Yoga for Weight Loss: Addressing the Root Causes

Beyond burning calories and increasing muscle mass and tone, yoga may have additional benefits that combat the underlying causes of excess weight.

Obesity has many causes, including a family history of weight issues; a diet high in processed foods, sugar, and fat; a sedentary lifestyle; stress and mental health issues; poor sleep; and hormonal changes.

Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means to unite the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is a holistic mind-body practice, and research supports that it may help with many of the causes of weight gain, including managing stress, improving your mood, curbing emotional eating, and creating a community of support. It may also reduce joint pain, allowing you to exercise more and increase your daily activities.

Stress Management

Stress comes in many forms, including physical pain, sleep deprivation, and feelings of anxiety or agitation. Stress leads to an increase of the hormone cortisol in the body, which can increase abdominal fat, decrease muscle mass, and cause cravings for fat and sugar-rich foods—all of which can lead to obesity.

Yoga can decrease stress and cortisol levels, improve mood, decrease anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and improve chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, which can reduce the need for medications that can cause weight gain.

Mindfulness

Yoga is called “moving meditation,” and it improves mindfulness of the body and awareness of body sensations. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that you can reap the mindfulness benefits of yoga without doing any sitting meditation.

As a result of improving mindfulness, yoga decreases the habits of emotional eating, stress eating, and binge eating, all of which can sabotage weight loss and cause a negative spiral of guilt and shame, leading to giving up on weight loss.

One study showed that practicing yoga led to healthier eating, including lower fat intake and an increase in vegetables and whole grains.

Acceptance and Support

Yoga culture is one of kindness, support, and self-acceptance. While going to a gym can be intimidating and may provoke feelings of not belonging, especially for some people with larger bodies, being part of a welcoming yoga community can help improve self-esteem and confidence.

Research shows that social networks influence behaviors that affect weight. A yoga community can encourage healthier behaviors, which can make a meaningful difference for weight loss.

Be sure to look for a safe, comfortable, nurturing environment with other practitioners at your level. There are also online options with classes at all levels.

It can take time to establish a yoga practice, and frequent practice is the key for long-term benefits.