Nowadays, Yoga is a method chosen by many people for weight loss purposes. If you are looking to lose belly fat, incorporating a proper diet and Yoga movements into your daily schedule can help significantly. In this article Nguyen will guide you 12 Yoga moves to reduce belly fat, bringing a firm waist.
Why does Yoga help reduce belly fat?
Yoga has many movements that help strengthen the abdominal muscles, core musclesBesides, most Yoga movements also focus on the whole body, thereby improving your posture, making your abdomen look slimmer.
Additionally, a study from Harvard Health Publishing found that Yoga changes the way you perceive your body. “The survey found that people who practice yoga are more aware of their bodies than people who do not practice yoga. They also feel more satisfied and less self-conscious about their bodies. This means that when you practice Yoga, you may feel more confident and see your belly look better, which can make it appear flatter to you and others.
12 Yoga exercises to reduce belly fat for beginners effectively and safely
1. Boat Pose (Naukasana)
- Start in a sitting position with your legs forward and your hands behind your hips.
- Next, activate and tighten the core muscle group, slowly raise your legs off the ground, balancing on your coccyx.
- Note, if you feel a pinch and pain in the stump, you can put a pillow or soft towel to support.
- As you lift your feet off the ground, lean back slightly, creating a V-angle between your legs and your body, about 45 degrees.
- However, you can adjust the angle to suit your body flexibility.
- Then slowly lift the arms outstretched forward parallel to the mat, keeping the spine and neck in a straight line, continue to hold the core muscle group to stabilize the posture.
2. Camel pose (Ustrasana)
- Stand on your knees, with your knees open at shoulder level. Put your hands on your hips, use your thumbs to support your lower back and the remaining fingers to support your hips.
- Inhale, tighten your hips, push your hips forward and gently tilt your back and neck, exhale and lift your body straight up.
- Level two means you can lower your hands behind your heels, and level three you can lower your hands toward the soles of your feet.
3. Basic Plank (Plank – Kumbhakasana)
- Starting from table pose, knees are shoulder width apart.
- Inhale into Plank position, head - back - buttocks parallel to the mat.
- If you cannot support yourself on your arms, you can bend down your forearms to support yourself.
4. Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana)
- To do this pose, sit with your legs stretched out, your toes pressed together, your hands resting about a palm behind your back, fingers pointing toward your feet.
- Inhale, press your hands and toes, lift your hips and entire body off the floor, straighten your legs and close the soles of your feet, while keeping your neck parallel to the floor.
5. Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Lie down on the ground, hands on hips and knees bent.
- Inhale, squeeze your buttocks, push your hips up, hold for a bit, then exhale gently lowering your hips.
6. Side Plank position (Side Plank)
- To do this pose, start in a plank position with your feet together.
- Transfer your weight to your right hand and the outside of your right foot. At the same time, turn your body to the side, stack your left leg on top of your right leg, and stretch your left arm upward.
7. Bird Dog Pose
- To do this pose, start in table position, resting on your hands and knees.
- Inhale, activate and tighten your core and glutes, stretch your left leg back, stretch your right arm forward, eyes down, keeping your neck in line with your spine.
- Hold here for 5 seconds, breathe evenly, continue to hold your core, back and shoulder muscles firmly.
- Then, exhale, pull your knees toward your chin, your elbows toward your stomach. Hold here for 5 seconds, breathing evenly. And relax back to the original state.
8. Locust/Superman Pose (Locust/Superman – Salabhasana)
- To do this pose, lie on your stomach with your arms stretched forward.
- Inhale and lift your arms and chest while lifting your thighs and legs off the ground. Exhale, lower your arms and legs and repeat.
9. Chair pose (Utkatasana)
- To do this pose, start in an upright position.
- Inhale, bend your knees, push your hips back, lean forward and reach your arms up.
10. Reverse Table Top – Ardha Purvottanasana
- Prop your legs in front, open your legs with your shoulders, and put your hands behind your back.
- Inhale, squeeze your buttocks, push your hips up, keep your back and head parallel to the floor, exhale and lower.
- Repeat 5 times in 3 sets.
11. Warrior II Pose (Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II)
- First, extend your legs, rotate your front toes in the direction of the mat, and turn your back toes out at a horizontal angle.
- Next, rotate your knees and hips to the sides, keeping your entire body on a longitudinally sliced plane.
- Then, keep your hands parallel to the mat, stretch and cover your palms, lengthen your spine, squeeze your abdomen and buttocks to keep your body firm.
- Finally, look and hold your eyes in the direction of your front hand.
12. Warrior III Pose (Warrior III – Virabhadrasana III)
- Stand with your feet together, hands clasped in front of your chest. Firmly grip the soles and toes of your standing feet onto the mat.
- Slowly lean forward while lifting and extending the other leg back, squeezing the hamstrings, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Then gently squeeze the central muscle group such as abs, back muscles, and finally, when the body and legs are stabilized, stretch your arms forward, eyes straight down to the ground and keep the point of view, breathe evenly, continue Keeps and stabilizes the torso and legs.
Important notes when practicing Yoga to reduce belly fat or lose weight
Belly fat is a growing problem in people of all ages due to lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles. However, a few lifestyle changes, exercise and certain Yoga poses can melt away that stubborn belly fat and help you stay in shape.
- Exercise regularly: To see results in reducing belly fat, you need to practice Yoga regularly. Plan to workout at least 3-4 times per week to maintain flexibility and strength.
- Snack before training: To have enough energy for your body to operate at peak performance, you should have a snack 45 minutes - 1 hour before practicing yoga, for example bananas, apples, pears, oats, etc.
- Balanced diet, science: Losing belly fat also depends on your diet. Eat a balanced diet and avoid fast food, sugary foods and carbonated drinks or foods that are too greasy (high in calories).
Hopefully Nguyen's shares will be useful in your Yoga practice and reducing belly fat. Besides, there are also many articles about health and Yoga at Nguyen's blog, especially Youtube channel Nguyen has many other yoga exercises for weight loss and fat burning, please follow and look forward to it with Nguyen!