Can you lose weight by doing Yoga? Which type of Yoga is best for weight loss? these questions might come to your mind when you hear about yoga and its weight loss benefits. If practiced properly yoga asanas will help in weight loss. Today let us learn 25 simple and highly effective yoga asanas for weight loss.

Yoga For Weight Loss

Yoga is not just an exercise but is a way of living. It is a 5000-year-old Indian knowledge that brings body, breath, and mind in harmony. Yoga is not just about weight loss it helps you attain complete wellness. If you start your day with a 45-60 min yoga session, you can feel the positivity and energy throughout the day. Yoga asanas give your body twists, turns and stretches at proper places which increases your flexibility and provides a proper workout to your entire body. Body and mind are connected through breath, if you had noticed when you are angry or frightened you tend to breath faster, similarly your breath is slow and deep when you are relaxed. In Yoga when you do various asanas while following a proper breathing pattern, your blood gets proper oxygen resulting in a calm state of mind. Yoga is an ancient wisdom and is a vast topic, so let us study it.

Can You Lose Weight By Doing Yoga?

As we discussed earlier, benefits of yoga are not only confined to weight loss. As your body and mind are in a relaxed state, your body is able to assimilate nutrients in a better way. Right hormones are released/secreted at right time. You learn to keep a balance in all aspects of your life. Yoga helps you to become more aware and your inner strengths are revealed to you. In short, you come closer to yourself. This inner peace and satisfaction reflect through the good skin, hair and overall wellness.

Yoga Asanas For Weight Loss

Category 1: Yoga to Reduce Belly Fat

Excess belly fat is a common scenario these days. It not only looks ugly but also is hazardous for your health. An absence of exercise, improper lifestyle, ignorance about food and laziness have resulted in the excess fat gain in the belly region. Regular Yoga along with balanced diet is the prevention as well as cure. Risk of diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems and hormonal imbalance increases with the increase in belly pooch. There are many result oriented yoga exercises for weight loss, let’s see some of those.

1. Kapalbhati:

It is a simple and easy yoga technique (pranayama) that helps in reducing the excess belly fat. Kapalbhati sets the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) high and is one of the best belly fat burning exercise. In Kapalbhati, we do forceful exhalations and at the same time, we pull the navel in towards the spine. Our effort should be on forcefully exhaling not inhaling. Keep your spine erect and eyes closed. It is one of the best asanas to reduce belly fat and my favorite among Ramdev Baba yoga asanas for weight loss.

Process:

1. Take a normal breath in.
2. As you breathe out, pull the navel in.
3. Do 20 to 30 counts for 3 rounds with a 40 seconds gap in between.

Benefits of Kapalbhati :

• Improved digestion and circulation in belly/stomach region that helps in reducing the excess abdominal fat.
• It slows the free radical/ aging effect and rejuvenates tired cells.

 

2. Chaturanga Dandasana:

It is also known as the plank posture. In this asana, entire upper body weight is on arms. It is a nice strength training for your belly and arm muscles (1).

Let’s see how to do it.

Process :

1. Lie down on your stomach.
2. As you breathe in, slowly lift your body. Only Palms and toes should be touching the ground.
3. As shown in the picture below, keep your body in one straight line.
4. Notice the sensations in your stomach and lower back region.
5. Stay in this asana for some time (at least 15 long breaths).
6. Slowly go down on your elbows and again stay there for 15 to 20 breaths, make sure that your body in a straight line i.e. it doesn’t go up or down.
7. Slowly breathe out and come back to the relaxing posture.

3. Pada Sanchalasana:

There are three variations in Pada Sanchalasana.It helps you to reduce belly fat from the lower abdominal region. It strengthens and tones your lower abdomen, thighs and leg muscles. This asana prepares the body for inversions and arm balances. It is one of the very helpful yoga poses for weight loss. It helps in regulating gastric movements and in turn one of the best yoga asanas for glowing skin.

Process (First Variation) :

1. Lie down on your back
2. Breathe in and bring both the knees near the stomach
3. Start cycling with your feet as shown in the picture.
4. Start with making small circles.
5. Slowly make the circles bigger, do 20 to 25 rounds each.
6. Keep your attention on the abdomen.
7. Reverse the direction of cycling.
8. Breathe out and relax for 30 secs.

 

4. Pada Sanchalasana(Second Variation) :

Process:

This is the Second variation of pada sanchalasana.

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Breathe in and take the right leg up.
3. Pull the toes towards your body.
4. Stay there for 5 breaths then put the leg down.
5. Again take the right leg up and start making big circles.
6. Make 5 to 10 circles clockwise and anticlockwise.
7. Keep the other leg straight on the ground.
8. Repeat the same for the left leg.

5. Pada Sanchalasana (Third Variation):

Process :

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Put your palms under your buttocks
3. Breathe in and pull both the legs up.
4. Stay there for 5 to 10 secs.
5. Breathe out and slowly bring both the legs down.
6. Once again breathe in and lift both the legs up.
7. Start making big circles if you feel strong.
8. Repeat this asana 5 times.

6. Uttana Padasana:

Uttana Padasana is moderately difficult but one of the best yoga asanas for reducing belly fat. It gives stretch to both upper and lower stomach resulting in a toned belly.

Process :

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Put your palms under your buttocks
3. Breathe in and pull both the legs up.
4. Pull the toes in and as you breathe out, stretch up.
5. Lift your upper body up and see if you can reach your toes.
6. Try to go closer to your toes as much as you can.
7. Take 10 to 20 breaths in this pose.
8. Breath out slowly and relax your legs.

Benefits of Uttana Padasana :

• It cures stomach disorders like acidity, indigestion and constipation, gas problems.
• Strengthens the back, hip and thigh muscles.
• It is helpful in curing arthritis, waist and back pain.

7. Naukasana:

It is also called Boat posture because in this yoga pose you need to align your body in the shape of a boat. It is one of the simple and most followed Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss.

Process :

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Take both your hands over your head.
3. Breathe in and raise your body up.
4. Take your hands towards feet. Make sure your hands and legs are in parallel position.
5. Stay there for 10 to 15 long breaths.
6. Keep your back straight.
7. Your eyes should be in straight line with your feet.
8. Repeat this asana 3 times.

Benefits of Naukasana :

• Improves digestion.
• Strengthens abdominal muscles.
• Good for maintaining blood sugar levels.
• Improves the blood circulation.

8. Marjariasana:

This is known as cat pose.It is one of the easiest asanas with many health benefits.It relaxes your back muscles and reduces back pain. Marjariasana is one of the best yoga asanas for back pain.

Process :

1. Place both the palms and knees on the ground just as a cat.
2. Breathe in, pull your stomach region down, hips and chin up.
3. Take 2 to 3 long breaths in this position.
4. As you breathe out pull your stomach or abdomen in, hips in and chin down.
5. Repeat this 3 times with 10 to 20 seconds gap in between.

Benefits of Marjariasana :

• Provides flexibility to the spine.
• Reduces back pain.
• It helps in toning the abdomen region.
• Good for regulating the menstrual cycle.

9. Dhanurasana:

It is a superb asana to get a flat tummy. This asana reduces stress and fatigue. It relieves constipation and bloating which improves metabolic rate. Dhanurasana is one of the best exercises to reduce belly fat.

Process :

1. Lie down on your stomach, place both your hands forward.
2. As you breathe in bend your legs through knees, take your hands back and hold your ankle.
3. Stay still in the position and take 5 to 10 breaths
4. As you breathe out to relax.
5. Repeat this asana for 3 times with 10 to 20 seconds gap in between.

Benefits of Dhanurasana :

• Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.
• Stimulates the reproductive organs.
• Relieves menstrual discomfort.
• Helps people with kidney disorders.

10. Bhujangasana:

In Sanskrit, bhujanga means snake and asana mean pose. So this asana can be called as snake pose. It gives a nice stretch to your entire abdomen and lower back. It is one of the best Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss (2). It also involves eye movement , this is one of the best yoga asanas for eyes.

Process :

1. Lie down on your stomach
2. Put both your hands besides shoulders.
3. As you breathe in lift your body from the stomach and look up.
4. Legs should be on the ground.
5. Make sure that your shoulders are away from your ears.You can bend your hands.
6. Stay in this position for 5 long breaths.
7. As you breathe out just relax.

Benefits of Bhujangasana :

• Stretches and strengthens muscles in the shoulders, chest, and abdomen.
• Decreases stiffness in lower back.
• Increases flexibility.
• Improves menstrual irregularities.
• Elevates mood.

11. Suryanamaskar:

Suryanamaskar is a set of 12 asanas in an order. It is excellent for reducing belly fat and it has many more benefits. One set of Suryanamaskar has 2 rounds. Start with right leg forward followed by the left leg. Do 6 sets of Surya Namaskar in medium to slow speed. Make sure each asana in Suryanamaskar is done perfectly. Below are the 12 asanas of Suryanamaskar. Be still in each asana as long as you can and observe the sensation in the body and mind. This is mostly practiced Yoga for Weight Loss all over the globe. You can read my post on How to do Suryanamaskar if you don’t know about the poses.

Pranamasana:

This is the prayer pose. Stand straight keeping both feet together. Balance your weight on both feet equally. As you breathe in lift both your hands up and as you breathe out, join them in prayer position close to your chest. Relax your shoulders at the same time.

Hastauttanasana:

Breath in, pull both your hands up and bend backward from waist. Both the feet should be touching the ground. In this asana, the face should be upwards. Stay in this asana for at-least 5 to 10 seconds.

Hasta-Padasana:

Breathe out and bend forward from the waist. Try to touch both the palms to the ground beside the feet. Stay there for 5 seconds.

Ashva-Sanchalanasana:

Breathe in and push right toe back, place your palms on the ground and put your left knee in between both the palms. The right knee should be touching the ground.

Dandasana (The stick pose):

As you breathe in, take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a straight line.

Ashtanga Namaskara: Gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take hips slightly back, slide forward and place chin and chest on the ground. Hips should be above the ground and palms should be beside shoulders.

Bhujangasana:

As you breathe in lift your body from the stomach and look upwards. Make sure that your shoulders are away from your ears.You can bend your hands but shoulders should be away from ears.

Adho Mukho Svanasana:

Breathing out, lift the hips and the tailbone up, chest downwards in an inverted V posture.Try to keep the heels on the ground.

Ashva-Sanchalanasana:

Now breathe in and push left knee back place your palms on the ground and put your right knee in between both the palms. Left knee should be touching the ground.

Hasta-Padasana:

Breathe out and bend forward from the waist.Try to touch both the palms to the ground beside the feet.

Hastauttanasana:

Breathe in and pull both your hands up and bend back. Both the feet should be touching the ground. In this asana, the face should be upwards.

Tadasana:

As you exhale, first straighten the body, then bring the arms down. Relax and observe the sensation in the body.

Benefits of Suryanamaskar :

• Excellent for losing overall weight.
• Promotes balance in the body.
• Improves blood circulation
• Increases flexibility
• Relieves stress and aging effect
• Sharpens awareness

12. Pavanmuktasana:

There are two variations of pavanmuktasana. They are Ardha-pavanmuktasana and purna pavanmuktasana.

Ardha- pavanmuktasana :

Process :

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Take a deep breathe in and bring your right knee towards your stomach
3. Breathe out and bend towards the right knee.
4. Try to touch your nose to your knee.
5. Take 10 to 15 breaths and then relax.
6. Repeat the same with the other leg.

Purna-pavanmuktasana:

In this variation both the knees are brought closer to stomach together. Your back is pressed against the ground which gives relief from back pain.

Process :

1. Breath in and as you breathe out pull your knees towards the stomach.
2. Hold the legs with your hands
3. Stay there for some time.
4. You can massage your back by rolling forward, backward and sideways.

Benefits of Pavanmuktasana:

• The pressure on the abdomen releases any trapped gases in the large intestine and improves blood circulation.

Category 2: Yoga Poses to Reduce Thigh Fat

1.Baddha Konasana:

It is also known as cobbler pose. It is simple to follow and stretches as well as tones your thigh muscles.

Process :

Sit in sukhasana

1. Join your both toes and hold it with your palms.
2. Start moving your knees in to and fro direction like a butterfly.
3. Do it for 5 minutes.

Benefits :

• This asana provides a good workout to your inner and outer thighs.
• Also, it relaxes your lower body muscles.

Caution: Refrain from doing it during menstruation and in case of knee pain.

2. Malasana:

It is also known as Garland Pose. This asana is same as Indian pooping posture. It is one of the most simplest Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss. Malasana is also one of the best yoga asanas for piles.

Benefits :

• This posture counters the effects of sedentary lifestyle and accumulation of fat in the lower part of the body.
• It causes stretching in thighs, groin, and hip muscles.
• Improves flexibility.
• Also, it helps in toning of the inner/outer thigh region.

Caution: Do not try this asana if you have knee or hip pain.

3. Anjaneyasana:

It is also known as the crescent pose.

Process :

1. Put right leg on the ground.
2. Place left leg back with knee and toe touching ground.
3. Now breathe in, join your hands and look towards the sky or ceiling.

Benefits :

• This pose stretches thighs, legs and tones muscles from hip to toe.
• It also gives a good stretch to your upper body.

4. Ardha-Bhekasana:

It is also known as half frog pose.It is one of the toughest yoga asanas but very helpful to reduce the thigh fat.

Process :

1. Lie down on your stomach and lift your upper body.
2. Bend your left leg from knee and hold it with your left hand.
3. Use your right hand to support in lifting your upper body.

Benefits :

• It stimulates blood circulation.
• It energizes the body.

5. Vrikshasana

Vrikshasana is a simple yoga pose and is part of yoga poses for beginners.

Process:

1. Stand straight and relax.
2. Bring your both legs together. Fold your hands in a namaskar pose as shown in the image.
3. Lift your right leg up and place it on your left leg as shown in the image below.
4. Hold this position for 10-15 sec.
5. Repeat with the other leg.

6. Virabhadrasana

Virabhadrasana is also known as warrior pose. It is good for your thigh muscles as it brings strength to it.

Process:

1. Stand straight with both your leg together.
2. Extend your legs to create 3-4 feet gap as per your comfort.
3. Stretch your hands sideways in parallel position.
4. Bend your left leg to create some stretch in your thigh region as shown in the image below.
5. Hold this position for 10-15 sec.
6. Return to the starting position slowly and try with the other leg.

Category 3: Yoga Poses to Reduce Arm Fat

Asanas that helps in toning arm fat :

1.Adho Mukha Svanasana

2.Suryanamaskar

3.Chaturanga Dandasana

4.Ardha Pincha Mayurasana

First three are explained above in belly fat reduction section. Please refer to it.

 

5. Ardha Pincha Mayurasana:

It is somewhat same as Adho Mukha svanasana in Suryanamaskar but the difference is that elbows and palms are touching the ground.It is also known as dolphin pose.Here arms balance the whole upper body giving a good stretch to it.

Benefits:

• Arms become stronger and its ability to bear load increases.

 

6. Vasisthasana

Vasisthasana is a good yoga asana to reduce arm fat, thigh fat etc. If you practice this asana for 1 month you would get a good body balance and your excess fat would be lost.

Process:

1. Lie down on your stomach in the first step.
2. Now with the help of your hands and legs come in the similar pose shown above in ardh pich mayurasana but make sure your palms are on the ground.
3. Bring your both legs together and bring your hip in a straight line like a plank pose.
4. Shift your weight on the left arm and turn your body to be in one line as shown in the below image.
5. Stretch your right leg up to complete the vasisthasana mudra. Hold this position for 10-15 sec.
6. Bring your right hand down and straighten your body to get back in plank pose
7. Go back to the starting position and lie down on your stomach. Repeat with the other hand.

You can check out this informative video from Shilpa Shetty on Yoga Poses

 

Category 4: Yoga poses to Reduce Hip Fat

Yoga is beneficial to reduce hip fat. It involves stretching of muscles resulting in toned hip muscles. You can also try at home exercises for hips.

1. Utkatasana:

It can also be called as chair pose. Sit in a chair posture. Your entire body weight is on your thighs and hips which gives them a good workout.

Process :

1. Stand straight on your feet.
2. Balance your weight equally on both feet.
3. Keep your hands forward.
4. Slowly start bending your knees.
5. Bend them till you reach in the chair like posture.
6. Keep taking long and deep breaths in and out.

Benefits:

• This asana strengthens your thigh and hip muscles.

2. Natarajasana :

Process :

1. Stand straight and keep arms by your sides.
2. Take a deep breath in and bend your right leg backward
3. Try to hold right ankle with the right hand as shown in fig.
4. Do as much as you can.
5. Extend your left arm straight out in front.
6. Try to hold this posture for 20 – 30 seconds and keep breathing.
7. Relax whenever you feel uncomfortable.
8. Repeat this with another leg.

3. Janu Sirsasana:

Process :

1. Sit on the floor with your back straight.
2. Stretch your left leg from the hip joint.
3. Bend your right knee, and place the bottom of the right toe against the inner part of your left thigh.
4. Make sure that the right leg and knee are comfortably on the floor.
5. Take support from your hands as they rest beside the hips.
6. Inhale and extend your belly and torso right up to the top of your head.
7. Exhale, and stay there.
8. Then inhale and stretch your arms up such that it creates more length in your spine.
9. Again exhale and bend forward from the base of the hip as if you are coming forward from the groin to the front of the sitting bones.
10. Reach for your ankles or toes, if you can, with your hands, or stretch till you are comfortable.
11. Repeat the asana with another leg.

4. Prasarita Padottanasana

Prasarita Padottanasana is a good yoga asana for your thighs and back. It also helps in improving the stretching ability of your body.

Process:

1. Stand straight and take a long breath in and out.
2. Create a distance of 3-4 feet between both your legs. This distance depends on your hight. So for you whatever is the comfortable distance you maintain the same. Make sure your feet are parallel to each other.
3. Stretch your arms up in the same way you do for practicing tadasana.
4. Lean forward from your hip joints till the time your torso is parallel to ground. Maintain this position for 3-4 sec and then keep going down to touch the floor.
5. Place both your palms on the ground as shown in the image below with your head touching the ground. Maintain this posture for 10-15 sec.
6. Come back slowly to the horizontal torso position as guided in step 4.
7. Slowly raise your torso to get back in the tadasana pose, and ultimately come back to normal standing pose.

5. Sarvangasana

The name of this asana came from the fact that this asana is helpful for sarv-anga that is all body parts. It is one of the best yoga asanas for thyroid.

Process:

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Keep both your legs in a straight line and near to each other.
3. Lift both your legs through the hip joint. Try to push your body up.
4. Support your back with your hands as shown in the image.
5. Hold this position for 10-15 sec.
6. Come back to the original position slowly in reverse order as stated above.

Frequently Asked Questions on Yoga :

Q: Which type of yoga is best for weight loss?

Answer: There are basically 9 types of yoga they are :

• Hatha Yoga
• Vinyasa Yoga
• Iyengar Yoga
• Ashtanga Yoga
• Hot Yoga
• Bikram Yoga
• Kundalini Yoga
• Yin Yoga
• Restorative Yoga

Among these Hatha Yoga and Iyengar Yoga are the forms which are slow and step by step guide for beginners. They will teach you to do a posture and maintain for some time. It will increase strength and flexibility both.

Q: What is power yoga for weight loss?

Answer: It is fitness based vinyasa yoga practice. It links movement and breath together in a dance-like way. You won’t maintain each pose for a long time, just a quick set of asanas along with the beat matching music. Teachers design their own sequence of asanas here.

Q.Can yoga get rid of belly fat? / Can you lose belly fat by doing yoga?

Answer: Of course you can follow these simple yoga exercises for weight loss and get rid of unwanted belly fat.

Q: How to do Yoga for weight loss for beginners?

Answer: Many of my readers ask about Yoga for weight loss for beginners. There are no special Yoga poses for weight loss for beginners. The list I have given above can be practiced by all beginners, you can skip any pose which you find difficult and once you find comfortable doing it start practicing those yoga poses.

Q: What are different parts of Yoga?

Answer: As per sage Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga, there are 8 parts in yoga.

• Yama
• Niyama
• Asana
• Pranayama
• Pratyahara
• Dharana
• Dhyana
• Samadhi

The first part is Yama which means being ethical and righteous. There are 5 yamas which we need to follow they are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha. It means one must follow Non-Violence, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Right use of energy and non-greed or non-hoarding at the first point. The second part is Niyama which means discipline towards one’s positive duties. You can say it is self-discipline and regularity in doing duties. There are five niyamas which need to be followed to get complete benefits of yoga they are Saucha, Santosh, Tapas, Svadhyaya, Ishvara-Pranidhana. It means Cleanliness, Contentment, Discipline or burning unnecessary desires which obstructs your way in achieving your goal, Self-assessment, and surrender to the higher power.

The third part of yoga is asana which means posture. In Sanskrit, a perfect posture can be said as “sthira sukham asanam” which means steady comfortable posture and it needs practice. The fourth part of yoga is Pranayama which focuses on breathing and breathing patterns. Pratyahara means sense withdrawal.We have 5 senses and pratyahara teaches us to win over these senses. It means one should not get distracted from the path for sensory pleasures of beauty, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. Dharana means focused concentration.You can say that when you are completely into something and there is no distraction. Then comes dhyana which means meditation or meditative state. You are neither completely awakened nor in sleep, this is a state of relaxed alertness. You are just happy with whatever it is. And the last and most important part in yoga is Samadhi. It is a state of bliss or enlightenment. In this state, a person is happy irrespective of any situation in life. This state is attained through previous 7 stages in yoga.

 

As discussed earlier we have seen how good is yoga for your complete well-being. Follow these Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss and do share your feedback with me.