat or require intense cardio, yoga is the perfect choice since it will not only exercise your muscles, but will also reduce any brain fog and mental setbacks that hinder you from enjoying your every day life. Perhaps, the best part about all of this is that it can still help with weight management and reduce belly fat, that’s right! There are yoga moves that you can perform at the comfort of your own home and still lose abdominal fat.
To learn about the three simple yoga moves you can do to help with losing belly weight, we spoke with Mary-Ellen Sabat from BodyDesigns Ltd. She shared that the boat pose, plank pose, and bridge pose are the three top yoga moves to help with slimming down stomach fat. Read on to learn more.
Yoga And Slimming Down Belly Fat
Spot reduction can be a big challenge. Fat in your belly is not only the hardest to lose, but it's also the easiest to gain weight in. People can spend years trying various rigorous exercises to shed abdominal fat, but if you want to take it slow and have an overall benefit for your body, yoga can aid in that.
Sabat says, "These yoga moves engage and strengthen the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. As you practice them regularly, you'll build muscle in these areas, which can lead to a more toned and slim appearance in the stomach region. Additionally, yoga helps improve digestion, reduces stress (which can contribute to weight gain), and increases overall body awareness, which can promote healthier eating habits."
Boat Pose
The boat pose stands as a powerful yoga posture that actively engages the abdominal muscles, providing an effective means to tone and fortify the core.
Sabat breaks down how to go about it: Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor slightly behind your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet. Lean back slightly while lifting your legs off the ground, keeping them straight. Balance on your sit bones, forming a V-shape with your body. If you can, extend your arms forward alongside your legs, parallel to the ground. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply. Gradually increase the duration as you build strength.
Plank Pose
Plank pose proves to be a superb exercise for activating the entire core, encompassing the abdominal muscles, while also effectively engaging the arms and legs.
Sabat breaks this pose down step by step: Start in a push-up position with your palms on the floor, directly under your shoulders. Engage your core muscles and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Ensure your neck and spine are aligned and gaze slightly ahead. Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds while breathing steadily. If it becomes too challenging, you can perform the plank on your forearms instead of your palms.
Bridge Pose
The bridge pose not only offers a gentle stretch to the abdomen but also effectively targets the glutes and lower back muscles.
Sabat explains how to perform this pose correctly: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms alongside your body, palms facing down. Press your feet and arms into the floor, and lift your hips upward towards the ceiling. Keep your thighs and feet parallel to each other and engage your glutes and core. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds while breathing deeply. Slowly lower your hips back down to the floor.
