Last updated on March 18th, 2024
We all have heard how important it is to have a good metabolism and how some people have a better metabolism than others. However, what exactly metabolism is, why do we need it and how we can use yoga to boost metabolism, let’s explore.
About Metabolism
Metabolism is a biochemical process that occurs in all living beings. Through metabolism, the body converts what we eat and drink into energy.
The rate of metabolism is different in each individual and it is determined by various factors such as age, level of physical activity, gender, and medical issues. It is important to have a good metabolic rate so that the body can function optimally.
The level of physical activity plays a key role in metabolic functioning. If your body sweats, it triggers the endocrine system which regulates the functions of many organs in the body which includes digestion and metabolism.
When your metabolism gets a kick, it means that the body will burn more energy and that too at quite a rapid rate. This will help in weight loss as well. It is important to find the right way to fire your metabolism (study).
In today’s times, you can find several workouts and a hundred steps for keeping yourself fit. This can make it challenging to find the right kind of workout for you which can not only benefit your body but also has a positive impact on your mind and spirit.
Well, no point for guessing that yoga can be one such way of working out and staying fit!
It not only shapes your body but also allows the mind to relax and feel peaceful. However, the pertinent question is if yoga can help to boost your metabolism.
Suggested reads:
- 31 Health & Fitness Hacks
- 15 Scientific Benefits of Running
- 10 False Fitness Tips to Leave
- 10 Fitness Motivation Quotes
- 40 Positive Things
- Quotes to Lift Your Mood
Yoga To Boost Metabolism
Yoga combines physical, mental, and spiritual practices for strengthening the union between your mind and body. Most people believe that yoga only helps in losing weight or relieving stress. However, the truth is that flowing from one to another helps in boosting metabolism and burn calories throughout the day.
Let’s explore how yoga can fire up your metabolism.
Yoga can prove to be a great way of boosting your metabolism. Increasing the metabolic rate is only possible by increasing the movement. Yoga helps in increasing metabolic rate by improving digestion and circulation which helps in creating lean muscle mass.
1. Digestion
As most of the digestive tract is located in the abdomen, the yoga exercise which focuses on the core can help the organs function properly.
The planks, boat, or bringing the knee into the chest position can help. The twisting poses also help the digestive tract and detoxify your organs. You can also try the twisted chair or revolved triangle poses.
2. Circulation
When the body suffers from a lack of proper blood circulation and doesn’t receive clean blood at a healthy rate, all the organs get affected as they fail to receive the required nutrients and oxygen. Thus, when the circulatory system doesn’t work properly, the metabolism slows down.
The deep and slow breathing practice during yoga can help in improving blood circulation by enabling the arteries to open up and release pressure. This increases the blood flow and helps the white blood cells circulate to the organs at a faster rate.
You must try inhaling and exhaling once every movement so that heat in your body can be increased. You can then slow down by holding a few positions for five to ten breaths.
When you are about to end your meditation, try to keep breathing in till you count five and then try to breathe out till you count 5. Also, pause with no air in your lungs for five counts and keep on repeating the procedure.
3. Muscle
When you practice yoga, your body will automatically target the large muscle group and use the smaller muscles for achieving each pose. Yoga tests your balance, flexibility, and strength by challenging the limits of your body in several ways so that it begins to work as one unit.
When several muscle groups work together, the muscle size and density increase. When you build muscle, you keep on burning calories and when you burn calories, the metabolic rate in your body increases.
Also read,
Yoga Sequences for Boosting Metabolism
1. Twisting Prayer Lunge
When you are in a high crescent lunge, press your palms together near your heart’s centre and begin to twist towards the front leg. Now, try to bring the opposite elbows to the outside of the thigh. Hold the position for 5 to 10 breaths and repeat from another side.
2. Twisting Prayer Chair
From the chair pose, place your pressed palms near the centre of your heart begin to twist towards one side and bring your opposite elbow to the outside of the thigh. Hold the position for 5 to 10 breaths and repeat from another side.
3. Eagle Pose
From the chair pose, cross your right leg on the top of your left leg wrapping your right arm underneath your left arm. Now, squeeze everything towards your midline. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths and repeat from another side.
4. Knee to Chest
Lie down on your back and hug your knees into the chest. Squeeze everything in as if hugging yourself. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths.
5. Supine Twists
From the previous pose, place your knees on one side and wide open the arms to form a T. Hole the pose for 5 to 10 breaths and repeat from another side.
6. Breathing & Meditation
Essential readings:
- How to do yoga poses & Pranayam to improve the overall health
- Hatha yoga guide: miraculous benefits of hatha yoga & guidelines
- Meditation guide to those who are having trouble meditating
Essential Yoga accessories for an easy yoga session
- Comfortable Yoga Clothes for Women
- A yoga mat
- Yoga socks & gloves
- Yoga towel & belt
- Cover bag
- Journals
Final Words: Yoga to Boost Metabolism
It is important to make yoga a part of your daily routine and practice these specific yoga poses to boost your metabolism along with meditation. These poses have a direct impact on your gut and intestines. Thus, they will help stimulate digestion and work on your metabolism as well.
Yoga is a comprehensive workout whereby one asana or pose has ample benefits. And these benefits extend beyond the physical ones for people who embraced yoga as their way of life.
You can get help from a Yoga School or join a community to increase your Yoga efforts.
You may also like,
- 4 Simple Steps To Lose Weight Naturally (Based On Science & Ayurveda)
- How To Choose Right Diet Plan & Workout Strategies As Per Your Body Type
- Best Exercise Cycles to Reduce Belly Fat In India
- How To Detox Your Body To Lose Weight (Naturally)
- Top Treadmills For Weight Loss In India
- Best Fitness Bands To Track Your Calories In India
If you liked this blog, do share it with someone you care about 🙂
Long yet detailed same pinch 🙂
🙂
A very informative post, Srishti. Need to bookmark this. I am huge on yoga and meditation, both for fitness and as therapy. And have had some excellent results.
Thanks, Ritu 🙂 Yes, yoga is very effective for fitness as well as therapy. I also have had great results with Yoga!
wow! I am going to restart yoga soon!
Good luck:)
That’s true, physical activity plays a key role in enhancing metabolism but one must not ignore the benefits of yoga.
These poses look slightly tough but every one can easily learn by practicing.
Consistency really matters in practicing yoga😊
Yes 🙂 And, practice makes a person perfect!
I am a Yoga fancier and loved your post a lot.
People ask me can we lose weight with Yoga and I do tell them it makes you fit, healthy and happy. Yoga is an art that connects our mind and soul and gives inner peace.
Lovely post…
Thanks, Pragun:) Yes Yoga is an art that leaves positive impact not only on our body but also on our mind and soul.
The poses, the chanting & stretching of muscles creates an amalgamation that relaxes not only mind but body.
Yes, Yoga is a magical tool for treating diseases & providing therapeutical benefits to mind and body.
I have been doing yoga since some time now but wasn’t taking it too seriously but after reading this i am surely making it a part of my routine. Thanks for sharing such an informative post on Yoga.
🙂
Srishti, that’s so informative. You pumped me up re-start my yoga time. Twist exercises do feel good to try.
Glad to know you liked the post 🙂
I have been practising Vinyasa Flow Yoga for quite some time now and I have been doing it to calm my mind. I have known that metabolism is heredity but did not really know that Yoga can actually boost it so much 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are right metabolism is heredity but you can boost it by practicing yoga and exercises. Also, there are some metabolism booster foods like green tea that helps. Plus good habits like chewing your food 32 times improves your digestion.
Highly informative post, today I knew how yoga can improve our body metabolism? Keep sharing healthy post for healthy life.
Thanks 🙂
Yoga is much more than simple stretching and bending. By using yogic postures properly, one can send blood supply to organs that do not normally get enough, stretch muscles that normally do not get stretched, massage organs that do not much activity. But one has to do yoga seriously and regularly to be able to control metabolism. Many might have seen accomplished practitioners of yoga, like Dhirendra Brahmachari, went around without much clothing in winter season. That is controlling metabolism and an ability to keep body warm at will and vice versa. We need practice and perseverance to attain this.
Yes, true! Yoga has more miraculous benefits than we know. A serious yogi has the ability to carry the innocence of a 16-year-old on his/her face. And I agree that practice and perseverance are needed to master these abilities.
An informative post. Dispels lot of common misconceptions. Introduces lot of little known facts. Will definitely help in building motivation for people who are contemplating some form of exercise for fitness!
Thanks for stopping by Rohit! I am happy you liked it:)
Sometimes you open a book and find just the right words that you need to read at the point. And so is this article and your blog. I have it open in multiple tabs reading about yoga and being really inspired. Although I have done in the past I gave up due to a slip disc. After about 5 years now, I want to rediscover it and your blog has made me put a stamp on that thought. Thank you so much for the article. My battle with the bulge is constantly playing on my mind. But to have someone put across well articulated stuff about it really motivates me to work on a solution.
Great work! Keep it up!
Thanks for such a detailed review, thanks for your words. I am really happy, my post motivated you:) I hope you are fine now! And good luck with your efforts, I am sure you will reach there very soon!
A very infomative post about common ingredients of cooking.
Hey this is nice… I just re started my Yoga practice last week after 3 years and realised that yoga is my favourite workout… Loved reading all the details u have mentioned….
Yes, Kushal! Yoga does miracles.
Yoga not only helps for building metabolism but also results in peace and harmony and being calm and handling situations, good writeup very informative
Yes, Dev! yoga is very helpful for improving mental peace & mental health!
This was the motivation I was really looking for. Wonderfully written.
🙂 Thanks Rashi!
What a post
Like i was taking biology class
Informative it is
Thanks:)
Trust me I started yoga and now left but after reading this post feel like to give a try again and start for a healthy life.
All the best:)
This was a good reminder for me to return to Yoga; at least to Suryanamaskaar for their multiple benefits.
Glad, you liked it:)
Loved this post and its a must read for everyone as Yoga is indeed a magic, I have literally seen people getting rid of many diseases including diabetes just by practicing regular yoga.
Yes, Vartika! Yoga is a very powerful technique:)
Very helpful post! Glad to discover your lovely blog! Yoga is indeed the safest and surest way to good health. Could you add the yoga pose names that are traditionally used in India? It would really help. Thanks and happy blogging all through September!
Yoga itself originated in India. The modern names like ‘power yoga’ & ‘hot yoga’ are given to yoga by western countries which they do practice with cardio and other forms of exercises. Different yoga poses are for a different purpose. For example, if you want to lose weight, you should practice Kapal bhati & bridge pose, and if you want to reduce depression Uttanasana and child pose are best. If you want to know more, you can read this article: https://trendtofit.com/hatha-yoga-meaning-poses-benefits/
Thanks a lot for the informational article. This is the kind of motivation I would need to restart my Yoga
🙂
Weak metabolism is a huge problem these day with people of all age groups. These tips sounds promising. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks much!