7 Best Yoga Workouts for Weight Loss, Fitness Experts Say
Yoga isn't just for stretching and strengthening. It can burn major calories, too.
When you want to lose weight, increasing your physical activity levels can help you see results—and as long as you do so safely, there's no wrong way to move your body. Yoga is a particularly low-impact exercise that makes a great weight-loss workout for people of all fitness levels.
"Not only does performing poses or asanas have calorie-burning benefits, but they're also perfect for strengthening different areas of the body and stretching the muscles," says James Brady, a Level Three Yoga Teacher for the UK-based company OriGym.
Harvard Health Publishing adds that there are also indirect benefits of yoga that can help you shed unwanted pounds. "There's good research that yoga may help you manage stress, improve your mood, curb emotional eating, and create a community of support, all of which can help with weight loss and maintenance," they explain. "Yoga may reduce joint pain, which in turn allows you to exercise more and increase your daily activities. These are only some of the many benefits of yoga."
If you're just starting to explore yoga for weight loss, you may be wondering where to begin and which poses to try. Experts say that by learning a few simple moves and putting them together into a vinyasa—a sequence that flows from one pose to the next—you can begin to make serious strides in your fitness journey. Read on to learn the top seven yoga poses for weight loss, according to fitness experts.
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1
Boat Pose (Navasana)
If your goal is to create a yoga routine that results in weight loss, Echo Wang, founder and CEO of Yoga Kawa, says that aiming for three to six sessions per week should ensure that you see results. She recommends beginning with learning Boat Pose, which she says challenges your core and strengthens your abs—both of which will increase your overall calorie burn.
To try it, "sit on the floor, legs extended, then lean back slightly and lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your glutes," she suggests. "Stretch your arms out in front, parallel to the floor. Hold it for 30 seconds to a minute, breathing deeply, and keeping your back straight."
2
Plank Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Doing daily planks will also help you build strength and physical endurance, leading to more efficient calorie burn. "This is a simple yet very effective yoga pose, used to strengthen the core and abdominal muscles," says Wang.
To try it, begin by balancing on your toes and forearms, keeping your legs, core, and back straight, "Your arms should be directly under your shoulders, with your head looking down. Depending on how much support you need, you can either keep your arms straight or bend them at the elbows," Wang advises.
Though Wang says you can get started by holding the pose for as little as 10 seconds, Brady recommends aiming for at least 30 seconds to a minute, focusing on good form and deep breaths.
"You can also do a forearm plank on your forearms for a beginner option. Both variations tighten your core and major muscle groups, which contributes to burning more calories," he tells Best Life. Or, you can do either variation with your knees down when you're just starting.
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3
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Bow Pose is a beginner yoga move that enhances strength and balance—and the experts agree that it can be an effective part of a weight-loss-oriented yoga workout.
"Lie on your stomach, knees bent, and reach back to grab your ankles. Lift your chest and thighs off the ground while kicking your legs back and up. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, breathing deeply. You'll feel the stretch and engagement in your arms, legs, and back, promoting overall toning," says Wang.
4
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Wang next recommends Bridge Pose, a simple yet effective move for building strength, stretching your muscles, and burning calories.
"This one hits your thighs, glutes, and core," says Wang. "Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Lift your hips off the ground, keeping your thighs parallel. Squeeze your glutes and core, and interlace your fingers under your hips for support. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute."
"Bridge Pose strengthens your core and lower body, which helps burn more calories," Wang adds.
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5
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)
Sun Salutations are a common vinyasa that many yoga instructors use as a warm-up at the beginning of a yoga class. They include a range of moves in seamless succession, meaning you'll need to master and memorize them to complete the sequence. These include:
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
- Raised Arms Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)
- Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
- Flat Back (Ardha Uttanasana)
- Plank Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Cobra Pose (Bhudjangasana) or Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
- Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
The constant motion required for sun salutations is ideal for weight loss, the experts say, and it also incorporates a cardio element.
6
Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Squats are a great exercise for building strength in the core and lower body—and Chair Pose, or utkatasana—is yoga's version of the move.
To try it, you can begin by starting in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart and your arms in the air. Inhale your breath, and as you exhale, bend your knees and lower your hips as though you're getting into a sitting position on a chair.
To kick the workout up a notch, you can try a Twisted or Revolved Chair Pose, or Parivrtta Utkatasana, in which you lower your upper body while twisting to one side. Bring your palms together into a prayer position, and touch your lower elbow to the outside of the opposite knee.
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7
Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)
Warrior Pose is actually a group of five related lunging poses, which you can do alone or in succession. Brady recommends it as a powerful calorie-burning tool that can result in weight loss.
- Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I): Beginning in a standing position with your legs hip-width apart, step one foot forward and turn your back foot out just slightly. With your hips still facing forward, bend your front knee into a lunge and raise your arms over your head, squeezing at the shoulders. Lift your chin to look upward at your hands.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Facing sideways on your yoga mat, take a wide stance with your feet roughly three feet apart. Lifting your arms out at chest level, turn one foot toward the top of your mat and lunge in that direction until your knee is positioned above your foot. Turn your head in the same direction as your lunge, looking over your arm.
- Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III): For this next move, you'll begin in a lunge with your arms raised overhead and your heel raised. Pressing your hands into a prayer position, lift your back leg until you are balanced on one foot. Next, extend your arms up and out so that your body is in a 'T' shape.
- Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana or Virabhadra Mudra): Positioning your legs in the Warrior II position, bow your torso forward with the arms clasped behind you.
- Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana): Positioning your legs in the Warrior II position, reach one arm up and back over your head, and straighten your other arm and torso back towards your straightened back leg.
Doing a "vinyasa warrior flow"—a sequence that combines all of these movements—can help enhance strength and stability while also promoting calorie burn and weight loss.
