Though yoga is not usually thought of as an aerobic exercise, there are certain yoga variations that are more physical than others and can lead to increased calorie burning. Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Power Yoga are active styles of yoga that help you prevent weight gain and burn the maximum amount of calories. You can find Vinyasa and Power Yoga at what are known as “hot yoga studios,” among others. Both types of yoga keep you moving, which helps you burn calories, increases your heart rate, and strengthens your lung capacity.
Even outside of these highly physical yogas, practicing yoga helps you develop muscle tone, build strength, and improve your balance and your metabolism. For example, Restorative Yoga isn’t one of the more physical yogas, but one study reported that it aided weight loss in overweight women, including the famously stingy belly fat. These findings are particularly promising for those whose body fat makes certain yoga poses difficult to execute.
A 2013 review of studies showed that yoga is helpful for reducing stress, implementing behavioral changes, and achieving and maintaining weight loss. All of these facets of yoga can help you lower your calorie intake and increase your fitness level.
Natural supplements to consider
1. Turmeric
A plant from the ginger family, turmeric is often used in South Asian cuisine, such as curry. It contains curcumin, the key ingredient that can help decrease inflammation. To be effective as either a supplement or food – and not simply metabolized and excreted – turmeric should be absorbed with fatty oils, such as avocado or olive oil, and black pepper, which most supplements contain.
I recommend making turmeric a part of your daily diet for three to six months to gauge any benefits. Turmeric supplements can be expensive, and inflammation can be treated in other ways. So, if your pain hasn’t decreased after this amount of time, we can try something else
