13 Easy yoga poses that burn fat fast and slim you down. Yoga for weight loss

Yoga can be enjoyed by people of all ages and levels of experience, and is known for improving your physical, mental and emotional strength – but did you know that yoga can also be an excellent way of burning fat? Despite the relaxed pace of yoga, it can be quite the workout, demanding strength and stamina from those who practice it at even a beginner’s level, and can be a great way to tone up and burn fat without having to hit the gym.

All yoga poses have their own benefits, but here are just a few of the best poses for anyone looking to utilize their yoga time in order to tone up on different areas of their body and burn some calories (and when you should avoid particular poses to avoid injury) – no weights, expensive memberships or sweating necessary. Losing weight has never been so relaxing! 

1. Navasana (The Boat Pose)

This pose is excellent for improving core strength and toning the tummy, but it might take a little practice to get to a point where you are able to hold it for long enough to start feeling the all-important ‘burn’. However, once you have it down, this is a pose you should never leave out of your routine!

The trick with this one is that it puts all the weight and balance on your stomach, so it really is one of the best for building on your abdominal muscles. With enough practice, this will yield great visible results, so it’s most definitely worth adding to your usual yoga routine.

Benefits:

• Tones the stomach
• Improves stamina

Avoid If: You suffer from insomnia, spinal injuries or a hernia.

2. Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)

This pose isn’t about feeling the burn, and more about feeling a deep stretch of your abdominal muscles. This pose is best performed at the beginning of your routine, as it helps to prepare the muscles for more intense poses later on. Just as it’s important to warm up before a cardio workout, it’s equally as important to allow your muscles to adjust to yoga, as it can be surprisingly tough at times.

The Cobra Pose is a great stretch not just for improving flexibility, but improving your mood – it really allows you to open up your chest at the beginning of your session, which is a great feeling.

Best For:

• Warming up the abdominal muscles
• Opening the chest

Avoid If: You are pregnant or have a hernia.

3. Baddha Kanasana (The Cobbler Pose)

This pose is simple, easy and yet very effective. The Cobbler Pose is suitable for anyone with any level of yoga practice – even if it’s the first time you’ve ever tried yoga at all – and is designed to lightly tone both the inner and outer thighs. Once you’ve gotten used to the most basic form of this pose, keeping your knees stationary, then you can also modify it to add a little intensity to the pose.

Just pulse your knees up and down, whilst making sure to keep your feet on the ground – this is why this pose is sometimes referred to as ‘The Butterfly Pose’. Adding these quick and slight movements is a very easy way to boost the toning quality of the pose, and reduce the time it could take to see visible results.

Best For:

• Toning inner and outer thighs
• Opportunity to modify

Avoid If: You have a knee injury of any kind.

4. Rajakapotasana (The Pigeon Pose)

This is another stretch that relies on core strength to keep you balanced. When you are in The Pigeon Pose, your whole body presents at the front, apart from one leg, outstretched at the back. When performed properly, this pose should produce a deep stretch and a ‘burn’ within the abdominal area.

When practicing this pose, be sure to keep your neck and spine in line with each other, otherwise you won’t just miss out on the posture and toning benefits of this pose, but also risk causing lower back pain.

Best for:

• Warming up the muscles
• Toning the abdominal area

Avoid If: You suffer from joint/muscle pain in your groin or hips.

5. Supta Baddha Konasana (The Reclined Bound Angle Pose)

This one looks a lot easier than it is! It’s a relaxing pose, but only once you’ve worked out how to do it properly and effectively. This pose works the inner thighs, as you use these muscles to keep your knees low and your feet pressed together. It’s also a great hip opener.

If you add this to your routine consistently, you should start to see increased definition in your inner thighs and hips, as these are the muscles being stretched and worked the most.

Best for:

• Opening the hips
• Toning the inner thighs

Avoid If: You suffer from lower back pain, or joint/muscle pain in your groin or hips.

6. Malasana (The Garland Pose)

This pose is designed to counteract the effects that sitting down all day has on the lower half of your body, so it’s a must-know for anyone who works in a job where you are sat at a desk throughout the day. It will promote fat burning especially within the legs, but will also tone your abdominal muscles if you manage to keep a strong core for the duration of the pose.

The Garland Pose is one of the most effective for stretching and burning, especially if you pulse up and down a few times when using this pose.

Best for:

• Toning thighs
• Toning calves
• Strengthen abdominal muscles

Avoid If: You suffer from pain in your knees and hips.

7. Ardha Pincha Mayurasana (The Dolphin Pose)

Not dissimilar to a downward dog, this pose effectively tones the arms, with more of a focus on the biceps and triceps. Your arms are the foundation which balances your upper body, while your legs are leaned over so that your butt directly faces the ceiling.

This one is a little tricky at first, but that’s because it works – you may feel your arms and legs shaking on initial attempts, but once you’ve worked to strengthen them, this pose is incredibly beneficial time after time.

Best for:

• Toning upper arms
• Stretching calf muscles

Avoid If: You have experienced an injury in your shoulders or neck.

8. Chaturanga Dandasana (Low Plank Pose)

We all know this one – and there’s a reason why so many workouts now like to finish off with a plank. The Low Plank Pose requires a lot more stamina than many of the other poses on this list, but it’s also one of the most effective. This pose is excellent for toning the upper arms, but it also helps you tighten your core and train your abdominal muscles, as well as helping you strengthen your balance (and therefore get more out of yoga) overall.

This is a real all-rounder, and an essential one to put into practice with every routine.

Best For:

• Toning upper arms
• Strengthening core
• Improving stamina

Avoid If: You have had any kind of shoulder or hip injury.

9. Simhasana (The Lion Pose)

This is a pose which beginners often get introduced to very quickly, as it’s an effective stretch and uses a number of different techniques that are also used in more complicated poses. However, a surprising benefit of this pose is that it actually helps tone the muscles in the face!

When practicing The Lion Pose correctly, your chin should be pushed out with your head tilted back slightly. This creates a stretch in the neck and jaw, which works to tone any sagging skin in this area – goodbye, double chin!

Best For:

• Toning face and neck muscles
• Improving balance

Avoid If: This pose can be done by anyone and is not overly strenuous on any part of the body.

10. Anjaneyasana (The Crescent Pose)

This pose is one which, again, requires some practice to keep your balance – once you can do it effectively, though, this is great exercise for the muscles in the core and thighs.

While this isn’t a move that beginners may be comfortable with, it’s certainly worth familiarizing yourself with, as it targets so many areas of the body at once and is a great way to improve your balance! It’s also one of the best known yoga moves, so it’s an essential one if you plan on tackling more complex poses in future.

Best for:

• Toning thighs
• Stretching abdominal muscles

Avoid If: You have knee injuries or heart problems.

11. Virabhadrasana 2 (The Warrior 2 Pose)

This pose is appropriately named, for the strength you feel both physically and spiritually when you practice it properly. The Warrior 2 Pose focuses on being able to balance yourself, with most of the weight of your body being placed onto your thighs and open hips.

Best For:

• Toning thighs
• Improving balance

Avoid If: You suffer from knee pain, arthritis or high bloody pressure.

12. Matsyasana (The Fish Pose)

This pose uses your arms to support your upper body, though you also have to keep a strong core and straighten your legs against the floor, so it works in small ways to target all of these areas. With the action of tilting your head backwards onto the floor, this also stretches those all-important muscles in the neck and lower jaw.

Best For:

• Strengthening core
• Toning face and neck muscles

Avoid If: You suffer from high blood pressure, a hernia or frequent migraines.

13. Adho Mukha Svanasana (The Downward Dog)

This is a classic and is often used to finish a yoga session, as it helps improve the strength of your posture so that you can do all poses more effectively. While this doesn’t have the same toning powers on your arms as a low plank or dolphin pose, the upper arms are the area most targeted by The Downward Dog. The main benefit to this pose is that it uses all the skills required to do a pose effectively, so with practice you will improve the efficiency of your yoga sessions overall.

Best For:

• Toning arms
• Improving stamina
• Strengthening core
• Stretching calf muscles

Avoid If: You suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.

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