Yoga for weight loss: Best moves and poses to burn calories

The government advises Brits to partake in 150 of activity every week.

This usually involves movement that gets your heart rate up, so light stretching doesn’t always reach this criteria.

Generally, those who want to lose weight opt to try yoga moves that are more strenuous than relaxing.

Ashtanga exercises engage the core and are often carried out in a rigid order.

These show help you to tone up and burn fat, although they’re not as effective for weight loss as vinyasa.

The word “Vinyasa” translates as “breathing system”.

For every movement participants make, they must take one breath.

As the process is continuous, the calorie burn is sustained for a longer period of time.

This makes the exercise one of the most challenging forms of yoga.

To make workouts even more intense, some even try bikram.

In a twist on hatha yoga, classes are carried out in 35 degree heat to facilitate flexibility and promote calorie burn.

Hatha – Around 190 calories per hour

Ashtanga – Around 350 calories per hour

Bikram – Around 480 calories per hour

Vinyasa – Around 600 calories per hour

There are plenty of effective yoga poses out there, but here are some of our favourites:

Boat pose

This move requires a lot of core strength and will improve your balance if done on a regular basis.

It works the abdominals, hip flexors and lower back, as well as stretching out the hamstrings.

Here’s how to pull off the technique:

1. Sit down on a yoga mat with your feet flat

2. Extend your legs forward, while lifting your back off the floor

3. Create a V-shape with your body, as shown in the above picture

4. Extend your arms out in front of you, keeping them at shoulder height with the palms facing up

5. Tightening your core muscles, balance in this position for 30 seconds before resting

The Warrior

This tricky technique is another one that works the core.

Not only will it engage the abs, it also fires up the glutes and legs.

Here’s how to carry out the Warrior pose:

1. Stand on one foot

2. Lean forward, extending the leg that’s off the floor backwards

3. When your leg reaches a 90 degree angle, hold your arms straight out in front of you

4. Hold for 30 seconds before resting and repeating on the other side

3. Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)

This killer core move also helps to tone your shoulders, obliques and legs.

Follow these steps to carry it out:

1. Lie on your side with your legs on top of one another

2. Leaning on one arm or hand, raise your body into the air

3. Point your elevated arm up in a straight line

4. Pull in your tummy and hold for 30 seconds before resting