Hey everyone,
I am getting so tired of working out and I need some help switching it up a little bit. I am thinking about doing hatha yoga in the morning 5X wk for one hour and pilates three times a week and weight training 2x wk....Please tell me if this is going to be enough to get the rest off. THank all

I'm not familiar with hatha yoga. Is it similar to power yoga? If you get your heart rate up and get good and sweaty, it will help. If it doesn't get the cardio system pumping, you won't burn as many calories.

Although I've been attending a yoga class twice weekly since last June, I don't consider myself an expert by any means (I'm just now starting to look into other classes...not that I don't enjoy the one I'm doing now - which is Ashtanga Yoga - but just for some variety and to see what else is out there - so many different forms of yoga).

Anyway, a new yoga studio just opened in my neighborhood and I sent them an email asking about their class schedules, and informed the yogi of my twice-weekly Ashtanga practice - this new place offers Hatha Yoga for the most part. Her response to me (in part) was as follows:

Okay - so Ashtanga is considered 'more intense' than Hatha (at least the Hatha they're offering). Is the Ashtanga I've been practicing 2x/week a substitute for cardio (I DO sweat, after all)? Does it burn as many calories? I don't think so - I'm certain that even though I'm sweating, my heart isn't beating much faster than if I was taking a walk...but I DO think it's a great way to reduce stress (also since it is recommended to not eat at least 2 hours prior to class, I take in fewer calories on class days generally).

The Yoga Journal site (www.yogajournal.com) has some really good info - under the "New To Yoga" tab there is an article on the different styles of yoga titled "Not All Yoga Is Created Equal". There are quite a few different styles - here's what they say about Hatha Yoga:

If you pick up the current issue of Yoga Journal (March/April 2005) there's a pretty good article titled "Relax and Unload" on how yoga can help you lose weight in 'unexpected ways' - by reducing stress, becoming more self-aware of your body (which can include awareness of hunger and saiety), and being able to concentrate/meditate. All good things - so IMO yoga CAN be a great part of a healthy lifestyle in tandem with diet, cardio and resistance training.

Besides, it's fun!

Oops...I just came across this article at the YogaJournal website titled "Can Yoga Help Me Lose Weight?" I think you'll find it interesting

"Hatha" is the generic term for the physical practice of yoga. Remember that yoga is a multi-disciplinary practice -- what Westerners typically think of as yoga is the physical practice, but that is just part of yoga's meditation practice, and yoga also includes a spiritual practice, a service practice (where we get the word "karma" from), and an intellectual practice.

Within Hatha Yoga there are a variety of styles. One of the major style-groups is vinyasa, which involves flowing movement (as opposed to holding poses, although that rather simplifies the distinction). Ashtanga is a relatively intense vinyasa practice. Power Yoga is very similar in intensity, but doesn't have the trappings of ties to the specific yoga master that Ashtanga derives from.

When a studio offers, specifically, Hatha yoga, they're typically not offering a vinyasa practice. Vinyasa is almost always highlighted in the description of any offering, either by application of one of the names of the practice (such as "Ashtanga") or by description.

Back to the original question: I actually did yoga (specifically the Kripalu style of Hatha yoga) for several years prior to losing my weight. So, I suppose you could say that you could do yoga and still not lose weight. However, that isn't to the yoga didn't have impact. It strengthened my body, helped manage some serious back-pain (which turned out to be a problem, but through no fault of the yoga -- it's a long story and not very relevant to the question ), and got me fit enough to do vinyasa.

Vinyasa was a very important part of my weight-loss efforts. It's a nice balance between aerobic and anerobic exercise, the former helping burn calories necessary to lose weight, and the latter helping build lean-body mass necessary to keep weight off long-term. I practiced at least twice a week, at least 90 minutes each practice. Combined with my eating program, and walking five times a week, that was enough to help me lose 100 pounds.

It is almost impossible to do vinyasa and not work hard -- one of the advantages of vinyasa IMHO. However, it's kinda hard! I remember several times when folks at our yoga studio -- folks who were coming to our studio for the meditative benefits of yoga, the relaxation and stress-release -- they'd have missed their class and came to the vinyasa class to collect on their "make-up". Gosh, were they surprised. It is possible to do regular Hatha yoga without breaking a sweat. There is nothing magic about yoga, from a calorie-burning perspective: A heart-rate monitor will indicate whether it is helping you lose weight or not. By the same token, you could still be building muscle if you're holding poses long enough.

I have been taking a Vinyasa Yoga class 2x a week since January. It is part of my overall program that also includes cardio and strength training. I also take a Pilates mat class once a week. I do not believe that either one of these classes is adding to my weight loss exactly, but they are giving my overall health and fitness program a tremendous boost. The yoga helps me to get in better touch with my body, understand and see the strength I am building through my practice and remember that the mind is an important connection to the total program. It has made me more aware of myself and the progress I am making. It touches me in a mental and physical way that no other part of my program does. I also feel my muscles and appreciate what they are doing for me. More importantly, the flexibilty aspect is amazing and not other part of my program addresses this like yoga does. In fact, I have added some yoga moves to both my warm-up and cool-down on my non-yoga days exactly for the stretches and added flexibility. If you can make the time to add yoga to your regime I highly recommend it. I understand that fining additional time can be hard, especially in today's world.

If not, I recommend you take a couple of classes to at least add some moves to your daily stretches. Having an instructor to help you into the poses the first time is paramount to learning to listen to what the pose feels like and how to listen to your body. Yoga is not about doing it like the picture, but changing it to best suit you and your body - each and every time you do a pose it will be different based on the day and even time and what your body can do. I know I didn't say this well, and maybe someone more eloquent that I can try

Being a nursing student, I am taking alot of health classes, which has inspired me to be healthier. I have quit smoking, and now I want to be more physically active and stick to it. I feel less stressed when I do yoga, so if that's all I get, I am fine with that. But I will tell everyone that most athletes are only meeting three of the four components of fitness which are; 1)muscular strength 2)flexability 3)cardiovascular endurance 4)cardio respitory endurance. And guess which one they are missing....FLEXABILITY. I think that is very crazy!

I've been taking an Anusara yoga class for a little over a year now. Will yoga "help you lose weight?" Well ... any hatha (physical) yoga practice will burn more calories than if you were just sitting still. As already discussed, some types of yoga classes are more vigorous than others, and thus will burn calories. It will not, however, substitute for cardio (aerobic) exercise or strength training. It can certainly help with strength goals, but it also offers a wealth of benefits in not only flexibility but balance and stamina.

I HIGHLY recommend yoga for everyone, but I really recommend it for anyone trying to lose weight. EVENTUALLY you would want a routine that included sufficient cardio and sufficient strength training in addition to the yoga, but doing just yoga alone for a while is a great start. One of the PRIMARY benefits of yoga is to get you back in touch with your body. Overweight and other out-of-shape people have usually completely disconnected their mind and their body. We just use our body as a shell to carry around our brain. We live deeply in our minds and no where else. A yoga practice will rebuild the connection and help you better understand, love, appreciate, and care for your body. This is a connection overweight people desparately need. Yoga is all about meeting you where you are, and no matter how out of shape you are you'll find joy in meeting the challenges of practice and seeing what things your body CAN do or learn to do. A good yoga practice is as much mental as it is physical, and it provides stress relief, a way to deal with emotions, and so much more. Most people overeat or neglect to take care of themselves because they are constantly immersed in a sea of demands, deadlines, negative emotions, etc. Yoga offers a unique method for letting go of all of that and giving you a chance to empty your mind. All yoga classes end in a relaxation period, and you'll walk out of class feeling refreshed and optimistic.

I have a great Gaiam video called "Yoga for Weight Loss." There are some negative reviews posted on places like Amazon, because the reviewers don't understand that it's not intended to be an intense calorie-burner. It's called "yoga for weight loss" because it is a fairly simple practice and offers lots of modifications for people who may not be able to do the full version of the poses. Also, as the instructor says at the beginning of the video, it's intended to help overweight people get back in touch with their bodies and their physical being.

Of course, any exercise can do some of this, but yoga is especially good at it. I am sporadic with all of my exercise EXCEPT my weekly yoga class -- it is the highlight of my week and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

So, will yoga help you lose weight? Perhaps not directly. But, indirectly I think it is a great tool to have at your disposal as part of an overall program, both for the mental as well as the physical benefits.

Thank you funniegrrl - that is exactly what I was trying to say, but you did it so much better!

Ellen I think you did a pretty darn good job yourself!

Hi,

I teach yoga and I noticed that even though my students do not loose a LOT of weight, many of them shape their bodies while ONLY doing yoga. Funniegrrl is right, at least you are not sitting watching TV, but doing movements.

I personally can say that first pack on my weight was lost due to yoga (hatha) in my case, only - but again I never exercised at all and I simply started with yoga only. Later on I added bits of cardio, but due to my severe asthma I could not do even 20 min of cardio at a time. later on when I lost more weight I could do nore cardio, but I continued yoga too. So for totally deconditioned person with no exercise in their life yoga WILL HELP you loose weight. For somebody who did exercise before it will not be so noticable.

Yoga will definitely shape your body, will help you maintain your weight, it is also a bit of weight training depending on how your instructor leads your class - I definitely include LOTs of pushups/abs/back asanas.

Will it help you loose weight if you do not do cardio - I guess it will, but will take long...

I suggest yoga for everybody, as it clears your mind, relaxes, stretches, helps you to deal with stress, etc. Any type of yoga will benefit you - even if you will not loose as much as in cardio.

Sandy.

Tifftazia - One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is balance. I found that as I am losing weight, my center of balance is shifting and many of the balance poses are doing wonders for checking in with my body and adjusting to my new self. I also love that I am able to start getting into positions I always modified before, I love that body is really tightening up, that I can see progress from class to class, quicker than I can with weights or cardio. I like that, when releasing from certain poses, I feel like I've just had the best orgasm of my life and that guarantees that burnout is not on my horizon anytime soon!

Actually - the "Balance" aspect was EXACTLY the main reason why I decided to look into both Yoga and Pilates (my instructor teaches both - in separate classes as well as together - in the joint classes we start off with Yoga for the first 30 minutes, then Pilates, finishing off with a few minutes in full savasana).

I'm big into horseback riding, and had read a few books and articles advocating the usefulness of both Yoga and Pilates in improving balance and your 'seat'. Also, I wanted to concentrate more on my core area following my FTT, so after my surgeon ok'd it, I started looking into classes and I'm totally hooked now...

This is one of the best threads I've read on yoga! So much information and support.

I started yoga around March... after joining 3FC. Obviously I am an uncoordinated beginner but I feel so many positive changes.

It has helped me:

reduce stress
get in touch with and aware of my body.. its limitations.. its form.. its feel
especially more aware of inner core muscles.. who knew you had them?
improved my posture througout the day
challenged me (and my muscles)
given me special quiet me time
helped tremendously with balance
improve my breath and awareness of breath all day long
laugh at my limitations in a loving way
see improvement between workouts and great improvement over time


Though only some of the yoga I do could count as cardio.. and only parts of it could be considered strength training, I feel the entire package.. the meditation, breathe, poses, movements.. all of it have helped me become more fit and propelled me forward with other types of exercises.

I really have come to love yoga.