Belly fat is caused due to many reasons like genetics, unhealthy diet, unhealthy lifestyle, hormonal imbalances, stress, and a lack of movement. And belly fat not only makes you look fat and less attractive but also causes other problems like poor posture, back pain, the incidence of heart disease, hypertension, and cancer. To target belly fat, several yoga poses done at home are popular choices by health practitioners.
Yoga reigns as the most trusted and effective system of nourishing and toning one’s body in a holistic sense. Due to its proven positive impacts on health and mood, yoga is considered one of the best forms of therapy and is adopted as a part of lifestyle routine by many. So here in this blog post, I will share some poses with you that are very effective in reducing belly fat. Also, these asanas will help relieve other stomach-related issues like constipation, indigestion, and bloating along with strengthening the tummy.
Boat pose
This pose strengthens the side and front muscles of your belly and strengthens your core.
How to perform?
- Lie flat on your back
- Keep both hands on the sides, shoulders relaxed and legs straight.
- Now slowly raise your legs and hand. Keep the belly on hold and then above.
- Make a V-shape of the body by taking the legs above until they make a 45° angle with the abdomen.
- Hold this position for 60 seconds and then repeat.
*Women who are pregnant or menstruating, asthma and heart patients should avoid boat pose
Cobra Pose:
If you are looking for something to help you lose belly fat along with some regimen to strengthen your spine and chest muscles then the cobra pose can be the right choice. Also, this pose is good for those suffering from constipation as it puts pressure on the stomach.
How to perform?
- Lie flat on your belly
- Maintain palm under shoulders and toes should point outwards
- Now in a rhythmical motion, lift your upper body including your head, shoulders, and torso, and breathe in.
- While doing this pose, keep in mind that your neck should be upwards and your lower body should be touching the ground
- Broaden your shoulders by stressing them
*Persons suffering from spondylitis, backache, asthma, or women who are pregnant should not try this yoga pose to reduce belly fat
Bow Pose:
This yoga pose is very specific to shedding the belly around the waist area. The pose tones your abdominal area and flattens it by burning many calories. Other advantages of bow pose include correction of posture by giving a good stretch to muscles of the back, arm, chest, and thighs.
How to perform?
- Lie flat on your belly
- Bend the knees and with your hands hold your feet
- Breathe in and stretch your arms and legs up in the air keeping the position of holding feet in your hands maintained and raise your thighs and chest as well as if forming a boat
- Keep the position maintained for 30 seconds and then gradually increase to 90 seconds
- When releasing the position, exhale.
Plank pose
The plank pose is very effective to burn belly fat besides strengthening your core muscles, thighs, arms, and shoulders. Also, the plank pose is effective in maintaining a sense of balance and equilibrium.
How to perform?
- Lie flat on your belly
- Place the palms underneath your shoulders and lift your whole body up
- Use your toes to hold the ground and keep your knees straight
- Make sure to keep your arms straight and your spine in line with your pelvis and knees
- Breathe in when you lift the body and breathe out when you are lowering the body
- If you’re holding the position for a longer time then keep on breathing in and out normally
Standing forward bend pose
This pose puts pressure on the belly and makes it soft and relaxed. It helps the stomach to do its job of digestion. This pose is very effective in belly fat loss. The standing forward bend pose helps in toning the muscles of the abdomen and addresses issues like anxiety, and physical exertion. Also, the pose strengthens the wrist.
How to perform?
- Stand straight with your palm facing inwards towards your body and keep the feet together with heels touching each other
- While keeping the spine straight, deep breath inwards and lift your hands upwards
- Now breath outwards and bend forward in such a way that your body and ground are parallel to each other
- Keep on inhaling, then exhaling, and bend from your hips as if you are about to fall off
- Keeping the position maintained, touch the ground with your hands or if you’re new to it, try touching your toes or ankles.
- Keep in mind that the knees are not bent throughout this yoga pose
*people suffering from asthma, diarrhea, spinal disc disorders, or those who have had abdominal surgery recently should avoid this yoga pose
Wind relieving poses
As the name suggests, this yoga pose helps in the digestion of food and releases gas and is therefore helpful in reducing belly fat. Besides flattening the abdomen, this yoga pose helps in strengthening the muscles of the back and abdomen as well as tones the muscles of the legs and arms.
How to perform?
- Lie down on your back with arms aside and feet extended with both heels in contact with each other
- Bend your knees and then inhale
- Then take your bent knees towards your chest and while doing so exhale. While making this yoga pose, your thighs should be putting pressure on your chest with further pressure applied by arms wrapping around the shin
- Take a deep breath again and when you exhale, lift your head and try to touch your chin with your knees
- Try to maintain the position for around a minute or less with deep breathing
- In the end, exhale slowly and relieve the position
*pregnant women and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and spinal issues should not try this yoga pose.
So what are you waiting for? If you want to lose belly fat without any kind of diet or lifestyle modification just take out your mat and lie down to try these simple and very effective yoga poses, which would give you some excellent health benefits, other than just reducing belly fat.
