Yoga for weight loss – all you need to know

Doing Yoga for weight loss? That’s hardly the first thought people have when they want to lose some weight.

When you keep seeing Instagram models doing breathtaking Yoga poses in their perfect outfits it can seem like Yoga is only for people who are already fit. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Yoga is the perfect entryway to fitness for anyone.

Compared to other, high-impact workout styles, Yoga is easy on the joints and gradually strengthens the whole body. This makes it perfect for any weight loss journey.

No need to worry about which muscles get trained which day. With Yoga, you’re hitting all the muscles, all the time!

In this article:

Online Yoga for Weight Loss

Can you lose weight by doing Yoga?

Many people think of grueling weight-lifting sessions in a dark gym when they imagine a fitness regimen to lose weight.

This can make you wonder if Yoga is any good for weight loss. After all, you only work with your own body weight here. And hardly ever do you see videos of Yogis grunting from effort.

But make no mistake, Yoga can be very demanding for both your muscles and your cardiovascular system! Both of which you want to stress when you’re looking to drop some weight.

So can you lose weight doing yoga?

Yes, cou can achieve weight loss through yoga! All it takes is the right type of Yoga and a commitment to putting in the work!

Related: How to modify yoga poses for bigger bodies

Image of a women holding a water bottle and a yoga mat

Which type of Yoga is best for weight loss?

At this point, you probably already guessed it: not all types of Yoga are the same when it comes to losing weight.

Yin yoga, for example, will not burn many calories at all. Here, the focus is on holding poses for a long time to increase flexibility.

Related: Yoga for the inflexible: 5 poses anyone can do

So what type of yoga is best for weight loss?

If you are looking for a Yoga style that’s good for weight loss, you want to consider a physically more demanding practice.

So what are the types of yoga for weight loss?

All the “flow” styles like Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga are the most effective kind of yoga for weight loss. They will definitely help you build muscle and burn that extra fat. Just make sure that your heart rate is actually up!

Once you managed to stick to these practices for a while, losing weight with yoga will become reality for you!

Related: Which type of Yoga is best for you?
Related: How to find the best Yoga mat​

How long does it take to lose weight with Yoga?

So how long does it take to lose weight doing yoga?

As with any exercise regimen for weight loss, you need to stick with your Yoga practice for a while to actually see results.

How quick it’s going to happen depends on a few factors:

  1. How often do you practice Yoga with an elevated heart rate and for how long? (Aim for at least 3 times a week, ideally 5 times.)
  2. Do you support losing weight through Yoga with an improved diet? Yoga will help you burn more calories than before. But you can quickly sabotage that progress by also eating more calories than before. (Exercises makes hungry, after all.) Make sure that you use up more calories than you eat and the pounds will drop!

Watch out for these things and you’ll start seeing progress pretty soon!

Yoga for weight loss: poses

When it comes to Yoga poses people often ask which ones are most effective for weight loss.

Well, there are two different ways in which you can achieve weight loss with Yoga.

Yoga poses to strengthen your muscles

One way in which Yoga can help you lose weight is by building and strengthening muscles. After all, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn even when sitting!

While there are many, many great Yoga poses, I’ll show you a few that will definitely give you a burn!

1. Chaturanga Dandasana or Staff Pose

Image of a woman doing Chaturanga Dandasana, the Yoga variation of a pushup

Chaturanga is the Yoga version of a pushup. And we all know how amazing pushups are for building strength in our whole body!

Make sure to keep your elbows alongside your body and to keep your body straight as a stick. This engages all of your muscles in the core and even your legs.

This pose is part of pretty much every Yoga flow you’ll find, so don’t worry, you’ll get to practice plenty of these!

2. Navasana or Boat pose

Image of a woman practising boat pose, a yoga pose to strengthen the core

Oh, how much good pain this pose has given me already! Boat pose reeeeeaally hits the abs and your hip flexors.

If you want to build a strong core, practice this one daily. Just make sure that you don’t put all the stress in your lower back. That can easily happen if your core isn’t strong enough for the full pose yet.

Luckily, there are a few easier variations. Practice those first until you feel strong enough to tackle the “full boat”.

Related: Yoga for strength: these 5 poses make you strong!

3. Upward facing dog pose

Image of a woman doing upward facing dog pose

Upward facing dog is another classic in any flow-style Yoga. While it maybe doesn’t look that challenging, it works a lot of muscles!

If done correctly, this pose works your arms, legs, and lower belly muscles. Keep your legs strong and lifted away from the floor while pressing firmly into your hands.

Watch out for any signs of painful compression in your lower back, that’s not what we want! If you notice that, lengthen a little more to take the pressure off. When in doubt, come out of the pose completely.

5. Downward facing dog pose

Image of a woman doing downward facing dog pose, a yoga pose that can help with weight loss

Downward facing dog pose is probably one of the best known Yoga poses. And no, your toes don’t need to touch the floor!

For the untrained eye, this pose might look quite straightforward. But, as usual, the devil’s in the details.

Firstly, you want to make sure that your back is straight, even if that means that your knees are bent or your heels are far off the floor.

Then you firm your upper arms so that it feels like they are slightly turning outward, without actually moving the elbows.

Then you make sure your lower ribs are not sticking out and that your legs muscles are actively pressing back.

Quite a bit of muscle action in this seemingly calm pose, right?

Related: How to modify yoga poses for bigger bodies

Poses for Yoga flows

The other way to lose weight with Yoga is to focus on flowing Yoga styles that get your heart rate up. To be able to do these Yoga flows, you need to know the typical Yoga poses quite well.

You can find a detailed explanation of foundational yoga poses is in this guide!

You’ll recognise some of these poses from the list above. Convenient, huh?

Youtube Yoga for weight loss

A great way to start your “yoga for weight loss routine” is Youtube. You can find countless Yoga sequences for weight loss there and even complete challenges spanning several days.

A good workout for beginners is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em3dqR1IlRw

It takes you through a 30 minute Yoga session without any crazy advanced poses. But, believe me, you’ll definitely break a sweat!

Related: The best channels for beginners Yoga on Youtube
Related: The complete beginner’s guide to Yoga

If you already know a few Yoga poses you can try this 20-minute Vinyasa flow instead:

The instructor explains very well, and the 20 minutes will be over before you know it!

Why I personally would choose Yoga for weight loss

Last but not least, I want to give you a few reasons why I personally would choose Yoga for weight loss instead of other fitness routines.

  1. First of all, losing weight is all about your mindset. And if there’s anything Yoga will definitely do for you, it’s making you more mindful. It will give you a more positive and friendly attitude towards your own body.
  2. Secondly, I find Yoga to be extremely versatile as a workout. Because there are quite a few different Yoga styles and countless poses, you are unlikely to get bored. This is super important for a fitness regimen for weight loss, as you’ll be doing it regularly for quite a while.
  3. By getting into Yoga and becoming more aware of your body, you are very likely to start making little, healthy changes to the rest of your life as well. It’s no accident that longtime Yogis usually eat quite healthy. They simply notice how good it makes them feel and know what their bodies really want.

So now it’s up to you! Pick a video or some poses and start practicing. Your body will love you for it!

Yoga poses to help you lose weight