Move It To Lose It! – Part 1

Naturally, when carrying extra weight you gravitate to being more sedentary because any moving about feels too much like hard work. You get out of breath too easily, you get hot and sweaty and your joints and muscles ache all the time.

The problem with not moving about enough is that the longer you leave it, the harder it gets. Think of your body as a machine. If it’s stationary for too long it will seize up. You will have to oil it to make it work. That’s what happens with your joints and muscles. When we’re moving our blood has good circulation and lubrication is produced for our joints. Our lungs can expand fully and our muscles get to stretch. Stop moving for the long term and every time you try and exercise it will take a while for your body to work in harmony with itself again.

So what can you do?

Well, here at New You, we’re putting a new focus on getting moving, because quite frankly, if you don’t move it, you will lose it, and we don’t want that for you! As part of that focus, we are creating three special blogs to highlight how you can move it to lose it and this week we’re starting off gently with Yoga!

So, Yoga?

You may not realise it but there are many types of Yoga, each of which has different benefits. But what you probably have heard is that Yoga is a fantastic exercise to take on if you want to both lose weight and maintain it.

The great thing about Yoga is that anyone of any fitness level can do it, and if you’re not a fan of getting sweaty (who is?) even the slower types of Yoga have been shown to help with weight loss. 

It may seem odd to think that you can burn fat without breaking a sweat because we’re always told that to get in that magic fat-burning zone our heart rate needs to be up! However gentle Yoga doesn’t work in the traditional burn more calories than you eat method. 

Scientists don’t exactly know how gentler Yoga works for weight loss but they have a pretty good idea. 

They believe it’s down to the changes in the body that lead to changes in the mind (youu whoo, Pascale!) which then strengthens changes in both body and mind.

Scientists also believe that due to Yoga’s stress-busting abilities, people who take Yoga regularly feel less compelled to stress eat or make unhealthy food decisions. 

Even more interestingly (to us anyway!) the stress hormone cortisol favours depositing fat around your stomach (thanks!). But because Yoga has been proven to lower cortisol levels it no doubt makes it easier to burn off that stubborn fat.

All this is great news for your transformation!

So what types of Yoga are there and which should you choose?

We could list them all, but we don’t want to bog you down with too many choices. Here are the ones we feel you need to know about:

• Hatha Yoga
• Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga
• Ashtanga Yoga
• Bikram Yoga of Hot Yoga
• Lyengar Yoga

Below, we’ve collected some information for you to help you decide which one might be beneficial throughout your transformation journey and beyond.

Hatha Yoga 

The Low Down:

Hatha Yoga classes are slower paced so are great for beginners. Classes have a strong focus on stretching, long-hold poses and concentrate on breathing for a bit more fine-tuning. 

It’s one of the most effective ways to build deep core muscles in the body which help to make you more mobile and prevent you from getting tired too quickly or breathless. And as we all know, muscle burns fat quicker than anything.

Hatha Yoga doesn’t just help with the body but it also helps to focus the mind.

Key Benefits:

• Builds flexibility and mobility
• Builds strength and core stability
• Helps to maintain healthy joints
• Stimulates the immune system
• Improves sleep quality
• Helps develop discipline and self-control
• Decreases anxiety and stress

Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga

The Low Down:

Vinyasa Yoga is known as the most athletic Yoga style. In that respect, it’s fantastic for weight loss. Classes usually last around 90 minutes, get the heart rate pumping and make you break out in a sweat!

Unless you’re used to intense fitness, this might not be for you, but it’s definitely something you could work up to. 

A 90-minute session could burn at least 550 calories.

Key Benefits:

• Strengthens the immune system
• Increases flexibility of the body
• Acts as a stress reliever 
• Builds body strength
• Improves sleep quality
• Helps develop discipline and self-control
• Burns fat

Ashtanga Yoga

The Low Down:

This vigorous style of Yoga is the smart choice if you want to lose weight and it will definitely get your heart racing!. 

Classes usually last around 90 minutes and if you couldn’t touch your toes before, after a month of stretches and poses you definitely will.

Key Benefits:

• Improves flexibility
• Increases strength
• Increases muscle tone
• Improves cardiovascular fitness
• Reduces body fat
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Increases focus and creativity
• Lowers blood pressure

Bikram or Hot Yoga

The Low Down:

Traditionally classes take place in a room set to 105 degrees and 40% humidity. The combination of difficult positions and heat get your heart pumping and that fat melting away.

The warmer temperature makes it easier to stretch and increases your range of motion so pushes your body further. 

Key Benefits: 

• Relieves stress.
• Increases your lung capacity.
• Detoxifies your body
• Increases flexibility
• It’s low impact
• Improves muscles strength
• It’s a cardio workout
• Burns fat

Lyengar Yoga 

The Low Down:

This slow-paced class focuses on alignment and precise movements. Poses are usually held for a minute at a time and props are available for both beginners or more advanced. The use of props enables those with injuries or those who are less flexible to still take part in this restorative exercise. 

If you’re just starting out, this will be perfect for you to build up your muscle strength and lose a little weight

Key Benefits:

• Increases Flexibility
• Tones muscles
• Helps calm the mind
• Offer pain relief
• Improves posture
• Boosts immune system
• Improves breathing

All in all, Yoga may be an effective tool for not only losing weight but to improving how your body and mind works. Which one you choose is up to you and depends on your current fitness level. In conclusion, we recommend that you give Yoga a try.

Yoga classes are dotted all over the UK and a quick Google will help you find a suitable one near you. If you prefer to exercise at home there are many courses available online and even free ones on Youtube.

Get moving and give it a go and let us know how you got on.