Have you gained a lot of weight around your belly? Do you feel that your clothes do not suit you anymore? Now, this can be a frustrating situation. Once you gain belly fat, it is surely difficult to lose. If you decide to opt for supplements, then they may have their side effects also. The best approach is to look for a lasting solution and there can be no better option than yoga poses for belly fat. However, before exploring yoga let us look into some of the challenges of weight gain.

Benefits of Balanced Weight and Challenges of Excessive Belly Fat:

• Balanced weight helps you in fighting chronic diseases like high blood pressure and Diabetes.
• When you have healthy weight, then it becomes easy for you to maintain your cholesterol levels. You will witness a boost in the good cholesterol levels and a decline in the bad cholesterol levels in you body when you have healthy weight.
• When you have a balanced weight, then you can look forward to healthy joints. Excessive weight puts a lot of pressure on your joints. The end result is that you may develop joint stiffness and pain. Plus, you are at an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis when you have excessive weight. It is crucial to lose weight especially around the belly.

Challenges of Excessive Belly Fat:

• Well, belly fat is the stubborn fat on your body and can be difficult to lose. Sometimes hormones cause the cortisol levels in your body to spike up. As a result, you gain the belly fat.
• Genetic predisposition can also make it difficult for you to lose the fat around your belly.
• If you have a disturbed sleep pattern, then it can cause the cortisol levels in your body to spike up and again it can become difficult to lose belly fat.

Understanding the Belly Fat:

If you want to get rid of excessive belly fat, it is essential that you understand the types first

• Subcutaneous fat is a kind of fat that tends to lie directly under the skin. The worse thing about this type of fat is that it tends to be more visible around the waistline.
• Visceral fat is the fat that tends to surrounds your organs in the abdominal cavity. What is worth mentioning is that Visceral fat is not visible on the outside. It can be found deeper in the body. The worse thing about this kind of belly fat is that it leads to protruding abdomen. It is crucial to keep in mind that visceral fat is metabolically more active than subcutaneous fat so it poses you at a greater risk of developing chronic diseases.
• Intramuscular fat occurs in the tissue of the muscles. It contributes to overall composition of the body and can affect the metabolism. If you have excessive intramuscular fat, then it can impair the insulin sensitivity of your body.

How Yoga Aids in Weight Loss?

• Yoga can be termed as a moderate calorie-burning workout. When you follow dynamic yoga poses that make use of continuous transitions and flowing movements, then it helps to increase the calorie expenditure
• Yoga incorporates relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Once you are in an improved state of mind, then you will not indulge in compulsive eating which is one of the main causes of weight gain
• The best thing about Yoga is that it tends to improve the range of motion in the joints. Plus, it tends to improve your flexibility also.
• Well, Yoga tends to strengthen different muscle groups. As a result, it becomes easy for you to build up the lean muscle mass.

Best Yoga Poses for Belly Fat:

1. Plank Pose:

Well, the Plank pose helps to strengthen the abdominal. The best thing about this pose is that it also helps in strengthening your lower back. When you perform this pose, then you will notice an improvement in your posture your posture and stability also help to lose weight.

Steps of Plank Pose:

• You need to start on your hands and knees on the Yoga mat. The wrists need to be directly under the shoulders and the knees must be under the hips. Make sure that your fingers are wide spread when you perform this pose
• Try stepping your feet back one at a time when you perform this pose. Your legs must be straightened and try extending your heel behind you. What is crucial is that your body must look like a straight line
• When you are positioning yourself, try pressing firmly through the palms. Distribute your weight between the hands. The arms must be straight at this point in time and the elbows need to be micro bent.
• Try engaging your shoulders in this pose also. Try drawing your shoulder blades down your back. Do not shrug your shoulders
• The neck should be in line with the spine. The legs must be active and engaged in this pose also. it is vital that you press through the heels for engaging the muscles in your legs.

2. Boat pose:

The boat pose helps in stimulating the organs of your body and is one of the best yoga poses for flat stomach.

Steps of Boat pose:

• You must start by sitting on the Yoga mat and the legs must be extended in front of you. The hands must rest beside the hips.
• Draw the navel towards the spine for engaging the core muscles
• When you inhale, bend the knees and make sure that you lift the feet off the mat. The shins must be parallel to the floor. Your knees must be at an angle of 90 degrees
• You need to balance on your sitting bones and the spine must be lengthened. The chest must be lifted too
• Try extending your arms forward alongside the legs. The palms must face each other and the fingers must be active
• The legs must be active
• Try lengthening through the spine. Take slow breaths and hold the pose
• When you want to release from the pose, then exhale and try lowering the feet to the mat

3. Bridge pose:

When you perform the Bridge pose, then it helps to strengthen the muscles in the abdomen. Plus, your back glutes will be strengthened also when you perform this pose.

Steps of Bridge pose:

• Start by lying on the back on your yoga mat and your knees must be bent. The feet must be hip-width part. The arms must rest alongside the body.
• Try drawing the navel towards the spine by engaging the core muscles
• The feet must be directly under the knees. The heels must be palm’s distance away from your sitting bones
• When you inhale, press firmly into the heels and lift your hips.
• Gradually roll the spine off the mat as you lift your hips higher. The head, shoulders and neck should be relaxed at this point in time.
• The thighs and knees should be hip-width apart. The knees must remain parallel throughout the pose.
• Try lifting the chest towards the chin when you are pressing down your arms and the shoulders.
• Lengthen through the tailbone and try engaging your breath. Hold the pose for at least three to five breaths

Precautions:

Always get your health assessed before you decide to perform the yoga poses and go with the flow. Do not overexert your body. Every yoga poses have a chance to get injure.

Conclusion:

When you opt for yoga to reduce belly fat, then you will be able to maintain balanced weight for a long time to come.  Plus, your body will remain protected from diseases.