Does Weight Loss Yoga Really Work for Men?

Yoga has been practiced in India for centuries. In fact, it can be traced back to ancient Indian times potentially as long ago as the 5^th or 6^th century BCE. But while you may have heard of yoga, the common conception is that it is a ‘new age’ or even a religious thing. In fact, it’s an excellent way to improve your agility, keep you young, and it can even be an effective tactic for losing weight.

Yes, weight loss yoga for men is a real thing.

It’s not just possible to lose weight with yoga, as there are an array of other benefits as well.

The Benefits of Yoga

I’ve tried weight loss yoga for men, and I have to admit to being skeptical. But, I didn’t need to do it for long to realize just how many benefits it offers you.

What may surprise you is that there have been thousands of studies regarding the health effects of yoga confirming these benefits:

• It lifts your mood
• Helps you stay in control of anger, violent tendencies, and hostility
• Boosts your ability to deal with emotional and physical challenges
• Increases self-confidence
• Improves brain power & cognitive functions
• Greater attention span
• Better muscle function, performance, and stamina
• Improved bone strength, dexterity, and agility
• Builds better core muscles
• Increases libido and performance
• Fights fatigue and boosts your energy levels
• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps your immune system to work better
• Better cardiovascular function

This isn’t even all the benefits yoga can offer!

Perhaps one of the best things about yoga is that you can practice it at home. You need no special equipment and just enough space for you to adopt the different poses.

You can even share your results with other members of The Fit Father Project and see how quickly it changes you physically and mentally.

Weight Loss Yoga For Men – How It Works

If you’re overweight and desperate to lose those extra pounds, then you’ll be pleased to know that yoga can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be.

Weight loss yoga for men is something you may not currently want to admit to doing. But, once you’ve seen the results, you’ll be happy to shout it from the rooftops.

Yoga doesn’t help you to lose weight in the traditional sense by burning excessive amounts of calories.

Of course, it will burn more calories than just sitting but fewer than if you start running or complete a workout in the gym.

But, yoga does help you to build your muscle strength. This is achieved by adopting poses that push your muscles to their limits.

In the process, you’ll create tiny tears in your muscles. Your body repairs these very quickly, increasing the size of your muscle in the process.

Muscle weighs the same as fat, but it burns 5 times as many calories as fat. As yoga helps to improve your muscle strength, it will increase your calorific burn.

But that’s not all!

Some of the yoga poses are extremely difficult to maintain as they require excellent balance. Getting them right will encourage core muscle growth and the associated additional calorie burn.

The icing on the cake in respect of weight loss yoga for men is the fact that it helps you to de-stress and focus on your goals. This leads to you being more conscious about what you’re eating and less likely to eat comfort food, a common side effect of being stressed.

As you become better at yoga, you can undertake it for between 60 and 90 minutes in one session. Your muscles will be engaged for the entire period, burning more calories and improving your endurance.

Of course, if you choose Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or even Power yoga, you’ll be undertaking the more vigorous forms of yoga which will help you to achieve your weight loss goals.

Yoga Poses to Get You Started

Knowing the benefits of yoga is great, but you need to know some basic poses to get you started!

Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)

This will stretch your belly, chest, and your lungs. It will strengthen your back muscles, calves, ankles, and thighs.

Simply place your feet hip-distance apart and your arms by your side. Then exhale as you move both feet apart by stepping forward with your right foot. You should create a distance of approximately 5 feet between them.

Your left leg should be straight behind you, and your right leg in front bent at the knee. Turn your left foot inwards 45°. Ideally, the arch of your left foot should be in line with the heel of your front one.

Now lift your arms slowly from the sides outwards and up until they are straight above your head.

Tilt your head upwards and hold for one minute before returning to the start and putting the left foot in front.

The Frog Pose (Bhekasana)

This is great for stretching your abdomen and chest. You’ll notice an improvement in posture and strengthening of your core muscles.

Start by lying on the floor face down. Your arms should be flat on the floor and bent at the elbow to lift your head and chest up.

Bring your knees up and out so that they are wider than your shoulder. You need to maintain a straight back.

Now lower your shoulders while looking at a point between your hands. Push your bottom away from you at the same time to lengthen your spine.

Again hold for a minute, relax and repeat.

Boat Pose (Nauka Chalan)

This is great for your abdomen and your hips. It is also reputed to stimulate your kidneys and intestines, lowering stress and improving your digestive system.

Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Keep your back straight as you lean back slightly and slowly lift your feet into the air. Aim to get your shins parallel to the floor.

Now draw in your back and extend your legs, your body should be in a ‘V’ shape. Balancing can be difficult at first but try to hold it for a minute.

Downward Dog to Half Plank

This pose builds your core muscles and boosts shoulder strength at the same time.

Start in the downward dog pose. You may need to practice just this part of the exercise first.

This is simply an upside-down V.

Place your hands flat on the ground and extend your arms. Bend at your waist to create the point of the upside-down V and bring your feet towards your hands. Each foot should be in line with the corresponding hand.

Your feet do not need to be flat on the floor, but your hands must be.

Try to keep your head between your straight arms.

Hold for one minute, then slowly bring your hands back so that the wrists are under your shoulders.

Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, engage your stomach muscles, and lower yourself down into the half plank. Your shoulders should be just in front of your wrists.

Monkey Pose (Market Asana)

This will strengthen your back, hips, core, and your digestive system. It should also help your balance and coordination.

You’ll need to lie down on your back with your arms by your sides, palms open and facing upwards.

Slowly bend your knees until your feet are nearly at your hips.

Now touch your knees together, bend them to one side, and if possible, the lower one should touch the ground. Your neck should be turned in the other direction as much as you can.

Hold for as long as you can, then return to the starting position and do the same for the other side.

A more difficult version of this is to keep your leg straight and do one at a time. You may want to practice the entry-level version first.

Start Weight Loss Yoga Today

In the battle of the bulge, any technique that works is worth doing. Weight loss yoga for men really will help you to lose the excess weight and become the man you want to be. All you need is the right technique and a strategy to overcome any mental block you encounter.

You can start now with the exercises above and join the FF30X to get more tips, advice, and the support of other FF30X members who have been where you are and are fighting to achieve the same goals.

You don’t have to complete your weight loss journey by yourself. The Fit Father Project and all its members are here to help! Sign up today and start your weight loss journey with some weight loss yoga for men.

Your new friend & health coach,

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on weight loss yoga.