Keeping our weight in check is a challenge in the age of fast food and sedentary lifestyle. Yoga for obesity involves a set of yogic exercise along with specific pranayam (breathing exercise) comprehensibly combined with a conservative diet.
Trikonasan (Triangle)
Trikonasan is good for stretching the body. This is normally done in the beginning of yoga practice.
Procedure
- Keep your legs and arms straight (no bending) and a distance of 3-4 feet between the legs.
- While inhaling, raise right hand and arm up towards the sky, palm facing inwards. Right arm should touch the right ear and stretch it upwards. Keep the left arm close to body and stretch it downwards.
- While exhaling, bend towards your left so that the right arm becomes parallel to ground. Simultaneously slide your left arm along the left leg and try to touch the ground. Now inhale and gradually come back to starting position.
Benefits
- It stretches the sides of the body burns extra fat from the waist and tones the muscles.
- It stimulates nervous system an alleviates depression
- Good for curing joint pains, backache and obesity.
Tadasan
Tadasan derives its name from Sanskrit word “Tada” meaning a ‘palm tree’. In this asana body looks like a palm tree. Regular practice of this asana increases height and improves our posture.
Procedure
- Stand erect on the floor with a distance of 6inches between the legs. Legs, waist and neck all should be in a straight line. Your weight should be evenly spread on the feet.
- Raise your arms upwards parallel to each other clasp your hands as shown. Inhale and raise both hands slowly upwards and stretch upwards by lifting your heals and stand on your toes
- Retain breath stretch all of your body upwards as far as possible. Keep your legs and arms straight (no bending). Stay in the pose for 15 seconds.
- While exhaling, slowly bring your hands down. Bring your heels on the floor as in starting position.
Benefits:
- Helps you maintain balance through a higher degree of control of your own body.
- Improves your posture and betters your ability to sustain and hold the posture for a longer period of time.
- It tones, strengthens and stretch your knees, back, arms, thighs and works on your core stomach muscles.
Uttanpadasan
Uttanpad Asan reduces the abdomen fat and helps to loose weight also. It is an ideal asana for relief from gas and indigestion.
Procedure
- Lie on your back on the floor and look upwards. Keep both the arms straight close to your body and palms touching the floor. Keep both the legs straight, heels and toes touching each other.
- Inhale and lift your legs without bending your knees and try to hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Then start exhaling and simultaneously lowering the legs. Both activities to be synchronised to end at same time.
- For persons suffering from backache, practice the variation of this asana by raising one leg at a time alternately.
Benefits
- Tones up the abdominal muscles.
- It is a good asana for indigestion, disorders of pancreas, cures constipation and intestinal problems.
- Reduces fat in abdominal area and Strengthens the spinal cord.
Dhanurasan
Procedure
- Lie down on your stomach. Bend the knees, hold the left ankle with the left hand and the right ankle with the right hand.
- Now inhaling gently pull the legs up by lifting the knees above the floor and, meanwhile, raise the chest and head and draw it backwards.
- The abdomen should bear the whole body weight on the floor separate the knees to raise the body higher and try to arch the back as far as possible.
- Stay in this pose for 15-20 seconds with normal breathing,then slowly come to the floor.
Benefits of Dhanurasana
- Effective in weight loss.
- Improves digestion and appetite and cures constipation.
- Gives flexibility and strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.
- Good stress and fatigue buster
- Cures respiratory disorder like asthama.
- Improve function of the pancreas and it is beneficial in diabetes.
Bhujangansan or Cobra Pose
Procedure
- While inhaling slowly, raise your head tilt it back and chest upwards by pressing down on the hands but letting contraction of the back take most of the strain.
- Your body from toes to the navel should rest on the floor.
- Then look up, hold your breath in this pose as long as possible without feeling uncomfortable Then while exhaling, slowly return to the face-down position.
Benefits
- Bhujangasan strengthens pancreas, liver and other organs of digestive system.
- Cures constipation, indigestion, asthma and dysentery.
- Makes spine more flexible, cures cervical problems, slipped disk and back pain.
Caution
- People having undergone recent abdominal surgery or having backpain and hernia patients should not try this pose.
Naukasan
Procedure
- Lie in Simple Supine Pose and keep the palms on the thighs.
- While inhaling slowly raise the legs, arms, trunk and head off the floor at the same level
- Try to balance your body on the buttocks and hold for 15-20secondswith normal breathing.
- Exhaling slowly come back to the initial position
Benefits:
- Naukasanas is very useful in reducing extra fat from the abdominal area.
- It massages and tones the internal organs like intestine, pancreas, stomach etc.
- It pumps extra supply oxygen to the lungs and heart.
Pawanmukta Asan
Pawanmukta Asan is ideal asana for people having wind problem, gas and acidity. And it also helps loose abdominal fat.
Preparation
- Lie on your back on the floor and look upwards. Keep both the arms straight close to your body and palms touching the floor. Keep both the legs straight, heels and toes touching each other.
- Inhale slowly and stretch out your toes and keep holding the breath. Clasp right knee by both hands and in a slow movement press your knee toward your stomach. Hold for 4-5 seconds, and then touch your knee with your nose.
- Exhale and simultaneously release your legs to original position in a slow movement.
- Repeat this process with left knee and subsequently with both knees together. This completes one set.
Benefits of Pawanmukta Asan
- Tones up the large intestine. Activates pancreas and other organs of abdomen.
- Provides instant relief for acidity, wind trouble and gas formation.
- Helps fat loss in abdomen area.
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Pranayam
Kapalbhati, Bhastrika and Fast breathing (increases Oxygen and reduces carbon dioxide) and can be practiced by people suffering from obesity with good effects. Regular practice of Pranayamas help burn fats.
Diet
More raw vegetables, fruits help in balancing the intake of the food. Reducing refined and processed food, fast food, non vegetarian diet helps in weight control. A special fasting program has proven exceedingly helpful and rewarding.
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