How to use yoga to exercise abdominal muscles for weight loss

Yoga can strengthen the core muscle group and promote fat burning through specific postures, achieving a dual effect of abdominal muscle training and weight loss. There are mainly cat cow style, boat style, flat support style, side panel style, and lower dog style.

1. Cat Cow Style

The cat cow style activates the deep transverse abdominis muscle through the flexion and extension of the spine. Kneeling position with both hands and knees supporting the ground. When inhaling, collapse your waist and look up in a cow shape. When exhaling, arch your back and lower your head in a cat shape. Repeating can enhance abdominal control and accelerate metabolism when combined with breathing. It is recommended to practice 3 sets per day, 8-12 times per set.

2. Ship style

Ship style directly stimulates the rectus abdominis and iliopsoas muscles. Sit with bent knees and raised legs to form a V-shape and keep your back straight. In the initial stage, it can be assisted by supporting the ground with both hands, and in the advanced stage, it can be raised horizontally in front of both hands. Maintaining a static state for more than 30 seconds can significantly improve core endurance and burn abdominal fat.

3. Flat plate support

Flat plate support requires the coordinated force of the entire body's core muscle group. Use elbow support to form a straight line of the body, avoiding sagging waist or high hips. Starting from 30 seconds and gradually extending to 2 minutes, this posture has a significant effect on eliminating visceral fat and shaping abdominal muscle lines.

4. Side panel

Side panel focuses on exercising the oblique muscle of the abdomen. Lift the hip with unilateral elbow support, and extend the upper arm vertically or cross the waist. Keeping it on both sides for 20-40 seconds can effectively tighten the side waist and improve abdominal relaxation. During the posture process, it is necessary to maintain even breathing and avoid holding your breath.

5. Lower Dog Style

The lower dog style promotes blood circulation by inverted positioning. The palms and soles of the feet support the ground to form an inverted V-shape, and the abdomen is folded inward. Maintaining a stretchable abdominal muscle group for more than 1 minute, combined with other postures, can improve overall weight loss efficiency. During menstruation, excessive compression of the abdomen should be avoided.

It is recommended to combine yoga practice with aerobic exercise, 3-5 times a week, for at least 30 minutes each time. Avoid overeating one hour before practice, and supplement with high-quality protein in moderation after practice. The posture should be gradually developed, and yoga bricks can be used as an aid in the initial stage. If there is lumbar spine disease or hypertension, the range of motion should be adjusted under professional guidance. Long term persistence can not only shape abdominal muscles, but also improve body shape and basal metabolic rate.