This fat burning yoga workout will leave you feeling torched.
Fat Burning Yoga Workout | Class 1
Welcome to Fat Burning Yoga Workout series by Yogi Panda! This collection contains 5 classes that slowly progress from easy to extremely difficult.
- In Class 1, we’ll focus on basic mobility and aerobic movement. Then, we’ll cool things down with a super yummy stretch.
- Class 2 builds on mobility while introducing new aerobic and strength challenges.
- By Class 3, we’ll take things up a notch. Here, we’ll introduce some explosive movements to spike your heart rate for an even bigger calorie burn.
- Class 4 is tougher yet, laddering between sprinting and aerobic exercises to further confuse and challenge your body, which is a recipe for melting fat.
- Class 5 is extreme—so extreme, in fact, it should be done just once a week at most. Here, we’ll work until exhaustion. A lot. Like every class, we’ll end things with a rejuvenating yoga flow.
Learn More: Is yoga a fat burning workout?
Whether you’re visiting the studio or sweating at home, yoga class can leave you feeling totally wiped. But are yoga classes effective at burning fat?
The answer: It depends.
There are many types of yoga. Some styles, like Yin Yoga, are known for being slow, deliberate, and relaxing. So if burning fat is your goal, a Yin Yoga class will not get you there.
In fact, researchers at the University of California Davis found that slow yoga styles do not significantly cause fat loss. Because these styles emphasize on slowing things down, regular practitioners may actually decrease their resting metabolic rate (RMR). This means the body will burn fewer calories. If diet is not adjusted, practitioners may even increase their body fat percentage over time.
However, slow yoga is not without its benefits. For example, Yin Yoga’s emphasis on slow and deliberate stretching has been shown to reduce stress and chronic pain while also helping to improve mobility. Researchers at UC Davis went on to explain, “8 weeks of hatha yoga practice can significantly improve multiple health‐related aspects of physical fitness.”
The lesson: Every yoga style has benefits. To burn fat, be sure to pick a style that takes more of a “workout” approach that increases heart rate.
The secret to building a fat burning yoga workout
To burn fat, you need to ramp up your calorie (energy) burn. There are many ways to do this in a yoga practice, including:
- Vinyasa flow
- High Intensity Intervals
- Static holds
Burn fat with Vinyasa flows
Roughly translated, Vinyasa means to place in a special way. When we practice Vinyasa, we flow from one posture to the next (approaching postures with intention and grace). Usually, we match breath to movement. We inhale as we enter one posture, exhale as we transition to another, and so on.
This breath-to-movement flow can significantly increase heart rate, taking us one step closer to burning fat. Vinyasas help to loosen the body in preparation for more intense activity. When done vigorously, this breath-to-movement style of yoga has the power to quickly ramp up your heart rate. This taxes your cardiovascular system and demands that your body begin to burn extra fuel (calories).
Vinyasa is a good starting point. But for maximum fat burn, it’s smart to incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) as well.
Enjoy an Afterburn Effect with HIIT
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to burn fat and get lean. In one study, researchers found HIIT significantly reduces body fat while also improving insulin resistance. But the benefits don’t stop there.
HIIT training has also been shown to create an Afterburn Effect. Whereas moderate exercise like walking and jogging burns calories during exercise, HIIT training can trigger additional calorie burn for up to two days after the exercise session ends.
For a maximum fat burn both during and after your yoga practice, incorporate HIIT exercises intelligently. Choose low impact exercises whenever possible, and make sure they align well with the yoga postures you practice before/after.
Example: In our Fat Burning Yoga Workout series, we incorporate a sprint-style high knees exercises after the ankles, knees, and hips have been warmed up. Taking this approach empowers you to burn that extra fat, without risking injury to the feet, legs, and hips.
Get extra fat burn with static holds
Static holds are another way to increase your heart rate during yoga, which also increases your total fat burn. Many yoga postures are inherently considered to be static. That is, we enter the posture, activate the appropriate muscle groups, and hold the position. A full list of static yoga postures would be very long. Here are just a few common examples:
- Downward Dog
- Plank
- Low Plank (note that Chaturanga—flowing from Plank to Low Plank—is considered a dynamic movement)
- Warrior Series (I, II, III)
Entering these positions requires full engagement across many muscle groups. Moreover, many of these postures can be modified to increase the engagement of core and stabilizer muscles. Heartrate increases with engagement and duration, making static holds a great way to increase calorie and fat burn during your yoga practice.
Putting it All Together
A word of caution: Abruptly transitioning from yoga postures to explosive HIIT exercises can cause injury when done incorrectly. Always take time to warm up your body. Make sure your yoga practice includes a sensible progression that meshes all postures, holds, and HIIT exercises properly.
See it in action: Fat Burning Yoga Workout | Class 1
Visit the following link to take this free yoga class for maximum fat burn!
Class 1 is always free. To unlock full access to the Fat Burning Yoga Workout series—and all classes on Yogi Panda—join our tribe! Every month, $5 of your membership fee goes directly to fund opiate abuse and recovery, so you can feel extra good about unrolling your mat.
