Top 7 Yoga Asanas to help you burn your belly fat

Yoga is the most trusted and effective method of nourishing and toning one’s body in a holistic sense.

Since yoga endeavours to work deeply on the core and the entire body with every asana, the poses mentioned below are a few of the easier ones, especially for beginners. These will help eliminate several stomach-related issues like constipation, indigestion and bloating along with strengthening the abdomen

1)Dhanurasana (Bow pose) -

BENEFITS :

•Effective in weight loss.

•Improves digestion and appetite.

•Helps to cure dyspepsia (obesity), rheumatism and gastrointestinal problems.

•Cures constipation.

•Improves blood circulation.

•Gives flexibility to the back.

•Strengthens back muscles.

•Improve the function of liver, pancreas, small intestine and big intestine.

•Act as a stress reliever.

•Strengthens ankles, thighs, groins, chest, and abdominal organs.

•Cure menstruation disorder.

•Improve function of kidney and liver.

•It improves posture.

•Releases back pain.

•Cures respiratory disorder like asthama.

•Helpful is stimulating reproductive organs.

•Improve function of the pancreas and it is beneficial in diabetes.

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Lie down on the floor with your face down.

Step 2- Bend your knees and hold your feet with your hands.

Step 3- Inhale and lift up both your hands and feet, also raising your thighs and chest at the same time.

Step 4- Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds, gradually increasing to 90 seconds.

Step 5- Release with an exhalation.

2)Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) -

BENEFITS :

•Strengthens the spine

•Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen

•Firms the buttocks

•Stimulates abdominal organs

•Helps relieve stress and fatigue

•Opens the heart and lungs

•Soothes sciatica

•Therapeutic for asthma

•Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini.

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Lie on the floor, face down.

Step 2- Spread your hands on the floor, next to your shoulders.

Step 3- Stretch your legs back, top of the feet touching the floor, and slowly inhale and lift up your upper body.

Step 4- Make sure your pubis and toes form a straight line and touch the floor.

Step 5- Hold this position for 25-30 seconds.

Step 6- Release and come back to the lying down position on an exhalation.

3)Naukasana (Boat pose) -

BENEFITS :

•Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.

•Tones the leg and arm muscles.

•Useful for people with hernia.

•It helps to remove belly fat.

•It improves digestion.

•Helps in developing six packs ABS.

•Improves the circulation of blood.

•Give strength to thigh, hips, shoulder and neck.

•Regulates the function of liver, pancreas and lungs.

•Maintains the function of kidney, thyroid and prostate glands.

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Lie down on the ground facing the ceiling.

Step 2- Keep your hands by your side and relax your shoulders. Keep your legs straight.

Step 3- Now slowly raise your hands and legs together from the ground, hold your belly in and above the ground at all times.

Step 4- Reach a 45 degree angle till your body is in a V-shape. Hold it for 60 seconds and practice deep breathing.

4)Kumbhakasana (The plank) -

BENEFITS :

•The most important advantages of this yoga pose is that it helps in remaining focused and improves concentration, without which this yoga pose is not possible.

•The muscles around the shoulders, upper arms, forearms, and the wrists are toned and strengthened.

•The muscles like the hamstrings, the quadriceps, calves too are put to work thus toning them and making them strong and flexible.

•The core, abdominal muscles, are used to the maximum here and hence they get toned and give a great shape to the body.

•As the abdominal muscles are used here the fat around the tummy is reduced giving more strength to the abdominal muscles.

•Maintaining balance requires concentration that in turn improves memory.

•The chest is expanded to the maximum giving a great support to the chest muscles and toning them thus improving respiratory system.

•The hips gets toned and both the lower back and the hips become strong and flexible.

•As the entire body is stretched it improves the spine and gives a great looking posture to the body.

•It helps in improving the general stamina of the body and therefore relieves stress and physical pain in the body.

•Therapeutically it heals ailments like insomnia, migraine, irritable symptoms due to menopause, osteoporosis, and general body weakness.

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Lie face down.

Step 2- Lift your body up onto straightened arms

Step 3- Balance on your toes

Step 4- Face forward or down

Step 5- Hold for as long as you can, take a break and then repeat a few more times. Try to extend the time in this pose each day.

5)Ustrasana (Camel Pose) -

BENEFITS:

•Reduces fat on thighs

•Opens up the hips, stretching deep hip flexors

•Stretches and strengthens the shoulders and back

•Expands the abdominal region, improving digestion and elimination

•Improves posture

•Opens the chest, improving respiration

•Loosens up the vertebrae

•Relieves lower back pain

•Helps to heal and balance the chakras

•Strengthens thighs and arms

•Improves flexibility, especially in the spine

•Stimulates endocrine glands

•Releases tension in the ovaries

•Stretches the ankles, thighs, groin, abdomen, chest, and throat

•Cures constipation

•Tones organs of the abdomen, pelvis, and neck

•Complements overall health and well-being

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and your thighs straight and perpendicular to the floor.

Step 2- Rest your hands on the top of your buttocks, fingers pointing downwards and slightly arch your back inwards.

Step 3- Slowly lean back and touch and then hold your heels with your hands. Straighten the spine but don’t strain your neck.

Step 4- Hold this pose for up to one minute.

6)Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (One-Legged Downward-Facing Dog Pose) -

BENEFITS:

•Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana is an inverted pose. It reverses the flow of blood to the head and upper chest region, nourishing the brain with ample blood supply thereby relieving headaches and migraine. This pose can improve cognition and other brain functions.

•It gives a good stretch to the spine, the quadriceps and the leg muscles.

•This asana relieves pain in upper and lower back.

•It helps to loosen the hamstring muscles and the hip flexor muscles for more flexibility.

•Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana strengthens the arms and the shoulders.

•It creates a sense of relaxation and well-being and boosts confidence.

•Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana is a good balancing pose. Staying in this pose for a minute can improve the sense of body balance.

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Get into the downward-facing dog pose.

Step 2- Straighten one leg and lift it up.

Step 3- Lower the straightened leg under your abs

Step 4- Repeat this move for 10 times for each leg, then rest

7) Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) -

BENEFITS :

•Strengthens and tones the arms, legs, spine, lower back and abdominal muscles

•Opens the heart and chest

•Removes congestion

•Tri-doshic, reduces all 3 doshas

•Increases self-esteem, confidence and self-empowerment

•Creates a sense of grounding

•Calms nervous energy

•Promotes overall balance of mind and body

HOW TO PERFORM:

Step 1- Perform after the downward-facing dog pose

Step 2- Shift to your left or right foot

Step 3- Tilt your body accordingly either to the right or left side

Step 4- Raise the opposite arm in the air

Step 5- Hold this pose for 15-30 seconds

Step 6- Return to the downward-facing dog pose