Yoga for Weight Loss: 8 Poses Skinny Fat People Should Try

yoga for weight loss

Ever heard of the term ”skinny fat” and wondering how it makes sense?

Quite simply, skinny fat refers to people who may appear to be thin, but in fact, have very little muscle tone and high amounts of body fat.

If you’re looking to transform from skinny fat to fit and toned, yoga is a great exercise to begin with if you’re not a fan of strenuous exercise.

But don’t get us wrong, yoga for weight loss is incredibly effective and can work up much more of a sweat than you think!

Here are 8 simple yoga poses which are great for burning fat and building muscle tone…

Yoga for Weight Loss: 8 Effective Poses

Yoga is a form of exercise which is great for those who are completely new to exercise and looking to move their bodies in a healthy way.

Essentially, yoga allows you to become more in-tune with your body while burning fat at the same time.

Research has shown that fat burning yoga also helps to lower levels of cortisol in the body and increase insulin sensitivity. This helps your body to burn food as fuel, instead of storing fat.

By the way, while you’re working on your yoga poses, check out Yoga Crow for stylish yoga apparel so you can look the part too!

1. Chair Pose with a Twist

This is a simple pose to begin with but works your thighs, glutes, obliques, shoulders and upper back.

Begin with placing your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise both hands above the head with your palms facing one another.

Then bring your hands together and lower them to chest level, palms pressed together. As you lower your arms, twist your upper body and bend your knees.

Bring your left elbow down to your right thigh and hold it there for 5 seconds. Then repeat the sequence on the opposite side.

Make sure to keep your abs tight and back straight throughout.

2. Downward Dog Split

This is another basic pose using the most common yoga pose of them all- downward facing dog.

Move into a basic downward dog position, then as you inhale, lift your leg behind you as far as you can, keeping your hips as square as possible.

As you exhale, slowly bring your leg back down and up towards your nose- make sure you draw in your belly-button and keep your abs tight.

Repeat 5 times on each leg. This exercise works the shoulders, triceps, upper back, abs and glutes.

3. Warrior 3

This is an excellent exercise to work on your balance while toning those leg and glute muscles.

To achieve this pose, you must master warrior 1 pose first. To do so, begin in a low lunge, with your hands extended towards the ceiling, palms facing each other.

From here, lower your chest towards your right knee, and slowly lift your back leg off the floor, bringing your body parallel to the ground. Keep your abs tight as this will help with maintaining your balance.

Make sure to keep your arms extended in front of you, shoulders down and away from your ears. Your palms must be facing one another.

Look down at the ground and point your head forward while holding this pose for five seconds. Then, slowly lower your back leg and repeat on the other side.

Top tip: use a chair in front of you to lightly hold onto if finding your balance is difficult.

4. Bow Pose

Lying face down on a mat, rest your forehead gently on the floor and have your arms at sides, with your palms facing upward.

As you exhale, bend your knees and bring your toes as close to your glutes as possible. Now, reach behind you and grab onto your feet or ankles, whichever you can reach.

Inhale and lift your chest and thighs off the floor, using your legs as resistance while pushing your heels away from the glutes. Hold in this position for 5 seconds.

This is a great exercise for toning the back, shoulders, glutes, thighs, and arms.

5. Plank Arm-Leg Lift

For this simple move, you’ll need to get into a basic plank position with both hands directly beneath your shoulders and your weight on the balls of your feet.

Keep your core engaged while you slowly lift your left leg and right arm at the same time. Maintain your balance as much as possible, holding the pose for 3-5 seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

This exercise works to tone your abs, obliques, upper arms and glutes.

6. The Crescent Lunge

This is more of a fluid movement, rather than a static one which requires balance.

For this move, begin with your feet shoulder-width apart. Sweep your arms up above you in an arc and hold above your head, palms facing each other.

Then, exhale and bend forward at your waist, reaching your hands to the ground. Inhale and place your hands flat on the floor, bend your knees if you have to.

Exhale and step your left foot back behind you into a deep lunge. Make sure your right leg remains bent at a 90-degree angle.

Push your weight back into your left heel, raise your arms above your head once again and hold this position for 5 seconds. Then, repeat on the other side.

7. Boat Pose

Looking to burn belly fat? This is a great yoga pose for that very purpose. You’re going to sit down with your knees bent in front of you, with your hands placed behind your thighs.

Now, lean back from the hips to a 45-degree angle, keeping your back, neck and head straight the entire time. If you have lower back issues, don’t push it any further.

Otherwise, raise your feet off the floor so that your calves are parallel to the ground, pointing your toes. You may need to find your center of balance.

Finally, extend your arms out to your sides, keeping your palms facing up to the ceiling. To make it a little more difficult, you can straighten your legs.

Hold for 5 seconds and repeat this move 4-5 times.

8. Bridge Pose

Last, but certainly not least, is the bridge pose which is an excellent workout for the hamstrings i.e. the backs of the thighs and glutes.

You’ll need to lie on your back with your arms at your sides and your palms on the ground. Bend your knees to a 45-degree angle and keep your feet hip-distance apart.

Bring your heels as close to your buttocks as possible, then lift your hips off the ground. Make sure to keep your core tight to protect your lower back.

Squeeze your glute muscles as you raise your hips and hold in this position off the ground for 5 seconds. Repeat this move 5-10 times.

Get Fit and Change Your Life

Learn more about what it really means to be skinny fat and yoga for weight loss with Skinny Fat Guy Productions.

If you’re looking to turn your life around and in need of tips, tricks and interesting articles regarding fitness, our website offers just what you need.