What’s Inside?

Why belly fat is not good for your health?

Why it is important to know first the root cause of your belly fat?

Best yoga poses to reduce belly fat

Belly fat can be very uncomfortable to deal with. It looks awkward and makes you feel insecure, and above all, it may also do a lot of damage to your health – abdominal obesity has been linked to an increased risk of nearly all chronic problems, ranging from inflammation to diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and even poor lifespan outcomes. Thus, reducing belly fat is in your interest, both for your physical appearance and your overall health.

Before we go ahead, very important that you should know is the reason behind your growing belly. It will decide the practices, precautions and approach to achieve the results. We don’t believe in one solution for everyone as the reasons are different and what each one of us can do it also different. For eg. females post delivery try very hard to reduce weight without know if they should put a lot of strain (especially in cases of diastasis recti or rectus abdominis diastasis, defined as a gap of about 2.7 cm or greater between the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscle); in such cases problem would worsen and it might be very difficult to do it later. If you have some other reason for belly fat, consider working on root cause first.

We also strongly recommend working on overall fitness, digestion, sleep, stress for overall well-being. But as the article is about belly fat, we are mentioning some yogic asanas that especially target the abdominal region and upper body while giving a great workout to your whole body. Try to integrate these asanas into your daily workout to see some results. Additionally and very importantly, we suggest working on your diet, eating habits like timings of your meal, what kind of foods are you consuming (processed or not) get much faster results.

Here are some of the yoga poses/asanas which are found to be very effective in reducing belly fat :

• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) – It may be a little challenging for beginners, but working towards this pose can help in getting rid of those love handles real quick. Since the asana is based on the stomach, it worked the area very well while also stretching out your shoulders, back, and chest. The effort involved in achieving and holding the pose also burns some great calories.

• Mandukasana (Frog Pose) – It is an excellent practice to work on your abdominal fat and abdominal organs (it massages them very well and hence works on visceral fat). As you can see because of the posture itself, it can also help you improve your digestion.

• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) – You will definitely feel the exertion in your core as you engage in this asana. Alongside the abdominal region, this asana helps in toning the thighs, strengthening the shoulders, and helps in developing balance. Ensure correct posture however as you may face discomfort in your shoulders otherwise.

• Paschimotta Asana (Seated Forward Bend) – One of the classics of yoga, this asana not only gives a great stretch to the entire body but also works the abdominal region and stimulates the solar plexus. A great asana for those who suffer from digestive disorders, too. Do not be disheartened if you are not able to achieve the perfect pose in one go as this is a hard pose for many – with time and effort, you will be able to do the asana properly.

• Naukasana (Boat Pose) – It may challenge your balance a little, but regularly doing this asana can help guarantee belly fat loss. The asana’s position is great for stimulating and contracting the abdominal muscles. When done in a rocking motion, your core is challenged further, helping in toning the region well.

• Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) – A great asana for alleviating problems related to the back and shoulders, this asana also gives a good stretch to the abdominal region, and thus, it is a great way to open up the area before engaging in the more challenging asanas.

• Ardha Chandra Asana (Half Moon Pose) – You will feel the stretch in your obliques as this asana will engage your core and help in stretching your abdominal region. As a bonus, this asana also contributes to toning the buttocks and is known to improve digestion as well. Do ensure that you bend down gently, as a sudden jerk may hurt your muscles.

• Marjariasana (Cat Pose) – With its spinal bend, not only does this asana stretch and strengthen the back but it also pulls at the abdominal region and helps in reducing belly size. You will need to consciously engage your abdominal muscles and practice this pose regularly for best results.

• Pavanmukta Asana (Wind Releasing Pose) – With its specific intention of aiding the digestive system, you can be sure that this asana will work your belly region well. Alongside the alleviation of gastric problems, holding this pose also helps in burning the fat off in the region. Just bend your knees and stretch your arms at right angle to the ground, watch the video and follow the remaining steps.

Leg raises/Leg Lifts – These are simple practices and can be practiced with variations to suit requirements of people with variable degree of back strength to help reduce belly fat. This practice is also be used to develop core strength. Ensure that you are not straining your back while doing this practice and stop just your back get tired

We are adding two additional practices as these can be good tools – Surya Namaskar (for complete body workout) and Savasana (relaxation practice – it can help you relax your muscles and body and work as a great aid to reduce weight). Apart from this – practice like Kapabhati can do wonder for fat reduction.

• Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) – A sequence of 12 yogic asanas, the Surya Namaskar has long been revered as the ultimate yogic workout. All the asanas are linked to each other and the sequence contains some asanas discussed above too, such as the Bhujang asana and the standing version of Paschimotta Asana. Surya Namaskar can thus be an ideal way to begin any workout, one that prepares the entire body for the upcoming session while also targeting belly fat.

• Savasana (Corpse Pose) – Yes, this asana is very important in the quest to lose belly fat, Why? Because after a rigorous workout involving stretching, contracting, and engaging abdominal muscles, your body should have time to relax and return back to normal before you go about your day. This is essential for your metabolism and muscle recovery. Thus, ending with the Shavasana after a workout can help protect your body, while also giving you time to relax and meditate.