20 MINUTES YOGA ROUTINE TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Will 20 minutes of yoga help lose weight?

It seems 20 minutes yoga routine is too short for weight loss, the answer is yes. Doing yoga for 20 minutes a day will help you lose weight. It also can be done twice a day, preferably early in the morning and also in the evening. Doing yoga routine for 20 minutes will help you fasten your weight loss and better your overall health.

20 minutes yoga routine will rapidly increase your heart rate thus help to burn fat faster. Yoga practice also boosts your mood. From toning your muscle, stretching the whole body, to burning fat. Yoga benefits both your physical body and inner mind. The best thing about this 20 minutes yoga routine is, you do not have to spend hours on burning fat, 20 minutes is very easy to achieve.

Which type of yoga is best for weight loss?

Any kind of yoga that help you increase heart rate to fat-burning zone will help you lose weight, to pick the most effective yoga type from all yoga forms, I think Hatha, Ashtanga are the best two yoga types for weight loss. If you happen to care your diet at the same time, you will see good result very soon. I have known cases that after a few weeks of practice, many yogis lost around 10 pounds. It is estimated that a 20 minutes Hatha Yoga session can help you burn 100 calories.

Do you lose belly fat with yoga?

It is confirmed that a person lose belly fat with yoga. Weight loss is an overall effect on one’s body, and belly fat is a part of your fat group. This is especially true when it comes to vigorous yoga practice, once you heart rate is raise to fat-burning zone, the process of weight loss initiates.

Can yoga change your body shape?

Yes, yoga practice can help to change your body shape by helping you burning fat. Like mentioned above, 20 minutes of yoga practice helps a person burn 100 calories, imaging how much calories you will burn after months of yoga practice? Not to mention the other many benefits of yoga practice.

20 minutes yoga practice to help you lose weight

The following pose sequence create a routine target to increase heart rate and burn fat, which is the key to lose weight, certain level of heart rate is called the fat-burning heart rate zone. Practicing this routine will keep you maintaining a moderate to vigorous exercise intensity, and burn more calories in the end. As a result, keep practicing this 20 minutes yoga routine for months will boost your metabolic rate, which means you will burn more fat at rest compared to if you donot. Put on your favoriate yoga sports bra and yoga pants, let’s begin.

I divided this yoga routine into two parts, part A consists like 10 poses and last around 15 minutes and part B is the rest part, which contains 3 poses, including Savasana rest pose.

Part A: 10 poses / last around 15 minutes

Part B: 3 poses / last around 5 minutes

For part A, it is aiming at quickly guide you into fat-burning heart rate zone, each pose is designed to activate your abdominal area, and promotes you to get moving. Which is great for burning fat and build strength. Let’s get start to pose no.1

No.1 Cat cow pose

Cat cow pose is a gentle flow between two poses and also is the start pose for yoga classes, it will warm up and lengthen your spine, getting you ready for intense exercise. Cat cow pose increases the flexibility of your neck, spine and shoulders, help you to stretch muscles on hips, back, abdomen and else. I think an easy start will give you motivations to overcome all difficulties and persistence on yoga practice.

How to do cat cow pose?

• First, keep your hands shoulder wide apart and knees directly below your hips; 
• Then, inhale deeply and lower your lower back and bring your head up, tilt your pelvis like a “cow”; 
• Third, exhale thoroughly and involve your abdomen, arch your spine and bring your head and pelvis down like a “cat”. 
• Repeat for three times, cat cow poses take around 1 minutes in total.

No.2 Plank pose

Here comes the first hard pose – plank pose. The plank pose works the entire body effectively in one static position. It helps strengthen abdominals, hands, back, core and else. After warm up through cat cow pose, it is time to active your muscle. Also, plank pose is very helpful in reducing belly fat, when you practice plank pose, your core area is the key to hold weigh, the better your abdominal area is, the more stable you are.

How to do plank pose?

• First, have your fingers wide spread, with middle finger point directly forward, shoulders over your wrists, and press your hands against the floor;
• Second, firm both arms in towards each other, have the lower belly in and up;
• Third, extend one leg and then the other, hold yourself steadily in this high push up position;
• Hold for 30 seconds, take a break, then repeat for three times, plank pose takes around 3 minutes.

No.3 Upward facing dog pose

After plank pose, flow smoothly into upward dog facing pose. Upward dog facing pose is an amazing post to wake up upper body strength and stretch your chest, shoulders and upper abdomen area. Use your arms and wrists, also your back strength to support upper body weight, and stretch your chest. In order to prevent get hurt, do not put all pressure on wrists, this is a common mistake make by many beginners.

How to do upward dog facing pose?

• Lift upper body: after plank pose, put your knees down on floor and take a breath, then use your arms to lift upper body meanwhile make sure your knees do not touch the ground during the transition;
• Engage core area: eyes look upwards to come into upward facing dog, use your core area for better support;
• Hold for one breath, go on with downward facing dog pose, then a integral Viniyasa,  

No.4 Downward facing dog pose

Downward facing dog pose is right after upward facing dog pose, this pose involve your core area just as much as plank pose, and it helps to stretch your limps and back a lot, it will increase heart rate rapidly, and burning fat at the same time. It is likely to get your wrists hurt if you do not involve your core area strength.

How to do downward facing dog pose?

• Transit from upward facing dog pose: put down both knees and lift your butt;
• Do an upside down V: use abdomen strength to hold your hips, stretch all limps as much as possible;
• Hold five long breathes: make sure your wrists are not overwhelmingly under pressure;
• Do the complete Viniyasa from stand pose to upward facing dog pose, to downward facing dog pose, and repeat three times, this process takes around 3 minutes.

No.5 Three legged dog to knee to nose flow

Three legged dog pose comes right after downward facing dog pose. It helps stretch lower body, hamstrings, calves and ankles. Also it will increase your range of flexibility. Go with each leg for one around. 

How to do three legged dog to knee to nose pose?

• After your last round of downward facing dog pose, lift your right leg up behind you, make yourself a three legged dog;
• Move knee to nose: exhale throughly, bring right knee to nose rounding through the spine, this is not easy to do, and depends a lot on your range of flexibility;
• Pull belly toward spine: at the same time, your belly is pulled up and in, and the chin is tucked;
• Switch to another leg: after a deep breath, go back to downward facing dog pose and switch to another leg;
• This pose lasts around 1 minute. 

No.6 Standing forward fold pose

After five vigorous poses, you are allowed to take a little break, standing forward fold pose is very easy to achieve and takes less strengths compared with your have been through. This pose is widely known as a resting pose, it urges you toward greater flexibility along your back body.

How to do standing forward fold pose?

• From three legged dog to knee to nose pose, go back to downward facing dog pose and walk both legs forward to the front of your mat;
• Back to standing pose: put your hands around thighs and stand steadily;
• Bend forward: with your toes grasped, bending forward, your torso are over your legs, your hands may land next to your feet or just on the ground;
• Inhale and exhale for three times: inhale and extend your chest to lengthen your spine;
• This pose takes around 30 seconds. 

No.7 Warrior II pose

Here comes another difficult pose – Warrior II pose. This pose is good  for opening the hips and shoulders and it helps stretch the inner thighs and chests, also will strengthen your legs, abs and arms. It is relatively more difficult to keep a balance than above mentioned poses, use your thigh strength a lot and stay low and bend one knee at a 90 degree angle, this is key to maintain a balanced Warrior II pose.

How to do Warrior II pose?

• Stand in a wide stance: face the long side of mat, arms stretch straight out from shoulders and feet parallel to each other;
• Mind your toes: look down and make sure your toes are pointing slightly in;
• Raise your arms: as you inhale, raise your arms parallels to the floor, eyes looking forward;
• Bend the front leg: bend the front leg at a 90 degree angle, slightly adjust your feet to maintain balance;
• Stay in this pose for 5 breaths: meanwhile engage your core to prevent rips from flaring out;
• This pose takes around 30 seconds.

No.8 Reverse warrior pose

Reverse warrior pose is a continued pose for last one, it helps to strengthen the hips, arms, shoulders, torso and else, and stretch your core area a lot, also improves flexibility in the spine and chest.

How to do reverse warrior pose?

• After warrior II pose, transite to reverse warrior pose;
• Lift your arm up to the ceiling: as you inhale, lift the front arm up to the ceiling, while lower your back arm to right knee;
• Engage core muscles: lift your chest while you become slightly backward bend, use your core muscles to maintain balance;
• Come back to warrior II pose: hold it for like one breath and come back to warrior II pose, then repeat on the other side;
• This pose takes around 1 minute.

No.9 Boat pose to low boat pose

Low boat pose is a variation of boat pose. Both poses require engagement of core muscles a lot. You are asked to hold both poses for like 10 seconds. Boat pose is great for developing abdomen strengths and kills belly fat in the process.

How to do boat pose and low boat pose?

• Start by sitting on your mat: remember to pull your spine tall and back straight;
• Bend your legs: making your knee slightly touch your chest, of course, this depends on your range of flexibility, just do your best;
• Stay here or straighten both legs: this depends on your status, if you can, try to straighten your legs, and hold for like 10 seconds;
• Lower your legs if possible: slightly lean your upper body and lower your legs to a wider “V”, and hold for another 10 seconds;
• Repeat for three times: take a little break, and repeat these two poses for three times;
• This pose takes around 1.5 minutes.

No.10 Bridge pose

Here comes the organism, bridge pose is one of the most classic poses for weight loss and also a difficult pose. Like its name indicates, this pose requires to bend your body to a bridge shape and hold for 5 breaths. 

How to do bridge pose?

• Lie down on your back: while you lie on your back with knees bent on the mat, keeping toes flat on mat;
• Place your arms: bring your arms alongside your body with palms down;
• Raise your hips: use your core muscle to raise your hips to create a straight line from knees to shoulders, at the same time, pulling belly button back toward your spine;
• Hold for 5 breathes and do baby pose: maintain this pose for like 5 breaths, then repeat for another round, come into baby pose for some break;
• This pose takes around 2 minutes.

For part B, is the ending part, but before end your exercise, there is a slight peak of this routine, which refers to the wheel pose and standing down pose, then is the rest pose. 

No.11 Wheel pose

For the record, please skip this pose if you think you are tired already after bridge pose, it is ok to admit so. Wheel pose is an advanced version of bridge pose, in my opinion. It involves your arm strengths to pull upper body based on bridge pose. It stretches the chest, shoulders, and hips in a way to counteracts our modern sedentary lifestyle.

How to do wheel pose?

• Bases on bridge pose: let your knees and feet turn outwards, keep them parallel;
• Use your arm strengths: push down hard into your hands and feet, lift your head and body off the ground;
• Hold for 20 seconds: keep breathing and comes down slowly after hold for 20 seconds;
• This pose takes around 1 minute.

No.12 Upside down pose – yoga inversion (pass or use a wall to help you maintain balance)

Upside down pose is a kind of yoga inversion, it is also called headstand. Do this pose against the wall for safety concern if you are a fresh man in yoga practice, or just skip this pose. It helps strengthen the whole body and calms the brain.

How to do upside down pose?

• Stand against a wall and lean forward: place your forearms on the floor in front of you, bring your hands together and interlace your fingers;
• Make a crown for head using forearms: place your head against your palms;
• Life your stronger leg: after tuck your toes, life one knee toward your head until your hips are above your shoulders;
• Hold for 20 seconds: bend your knees for better balance if needed;
• This pose takes around 2 minutes.

No.13 Savasana pose

Congratulations, you made it. All the hard work will pay off in the future, Savasana is the last pose of this routine and it is no less important than other poses. Savasana is an ending, resting pose to restore your energy and get yourself prepared for further challenges, come on.

How to do Savasana pose?

• Lie down on mat: put your limps flat on ground, like ice cream melting onto the ground;
• Close your eyes: put your feet apart and arms alongside your body, then close your eyes;
• Relax: close your mind, allowed yourself to fall asleep in you are that exhausted;
• This pose lasts like 2 minutes or longer if you want to.

Enjoy, wish you a happy yoga time and a satisfying number on the scale.