Yoga Helps Fight Bulge
Yoga practice helps middle-aged people lose weight and keep it off, suggest new studies published in the online journal Alternative Therapies In Health and Medicine.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center surveyed 15,500 men and women to assess their weight and yoga histories between the ages of 45 and 55.
For purposes of the study, regular yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years.
20-Pound Gap
Statistics showed that the subjects who were of normal weight at the age of 45 and did not practice yoga consistently gained about 10 pounds, while those who performed regular yoga routines lost 3 pounds during that same 10-year period -- a difference of 13 pounds.
There was a wider gap between people who were overweight at the age of 45. The non-yoga group gained about 14 pounds, while the yoga group lost 5 pounds -- a difference of almost 20 pounds.
It is not likely that yoga's fat-fighting potential is due to the physical activity itself, according to the study's lead author, Alan R. Kristal, DrPH.
"During a very vigorous yoga practice you can burn enough calories to lose weight, but most people don't practice that kind of yoga," he notes.
Body Awareness a Factor
"From my experience, I think it has to do with the way that yoga makes you more aware of your body. So when you've eaten enough food, you're sensitive to the feeling of being full, and this makes it much easier to stop eating before you've eaten too much," Kristal explains.
"Most people practice yoga in a way that's not aerobic enough to burn a lot of calories, so it has to be some other reason," adds study co-author Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts.
"People who regularly practice yoga develop the inner resources to stay with a little bit of discomfort," she says, hypothesizing that those inner resources help people to stay with the discomfort that is caused when they deny themselves junk food.
In order to accurately measure the effects of yoga on weight maintenance and loss, these preliminary findings will need to be replicated, Kristal cautions.
author:Rita Jenkins
Minimizes foot odor, Non - slip, Sweat-absorbing, Portable - no need to travel with a mat, Reduces risk of injury by providing a warm environment for muscles, tendons and ligaments
Click here to buy from Amazon
