For weight loss, there are ample techniques such as having lime with warm water, cutting down on fast food and calories, going for morning walk’s or doing the gym. But there can be nothing more effective than the natural techniques such as doing Yoga and Aerobics.
The question is which is more effective out of the two – Yoga and Aerobics? Both do the body good but in different ways. If weight loss is your goal, it’s hard to beat the calorie-burning power of cardio exercise. If you want to get a supple body, yoga is for you. However, the best workout plan combines a blend of exercises for a wider range of benefits. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that for optimal health, both aerobics and muscle-strengthening activities like yoga are crucial.
Fat Loss
Fat loss happens when more calories are exhausted than consumed. Running at 5 miles per hour, aerobics burns about 600 calories in one hour. A yoga class of moderate-intensity burns about 350 calories. However, let us not make a judgment out of calories burned. When exercising five days a week for one hour, running has the potential to burn off three pounds more than yoga over a period of eight weeks. So, Aerobic exercise is the winner hands down!
Endurance and Strength
Although aerobic exercise produces endurance i.e. the ability to sustain an activity for an increased amount of time, it doesn’t contribute much towards increasing strength. In 2011, research was done amongst 79 male and female volunteers as they engaged in the yoga technique of saluting the sun six days a week for 24 weeks. The “Asian Journal of Sports Medicine” published the study, which revealed a significant increase in strength and endurance among both men and women. Winner: Yoga hands down!
[Also Read: Yoga For Hair Loss]
Cardiovascular Fitness
Although yoga involves systematic breathing that improves respiratory fitness, ultimately aerobic exercise outperforms yoga in the cardiovascular field. That is because it elevates the heart rate for sustained periods of time. This improves the efficiency of the heart muscle, allowing it to do more work with less effort during rest times. The winner in this case is an Aerobic exercise!
Mental Fortitude
It is heartening to know that both yoga and aerobic exercise produce immediate and sustained changes in mental outlook. This includes reduced anxiety and depression, improved self-esteem, and a greater overall sense of well-being. Some of the changes seen with both forms of exercise can be linked to improvements in body composition. The Winner: Tie!
The Final Analysis
Weight loss is a mental game. In the battle against the bulge, being in tune with your behaviours and emotions is the biggest asset.
- Eat lots of veggies, high fibre fruits, nuts, protein rich food and make sure to include carbs in your main meals. Dinner can be light.
- Yoga will help you in strength and flexibility and aerobics will give you a cardio workout. You can alternate between the two. Rest for a day depending on how you feel. Don’t exhaust yourself trying to lose weight.
- Do not fall for claims that doing 100 suryanamskars will lead to weight loss. Form is more important. Doing too much too soon that too in the wrong form will cause injury.
- Eat healthy homemade food and avoid all sugar free snacks and junk. You will definitely feel lighter, fitter and glow. Take this as the beginning and don’t stop exercising after.
Losing weight is 70% food habits and 30% exercise. Depending on your body composition, you can choose between Yoga and Aerobics or both to reach your weight loss aim.