Does Yoga Burn Belly Fat?

People take up yoga for all kinds of reasons, but one of the most common is slimming and toning their bodies. our belly may be one of those stubborn spots where your body stores fat. Are there any yoga moves that can “spot tone” that area to burn fat?

We’ll get this out of the way first thing: no. There is no exercise, pill or diet that will specifically address fat deposits on any one area of the body.

What yoga forms like aerial yoga, hatha and others can do, however, is help you burn calories and build up muscle tone. These two together can make you slimmer and stronger. A few of the way that these work together:

1. Burning calories equals burning fat.

While the relationship between body fat and calories is not 100% without complications, for most people, regular aerobic exercise increases metabolism. If you are burning more calories than you are taking in, your body will look to its stored calories for energy. Body fat is where those calories are stored, so you’ll lose it over time.

2. Yoga tones.

When you look at the gentle and graceful movements of yoga, it can seem, from the outside, like a practice that just involves stretching and some increased flexibility. However, once you’ve gone to a few classes you realize that yoga can be an intense workout. This is especially true in classes like our Vinyasa yoga classes and our Rock & Flow.

Regular yoga practice strengthens muscles, particularly in your core. This, in turn, creates definition that can make you look slimmer and more confident even if your belly is one of the places your body loses fat last.

3. Yoga improves posture.

A lot of us spend large portions of our lives sitting and desks and peering at computer screens. This does a number on your posture. Yoga makes you more aware of your body and can naturally improve the way that you hold your body.

Anyone who’s ever stood in front of a mirror and watched the image in their reflection change as they stood up straighter knows how effective this one move is at improving the appearance of belly fat. When yoga is part of your regular practice, standing up straighter becomes a natural habit instead of something you need to concentrate on consciously.

Every one of our bodies has its quirks and its flaws. One of the most powerful benefits of yoga is that it improves our minds and bodies at the same time. When your yoga practice becomes an everyday part of your life, you will find that you love your body more in any shape even as its shape is coming closer to your personal ideals.

There’s no one “right” body for practicing and enjoying yoga. Have you been hesitant to sign up for a class? There’s no need to worry. We have classes on our schedule for every skill level so you can start today.

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