Get Started With Yoga for Weight Loss:

A lot of people share a vision of yoga that includes petite, hyper-flexible women in tight pants doing stretches that leave them looking more like pretzels than people. To others, the thought of yoga conjures up images of hippies doing meditational poses in the mountains. There is much more to yoga than these stereotyped perceptions. Yoga is for absolutely anyone and everyone, regardless of size, gender, creed and physical fitness.

When you decided to get weight loss surgery with JSAPA, you take on a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle, and this includes a whole lot more than eating smaller portions. The foods you eat, the way you eat, your sleeping habits and the way you move have to undergo changes as you lose weight. Getting started with these changes before you get your Lap Band is ideal. Once your surgery is in place you will spend a great deal of time adjusting to your healthier lifestyle, finding weight loss solutions that work for you and developing permanent habits that will help you keep weight off long-term.

Yoga is a great addition to a healthier lifestyle. In addition to being a form of exercise, yoga is a highly respected method of stress management and can even be used as a sleep aid. Yoga can help you get your mind and body in the right spot to stay on track with your weight loss goals, but you can’t expect to jump into headstands on your first day of yoga practice.

To get started with yoga try out the following simple poses:

• Mountain pose: To do this pose you need to stand up straight with your feet together. Bring your hands together in front of your chest and square your shoulders. Focus on straightening every inch of your body into alignment. This pose can help improve balance and is a good starting point for yoga.
• Tree pose: During this pose you will balance on one foot, so stand up against the wall or have a chair by your side for support. Standing straight, raise your right leg with your knee pointed out to the right. The bottom of your foot will be on the inner side of your left leg. Raise your leg as high as you can. Your foot may be on your calf, your knee or your thigh. Hold onto something for balance when you first start this pose. As you improve, extend your hands over your head and hold your hands together.

Yoga can increase your flexibility, build muscle strength and tone your body—but accomplishing these benefits takes time. When you are just starting out with yoga you will want to keep it simple. Pushing your body too far, too quick can result in injury, which won’t help your weight loss efforts at all.