Yoga and Weight Loss

Hey all

So I’ve been doing something dangerous, namely reading around on the internet. I’ve come across several studies that seem to show (to my non-medical/exPhys. eyes) that Yoga, even in the absence of other training, brings improved results in things like body composition, waist circumference etc. (i.e. losing fat).

Often times, this is put down to Yoga being very “low impact”, in such a way that it does not provoke a hunger response or “stress eating” in the practitioners.

This got me thinking. Since I’ve never heard/read your thoughts on Yoga before: It’s fairly obvious that Yoga isn’t going to make you particularly strong, and it probably isn’t too effective at developing endurance either (aside from being able to endure uncomfortable positions), but do you think that Yoga could be a beneficial additional modality for someone who is trying to lose weight? In general, what are your thoughts on it? (Assuming that the Yoga-ing doesn’t interfere with the primary stuff)

Could you provide citations?

Hey Austin

Here’s one: https://www.omicsonline.org/a-comparative-study-of-yoga-and-aerobic-exercises-in-obesity-and-its-effect-on-pulmonary-function-2155-6156.1000257.php?aid=12073

There’s some pretty… pseudosciencey words used in the discussion (releasing toxins and what have you), but to my untrained eyes the results do seem to indicate that it works to some degree.

As for the stress eating thing I mentioned in the original post, I didn’t find any studies actually measuring cortisol, just some where stress reduction was suggested as a possible explanation for fat loss results in Yoga.

I don’t know much about that journal, but on a preliminary scan I’m not sure how this paper was published. It’s riddled with errors and bizarre, unscientific language that makes it difficult to put much stock in their findings.

I suppose that to the extent that yoga aids in generating a net calorie deficit (which I suspect would be minimal) – or helps an individual adhere to the more important interventions needed to generate a calorie deficit (like dietary restriction), it can contribute to weight loss.