Yoga to reduce Belly Fat

Do you have a big tummy too? Are you also suffering from short of breath while walking or climbing stairs? If this is the case, then you are most probably suffering from overweight or, say, obesity. It has been confirmed in many scientific researches that an obese person has increased risk of health problems like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, high blood pressure and cancer.
Do not panic, our aim is not to scare you, but to alert you. Here we will talk about a few yoga asanas, whose regular practice will not only reduce obesity, but can also get rid of other health problems.

Best Yoga Asanas to Reduce Belly Fat

Just as there is a method to perform every yoga, similarly it is necessary to do all yoga asanas in a proper order. Yoga starts with the standing postures. It is followed by yoga asanas which are done by sitting and then lying down. To reduce belly fat, the yogas are as follows.

1. Trikon Asana

While doing this asana, the body comes in a triangle-like posture, that's why it is called trikon asana.

How to Do?

• Stand with about two feet between your legs. Keep both hands directly in-touch with the body.
• Now, spread your arms away from the body and while breathing lift the right hand up and closer to the ear.
• After that, while exhaling slowly, bend from the waist to the left. During this time the right hand should be adjacent to the ear and do not bend the knees.
• Now try to bring the right hand parallel to the ground. Also try to touch the left ankle with the left hand.
• Stay in this posture for about 10-30 seconds and keep breathing at normal speed.
• Then take a breath and return to normal. Do the same on the right side.
• You can do three to four cycles like this.

Benefits

• Doing this also feels a stretch in the whole body.
• It communicates new energy in the body.
• The lungs remain healthy and are able to function better.
• By doing this, problems like back ache and sciatica can be cured.
• Also, it is an excellent asana for problems like constipation and acidity.
• It increases flexibility of muscles.
• It can also lower stress.

Precautions

• Do not do this Yoga asana if high or low blood pressure.
• Those who have severe pain in the waist or have a problem of slip disc, do not do it too.
• Do not do it even if you have dizzy head or pain in neck and back.
• If you have acidity, do not do it.

2. Padahasta Asana

It is made up of the sum of the two words 'Pada' i.e. foot and 'Hasta' i.e. hand. While doing this yoga, the hands are kept close to the feet on the ground, due to which it is called Padahastasana.

How to Do?

• Stand straight on the yoga mat by joining the legs together and keeping the hands straight.
• Now raise your hands while breathing.
• After this, while exhaling, bend forward and try to bring both palms close to the ground with the feet.
• Also try to touch your knees with your forehead.
• Hold the breath in this state. Keep in mind that the area below the waist should not be turned.
• Remain in this posture for a few seconds and then take a breath and rise up and try to bend backwards while moving your hands up.
• After this, bend forward while exhaling. Do this about three to four times.

Benefits

• While doing this asana, there is pressure in and around the stomach, due to which the fat stored there starts to decrease.
• Stretches are felt in the back, hips and thighs, as a result of which they stay strong.
• Problems like headache and insomnia are relieved and mental stress is also reduced to some extent.
• The digestive system starts working better, due to which problems like gas, acidity and constipation are eliminated.

Precautions

• If you have back pain, do not do this asana.
• If you start having back pain while doing this asana, stop immediately and contact the doctor.
• Those who have any heart problem, hernia or stomach swelling, do not do it.
• This asana should not be done during pregnancy.

3. Ardhachakrasana

In Sanskrit 'ardha' means half and 'chakra' means wheel. While doing this yoga, the posture of the body looks like half a wheel, hence it is called Ardhachakrasana.

How to Do?

• Stand straight with the legs together and keeping the hands straight.
• Now bend the elbows and place the palms on the lower back.
• Then take a breath and try to lean backwards as much as possible.
• Stay in this position as long as possible and keep breathing.
• After this, while exhaling, come back to normal.
• This asana can be done about three to four times in a cycle.

Benefits

• By doing this, the fat accumulated around the stomach gradually decreases.
• People who have diabetes can also do this asana. This keeps insulin levels in the body balanced.
• This asana relieves neck pain and stretches the back muscles and makes them flexible.
• If you are suffering from back pain and want to make the spine flexible, then do this asana.
• People who work for long periods of time should do this asana, so that back pain can be relaxed.

Precautions

• Do not jerk the head and neck while bending back in this posture.
• Those who have problems with slip disc or sciatica, do it under the supervision of a specialist.
• After doing this asana, it's better if you avoid any asanas which has a bending posture.

4. Kapalbhati

The root of every disease in human beings lies in the stomach. If the stomach is right then everything is fine and if the stomach is bad, then health is bound to get messed up. By doing this, the stomach is cured in a miraculous way.

How to Do?

• First of all, sit in Sukhasana pose and close your eyes.
• Now you have to exhale slowly through your nose. While exhaling, the stomach should go inside you.
• Keep in mind that you just have to leave the breath and not take it. During this time keep the mouth closed. The inhaling process will be automatic.
• Keep doing this for as long as possible.
• In this way, you can do about five to ten rounds.

Benefits

• This reduces belly fat and keeps your bodyweight in check.
• Improves the digestive system, due to which stomach problems start going away.
• There is relief from gas, acidity and constipation etc.
• Facial glow and the effect of increasing age is reduced.

Precautions

• Those who have high blood pressure or heart disease should not do kapalbhati.
• Epilepsy, hernia and respiratory patients should not do this either.

5. Pawanmukta Asana

This is an important asana done by lying down. While doing this, the stomach is stressed. 'Pawan' means wind and 'mukta' means coming out. By doing this, the gas stored in the stomach comes out.

How to Do?

• You lie flat on your back on the yoga mat. Your hands should be adjacent to the body.
• While taking a long deep breath, bend the right leg from your knee and try to touch the chest while holding the knee with both hands.
• Then exhale, raise the head and try to touch the nose with your knee.
• Remain in this position for a few seconds and then exhale and bring the foot and head to the ground.
• Similarly, do it with your left leg and then do it with both feet simultaneously.
• You can do at least five to ten cycles.

Benefits

• This asana reduces abdominal fat and makes it flat.
• By doing this, the accumulated gas in the stomach is released and it also provides relief from acidity and constipation.
• It makes the spine strong.
• Also, the lungs work well.

Precautions

• If you have pain in your waist, knees or neck, do not do it.
• Though, except Vajrasana, no other posture should be done after meals, but especially this asana should not be done at all.

6. Dhanurasana

Usually asanas are done lying down on the waist, but this asana is done lying down on the stomach. While doing this, the body becomes forms a bow posture, due to which it is called Dhanurasana. The word 'Dhanur' means bow.

How to Do?

• On the yoga mat lie on your stomach and while exhaling, bend the knees and try to hold the ankles with your hands.
• Now try to lift the head, chest and thighs while inhaling.
• You can lift the body as high as you can.
• After reaching the final stage, try to put the entire weight of the body on the lower abdomen.
• Then try to reduce the distance between the two legs.
• While staying in this posture for some time, keep breathing and exhale slowly.
• Finally return to the initial position, while exhaling slowly.
• Four to five such cycles can be done at one time.

Benefits

• If you want to lose weight, then definitely try this yoga asana.
• Diabetes patients should also do this Yoga asana. This yoga asana balances the level of insulin in the body.
• A person suffering from asthma and back pain can also do this asana. He/she will start seeing positive effects within some time.
• Those who repeatedly complain about constipation, they can also do it.
• Thyroid patients can also do this yoga practice.

Precautions

• Those who have severe back pain should avoid Dhanurasana.
• If you have hernia or have stomach ulcers, do not do this asana.
• Do not do it even if you have sciatica or stones.

7. Halasana

If this yoga is done properly, the weight can be reduced to a great extent. In this yogasana the posture of the body becomes like a plow, so it is called halasana. This is a bit difficult to do, so those who cannot do it should do ardha-halasana.

How to Do?

• To do this, lie down on the waist and keep your hands adjacent to the body.
• Now slowly raise your feet and bring it up to 90 degree angle.
• Now while exhaling, raise the lower back as well as the legs and try to touch the thumb of your feet with the ground while moving the legs back.
• Make sure to keep your hands adjacent to your body and in contact with the ground.
• Stay in this posture for as long as possible and then slowly return to normal and rest.
• You can do this three to four times.

Benefits

• This is the best yoga to get rid of obesity.
• Also, this Yoga asana brings a glow to the face and those who have hair loss problem get relief from it.
• This asana is also good for patients with constipation and hemorrhoids.
• Those who have thyroid and diabetes can also do it.

Precautions

• Those who have any problem in the cervical or spinal cord, do not do it.
• Do not do halasana in case of high blood pressure or dizziness.
• Avoid doing this yoga during pregnancy.
• Patients suffering from heart disease should also avoid it.

NOTE: If possible, do all these Yoga asanas mentioned here under the supervision of a yoga trainer.

Whether you are physically unwell or mentally, yoga is the cure for every problem. Somebody has rightly said that yoga should be done by all and that every disease can be treated by yoga. Also keep in mind that yoga has its effects only when you do it with full confidence. Therefore, do yoga regularly under the supervision of a good instructor(if possible). Be healthy yourself and inspire others to do yoga as well. Also, in the comment box below, tell us how yoga changed your life.