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According to the Mayo Clinic, the average person weighing 150 pounds burns approximately 240 calories in a regular hour-long Yoga session. Compared to an intensive aerobic workout, where the same person would burn approximately 360 calories, Yoga may not seem like the silver bullet to weight loss. That said, many people enjoy Yoga more than a typical aerobics class due to the additional benefits of yoga. Many yogis enjoy the meditative aspect of Yoga, which is certainly not found in your everyday aerobics class. Yoga can also significantly improve flexibility and strengthen core-muscles, both critical components to injury prevention. When evaluating everything Yoga has to offer, yoga is very beneficial for weight loss. While you may not burn as many calories with Yoga, it is a fantastic addition to a weekly routine. Since yoga doesn’t exhaust muscles the same way as a weight-training routine, you can work it in almost any day of the week. Don’t forget to use a quality made, eco-friendly yoga mat as you start your practice. Many Yogis enjoy the meditative and stress-relief components to yoga. While the direct correlation between yoga-related stress relief and weight loss hasn’t been extensively studied, we can suggest that if yoga aids in stress relief (studies suggest it does), consequently it will help in weight loss. Many sources have shown a direct correlation between stress and weight gain. There are many reasons this happens, but one primary cause of stress-induced weight gain is cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, and it floods our body when we experience stressful situations. Overexposure to this nasty hormone (those with chronic stress) increases risk of numerous health problems such as heart disease, obesity, sleep problems, depression, and more. Cortisol can wreak havoc on our immune system and metabolism. One recent study by Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and the Yoga Research Society monitored 16 healthy yogi’s before and after a 50-minute yoga class. After evaluating the cortisol levels of participants, they found that cortisol levels were significantly reduced after the class. The study - along with a similar study performed 10 years earlier – suggests that Yoga can normalize cortisol levels even after just one session. VijayendraPratap, Ph.D., president of the Yoga Research Society in Philadelphia adds, “My hypothesis is that yoga brings the body to balance." When evaluating everything Yoga has to offer – from burning calories to relieving stress and cortisol levels – it becomes clear that yoga is a good way to lose weight when added to a regular fitness regimen. So find a quality eco-yoga mat and get started today!
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