Yoga brings a number of health benefits, but one benefit stands out above the rest. You can visually lose 5 pounds in one minute with yoga by simply correcting your posture. Have you ever looked closely at those weight loss ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of people? While the person in the photograph probably did lose some weight, posture correction is the technique used to emphasize the weight loss and this technique really works! Follow these four simple steps to correcting your posture and looking instantly slimmer and then we’ll look at a few other health benefits that Yoga brings as well.
Four simple steps to better posture that you can do in less than a minute:
1. Stand with your feet apart at a natural distance and be sure your weight is on both feet for balance.
2. Look straight ahead as if you are balancing a book on your head.
3. Pull your tummy in a bit.
4. Roll your shoulders back. Shoulders want to be loose, tilted back, and almost allowed to relax, not hunched up around your ears.
There you have it! It’s hard to believe how many of us don’t know how to stand or hold ourselves properly. Unless we have been taught in a dance class or other are a celebrity, we may not be aware of our posture, and how others see us on a daily basis. Great posture is good because minimizes any midsection and gives us a bit more height. It also projects an air of quiet confidence, which is great at any fitness level. You don’t even need to take a class to have this better posture, just practice throughout the day, whether you are standing, walking or sitting.
Now let’s take a look at a few other notable benefits that Yoga offers for both men and women:
* Increased flexibility * Increased strength * Supports weight loss * Reduces stress
There are many types of Yoga, and some of them are quite intense, so if you decide to take a class I recommend you make sure you have chosen a type of Yoga that you enjoy (i.e. Namaste, Vinyasa, Hatha) and the right level (restorative, beginner, advanced) for you. Many centers allow you to try one class at no cost. If time or financial commitments prevent you from going to a center, there are many alternatives available today including online Yoga, DVD’s Fitness TV programs and more. Once you get comfortable with the basic Yoga poses you can incorporate them into your fitness routine in a number of ways: into your stretching at the gym or doing them for 5-10 minutes after walk or run. If you are pressed for time you can just do a few poses while watching TV.
Whether or not you decide to do yoga for weight loss and its other health benefits, try doing the four simple steps for that I’ve outlined here for better posture, and produce an instant visual 5 pound weight loss any time. You can even have family take a before and after photo of yourself, and I’ll bet you will be impressed with the results!
Do you want to be able to go shopping for a bathing suit and not become depressed afterward?
