Surya Namaskar, also known as Sun Salutation, is an ancient yoga practice that involves a sequence of 12 yoga postures performed in a flowing series. It is a holistic workout that combines physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation to promote physical and mental well-being. Often practiced at the beginning of a yoga session as warm-ups and breathing exercises, Surya Namaskars can also be practiced on their own to achieve a Sankalpa or mark a significant day, sometimes even performed 108 times. This article delves into the benefits of Surya Namaskar, particularly its impact on weight loss, and provides guidance on how to incorporate it effectively into your daily routine.
Understanding Surya Namaskar
Surya Namaskar is more than just a physical exercise; it's an ancient practice of expressing respect and gratitude to the Sun God, recognizing the sun as the source of life on Earth. Without the sun, there’s no life on Earth. Take a look at the incredible benefits of practicing Surya Namaskar daily. The sequence involves a combination of forward and backward bending postures, along with coordinated breathing, to stretch and strengthen the body. When practiced regularly, it engages every muscle group, boosts circulation, and aligns the body with breath.
The Impact of Surya Namaskar on Weight Loss
One of the core advantages of practicing Surya Namaskar is its wonderful effect on weight loss. If you are looking for a sustainable way to lose weight, practicing surya namaskar for weight loss could be highly beneficial. According to a survey more than 90% of yoga practitioners recommended surya namaskar to reduce belly fat.
Calorie Burning and Metabolism Boost
Surya Namaskar is a dynamic practice that engages various muscle groups, increasing your heart rate and boosting metabolism. Each round of Surya Namaskar consists of 12 yoga postures. So, think of it as 12 yoga postures for weight loss done repeatedly 12 times. Many will say this is the best yoga for beginners weight loss routine as each round is speculated to burn approximately 13.90 calories. So, if you have just about enough time to do 12 rounds, you’re essentially burning around 416 calories. This helps your body burn calories more efficiently, even after your practice is over. When done at a fast pace, Surya Namaskar is an excellent tool to lose weight. The postures help in stretching abdominal muscles, thereby providing you with a rigorous cardiovascular workout. Practicing at a fast pace will leave you breaking a sweat pretty soon burning away those extra calories. It also improves cardiovascular health.
Muscle Strengthening and Toning
Surya Namaskar works on both upper and lower body muscles, promoting muscle tone and increasing overall strength. As muscle mass increases, your body burns more calories at rest. Practicing at a slow pace will stretch and tone muscles, helping convert fat into muscle strength gradually. Daily Sun Salutation practice helps the body's three constitutions-Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-become more harmonious.
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Reduction of Belly Fat
Surya Namaskar, when practiced regularly and at a fast pace, stretches the abdominal muscles enabling reduction of weight around the stomach area. It is effective in reducing the extra fat layer around the belly. That is why these yoga postures for weight loss and belly fat are effective. Furthermore, even if you are trying to practice yoga for belly fat, Surya Namaskar is an effective measure.
Improved Digestion
The rhythmic movements of Surya Namaskar can aid in improving digestion. During the practice of Surya Namaskar, there is active inhalation and exhalation taking place. This keeps the blood oxygenated and lungs ventilated, which optimal flow of blood throughout the body. This reduces toxins and carbon dioxide. When this happens, all the systems function in harmony, enabling better metabolism and weight loss. Surya Namaskar also has a positive impact on the digestive system. Due to the stretching and compressing of the abdominal organs, the digestive fire gets activated which helps get rid of constipation, reduces gas and cleans the system. The better the gut, the healthier the body. When digestive health is good, metabolism is strong, enabling weight loss.
Stress Reduction and Hormonal Balance
Surya Namaskar incorporates deep breathing and mindfulness, reducing stress levels. Lower stress can help prevent emotional eating and reduce fat storage. Furthermore, Surya Namaskar is effective in reducing stress, anxiety, depression and keeping mental health strong and stable. The practice keeps the nervous system balanced and in harmony. This helps keep cortisol levels lower, as well as balances other hormones. When stress is at bay, digestion and all other body functions work in a balanced manner. This itself is beneficial in weight loss. It also helps in keeping blood sugar levels lower, which helps greatly. Yoga, including Surya Namaskar, can help regulate appetite and fat storage hormones. This hormonal balance can support weight management efforts.
Enhanced Mindfulness and Better Lifestyle Choices
Finally, Surya Namaskar improves mindfulness. When you are aware and in the present, you will make better diet and lifestyle choices. Very often, weight gain is a result of poor diet. So being mindful and improving that will help you control weight, and lose weight faster.
Scientific Studies on Surya Namaskar and Weight Loss
As an effective yoga for weight loss measure, there are a few studies that have deep dived into the effect of Surya Namaskar for weight loss. A study examined the impact of Sun Salutations in the management of physical fitness in obese women. The study compared circuit training, treadmill, walking and Surya Namaskar. It was found that, while all three methods were effective, Surya Namaskar was most useful in improving cardio-vascular respiratory fitness, upper limb muscle endurance, body flexibility, weight management and improvisation of physical fitness parameters in overweight and obese women.
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Scientific research has unveiled compelling evidence indicating that yoga can exert a favourable influence on the metabolic processes occurring within the human body. This suggests that yoga has the potential to impact how our bodies manage energy and weight. Within the spectrum of yoga practices, certain styles are distinguished by their physical intensity, such as power yoga, vinyasa, and ashtanga. Conversely, restorative yoga adopts a gentler, slower pace, primarily orientated toward healing the body and reducing inflammation. Notably, even the consistent practice of restorative yoga can yield concrete advantages in weight management. An impactful study underscores the efficacy of restorative yoga in facilitating weight loss, particularly among obese women. This includes reductions in abdominal fat, which is a critical indicator of overall health.
Yoga's transformative potential transcends physical changes. Research highlights that a sustained yoga practice can lead to behavioural modifications, weight loss, heightened mindfulness, and stress alleviation. Recent research further underscores the utility of yoga as a component within a comprehensive 6-month weight-loss program for overweight or obese individuals. Intriguingly, this study suggests that the choice between gentler restorative hatha yoga and more vigorous vinyasa yoga did not significantly affect the percentage of weight loss achieved, indicating the adaptability of yoga in weight management strategies.
Notably, a single published study has conducted a specific examination of Surya Namaskar, proposing that its regular practice can effectively maintain or enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and support weight management objectives. This underlines the significance of incorporating Surya Namaskar into a holistic approach to health and wellness.
Additional Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar
Beyond weight loss, Surya Namaskar offers a wide array of health benefits:
Improved Blood Circulation
Surya Namaskar, with its rhythmic breathing pattern, facilitates improved lung oxygenation. It promotes the healthy circulation of fresh blood throughout the body, aiding in the elimination of carbon dioxide and toxins. This revitalises both the body and mind, leaving one feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
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Radiant Skin and Healthy Hair
Engaging in Surya Namaskar stimulates blood circulation, which revitalises the skin's natural radiance. It assists in preventing the formation of wrinkles and imparts a youthful and vibrant appearance to the skin. Additionally, this practice contributes to the health and lustre of hair. Your skin feels tired and lackluster? Make Surya Namaskar a part of your morning routine. It helps in increasing blood circulation, providing your skin with an inner glow. The yoga postures like the mountain pose (Parvatasana) and the forward bending pose (Padhastasana) increase blood flow to your scalp and head.
Muscle and Joint Strengthening
Surya Namaskar entails stretching and strengthening of muscles, joints, tendons, and the skeletal system. These physical adjustments enhance the flexibility of the spine. Over time, consistent practice promotes overall flexibility and agility, positively impacting vital internal organs' functioning.
Regulation of Menstrual Cycles
Surya Namaskar is highly beneficial for women to regulate irregular periods and other hormonal imbalances. For pregnant women, daily practice of these postures helps in easy childbirth.
Improved Sleep
Surya Namaskar helps in improving sleep patterns.
Detoxification
During Surya Namaskar, your body goes through an active inhalation and exhalation process, making your lungs energized and the oxygen levels in your blood increases.
Anxiety Reduction
Surya Namaskar helps in regulating the functioning of the endocrine glands, especially the thyroid.
Calming of the Mind
Surya Namaskar creates a serene union of body and mind through synchronised movements, breath control, and mindfulness. This meditative quality calms the mind, alleviating stress and anxiety. As a result, surya namaskar helps you feel more positive and less negative. Doing this practice in a peaceful and sunny place can make your mind and body feel better, making you calmer and happier.
How to Practice Surya Namaskar for Weight Loss
Consistency is Key
Perform Surya Namaskar regularly, ideally on an empty stomach in the morning. Health professionals have traditionally advised waking up before sunrise and stretching the body to avoid morning stiffness. This Sun God salutation is thought to be most effective during sun dawn. Offering prayers and salutations to the rising sun is said to bring success in Hinduism.
Gradual Increase in Intensity
Start with a few rounds and add more as your fitness level improves. As a beginner, you can start with 2 or 4 sets and work your way up. Though pretty much an exercise in itself, Sun Salutation forms an excellent link between warm-ups and intense yoga postures. Start your early morning yoga routine with some warm-up stretches to ease out body stiffness.
Combine with a Balanced Diet
Surya Namaskar should complement a healthy diet to achieve optimal weight loss results.
Stay Hydrated
Adequate hydration is essential for metabolic processes, so drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Proper Breathing
During the practice of Surya Namaskar, there is active inhalation and exhalation taking place. This keeps the blood oxygenated and lungs ventilated, which optimal flow of blood throughout the body. This reduces toxins and carbon dioxide.
Number of Rounds
As a starting point, you may want to aim for about five rounds of Surya Namaskar daily, gradually increasing to 12 rounds or more, if your body allows it. Performing multiple rounds of Surya namaskar can contribute to a substantial calorie burn.
Variations of Surya Namaskar
There are several variations of Surya Namaskar, each with its own sequence and pace. Some of the popular variations include:
Hatha Surya Namaskar
Hatha Suryanamaskar is the most ancient form of Sun Salutation. It is performed slowly over longer periods than other forms of Surya Namaskar. The sequence involves arching your back and bending backwards, pushing the pelvis to the floor while keeping your back straight.
Sivananda Surya Namaskar
Sivananda Suryanamaskar is similar to Hatha Surya Namaskar. Here also, 12 poses are done at a medium pace.
Ashtanga Surya Namaskar
This Suryanamaskar for weight loss is completely different from the Hatha Surya Namaskar. It is more fast-paced and is divided into 2 stages, Type A and Type B.
Iyengar Surya Namaskar
The sequence of Iyengar Surya Namaskar is similar to the Hatha sequence. However, it is more fast-paced with swifter transitions.
Precautions and Contraindications
Before engaging in Surya Namaskar, it’s essential to consider a few precautions:
Consultation with Healthcare Professionals
Always consult with your healthcare provider before engaging in Surya Namaskar, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions. Individuals with conditions such as obesity, injuries, heart issues, high or low blood pressure, and diabetes should consult both a doctor and a yoga instructor before attempting any yoga postures.
Preparatory Steps
Before beginning Surya Namaskar, consider preparatory steps like sitting in Padmasana or Vajrasana. Focus on your breath and incorporate practices like chanting Om or regulating your breathing. Pranayama, a breathing exercise, can be included for 5 to 10 minutes to help centre and prepare yourself mentally and physically.
Avoid Overexertion
While Suryanamaskar has been shown to aid in losing weight, some should avoid doing the same. Remember those school lessons on how the sun makes life possible on this planet? As a kid, we all learned about the indispensable role this glowing, yellow ball plays in our lives - casting away darkness, breathing life into the creation. Now, it’s our turn to say ‘thank you to our closest star. Surya Namaskar gives us this opportunity.
Steps to Practice Surya Namaskar
Eager to try out Sun Salutation for weight loss? Follow these simple steps on how to do Sun Salutation. All you need to do is get onto the yoga mat, flow gracefully from one yoga pose into another, keep smiling and enjoy the stretches. Add a dollop of gratefulness to the Sun to make your Sun Salutation practice more sacred and rewarding.
- Prayer Pose (Pranamasana): Stand on your mat with your feet together, shoulders broad, and hands in prayer position at your chest.
- Raised Arms Pose (Hasta Uttanasana): Inhale and lift your arms overhead, gently arching your back.
- Hand to Foot Pose (Pada Hastasana): Exhale and bend forward from your waist, keeping your back straight. If you're a beginner, you can bend your knees and touch your palms to the mat.
- Equestrian Pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana): Inhale and take your left leg back, placing your left knee on the ground. Keep your right leg between your palms, push your pelvis towards the ground, and look upwards.
- Plank Pose (Phalakasana): Inhale and take your right leg back, keeping your arms perpendicular to the ground. Balance your body weight on your arms and toes, ensuring your body forms a straight line.
- Eight-Point Pose (Ashtanga Namaskara): Exhale and bring your chest, knees, and forehead to the floor while raising your hips. Tuck your toes in and keep your breaths in check.
- Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): Slide forward and bring your chest up, keeping your hands firmly on the ground and your arms near your ribs. Look upwards while pushing your pelvis towards the ground.
- Mountain Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Lift your waist up, keeping your feet and hands firmly on the ground. Your body should be in a triangular position, with your back straight. You can bend your knees slightly to avoid stretching your hamstrings painfully.
- Equestrian Pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana): Inhale and bring your left leg forward, placing your left foot between your hands. Your right knee should touch the ground. Keep your back upright and look upwards.
- Hand to Foot Pose (Pada Hastasana): Exhale and bend downwards from your waist, keeping your back straight. If you're a beginner, you can fold your knees and touch your palms to your mat.
- Raised Arms Pose (Hasta Uttanasana): Inhale and lift your hands up, arching backward.
- Prayer Pose (Pranamasana): Exhale and bring your hands to your sides, returning to the starting position.