When the festive season hits, it's difficult to say no to all that glorious food and drinks, and we understand. Taking a cheat day, or five cheat days, is completely understandable. It brings with it the joy of indulgence when it comes to sweets, some of the tastiest munchies, and more. But once the festivities end, it might get a little difficult to switch back into the healthy zone. That’s exactly why we’re here! To tell you it might not be as painstakingly difficult as you may believe it to be.
Here’s how you can shed the holiday weight with these five yoga poses.
- The Boat Pose or Navasana
The Boat Pose is essentially meant to exercise your whole body so that your core is engaged and your muscles are enhanced. This strengthens your muscles and promotes metabolism, which helps burn more calories, and hence promotes weight loss.
- Sit up straight and extend your legs on the yoga mat
- Bend your knees
- Lift your feet above the floor so that your shin is parallel to the floor. If you want to make it more challenging, you can extend your legs
- Extend your hands parallel to the floor
- Hold this pose for 30 seconds with focus on the core muscles and release
- Repeat it five times
- The Upward Plank or Purvottanasana
This might take you a while to master but it's completely worth the effort. It engages your core, helping you burn more calories. If you’re wishing for rock hard abs or if you’re aiming to lose some of your belly fat, the upward plank is your trump card pose because it directly works your belly.
- Sit on the yoga mat, stretch your legs and keep your back straight
- Keep your hands behind your hips
- Point your fingers towards your feet
- With your feet straight and pointed, rise slowly, moving your navel towards the ceiling
- Try pulling your head back when you rise
- Lunges or Anjaneyasana
Another way to burn your belly fat is to put lunges on your list of poses. Lunges or Anjaneyasana is meant to engage and stretch your hips. This helps increase your flexibility and is also quite comfortable to pick up as part of your yoga routine.
- Stand straight on your mat and keep your hands down to your side
- Bend a knee forward and try to get it as close to 90-degrees as possible
- If you want a deep stretch, raise your arms and tilt them backwards
- Side Plank or Vasisthasana
Every variation of a plank is great for weight loss. We’re sure you know why. Planks are a brilliant way of engaging your core and tightening your muscles, which in turn helps you burn quite a few calories.
- Begin with your palms facing down on the yoga mat, aligned with your shoulders, and keep your toes together
- Turn towards the right side and tilt your feet so they are stacked on top of each other
- Slowly remove one hand from the mat
- Shift your weight onto your hand that is now touching the mat and lift your free hand straight up ahead of you towards the ceiling
- Your hips and shoulders should be directly in line with each other. Do not lean forward or backwards
- Chair Pose or Utkatasana
The chair pose is the yoga version of a squat. It's one of the best ways to engage your quadriceps, helping you burn extra fat in your thigh muscles.
- Lower into a squatting position as you keep your feet together and arms straight above you
- Make sure you can see your feet in front of you
- Try to tuck back your hips
- Your thighs must be parallel to the floor as much as possible
- Avoid arching your back too much
While these are super effective poses for you, remember that they only work when you maintain consistency in your routine. These'll not show you changes in your body overnight. In all honesty, no amount of exercise will, but over the long run, these poses will not only burn fat but also help you develop strength and flexibility in your muscles. Believe in the process, give your body time, and be consistent.
Would you like professional help with yoga? Not sure how, or where, to start? Book a FREE consultation today and we'll help you with all your yoga-related queries.
Ohmayoga, a registered Yoga Alliance school and certification provider, is an online yoga academy whose aim is to educate and relay valuable information on yoga and wellness. With certified gurus from Rishikesh, India, we provide guidance to students on how to expand their knowledge and advance in their practice. We also offer different yoga teacher training courses.
