My take on Yoga and Wt loss

Following are my thoughts on Yoga which I have shared with my peers and group members of the Indian Dietetic Association, Pune Chapter.

Hope this will also imform you a bit more on Yoga and why it can be incorporated in our troubled lives to keep us fit and healthy !!!

With a heated discussion on potency of different foods {hot or cold} and their effects on the body , if any, and handling such queries as nutrition consultants, we have been sharing our views according to our own experiences.

Diet and Ayurveda has always been a controversial issue and some of its concepts are bound to act as speed breakers for our understanding. With this as a background, when the issue of “yoga” comes up for discussion, I am sure there are going to be a lot of emails flying all over the place. I will share my views on this, as suggested by Dr. Geeta ma'am. I am just putting down my experiences and thoughts on this matter, but, I am open to all suggestions, all clarifications and expressions and am looking at this as a process of crystallizing my own thoughts.

My experience with Yoga starts in my childhood when i wasn't even aware of human biology and the way it has its effects on the human body. It was just about performing different ”asanas” in different formations, showing off the body for its flexibility and winning a shield probably at the end of the competition for my school. But it opened up a world of different experiences. I was also fortunate enough to learn the basics of concentration {will definitely not call it “Meditation”} during this time too.

My personal fascination with foods, using them as medicines (& sometimes cosmetics too), dietetic counseling , trying to understand ayurveda, practicing yoga on and off, has continued over the years.

So, these thoughts are purely based on my experiences and my reading on the subjects of yoga and sports physiology. When I say that yoga can be incorporated into a weight loss regime, very effectively, it is also based on some facts from the books of sports nutrition and sports physiology.

1} Usually the aim of any wt loss programme is to help the client to lose weight so that they achieve the targeted , ideal weight and try to maintain it in the long run. This also means that the there should be loss in overall fat mass and the body should be within the range for its ideal body fat % as well.

2} Exercises and current trends in weight loss focuses on trying to spend or burn as much calories as one can on exercising machines. Calculations here are based on calories given to the body using food or other formulas and the calories burned while exercising. Theory says that as long as there is a deficit in these equations, wt loss will result.

3} Sports Physiology says that the choice of fuel used by the body for exercise depends on 3 things: Intensity of Exercise

Duration of exercise

Nutritional status of the body.

4} Intensity of exercise: More than 60% VO2Max = CHO used as primary fuel

Bet 40-60 % VO2Max = mixed balance of fuel

Below 40 % VO2Max = Fat used as primary fuel.

5} According to my personal opinion, if energy for exercise is derived from body fat as a primary fuel, then, resultant would give us a lasting weight loss.

Yoga, typically, is not thought to be a calorie burning exercise. Probably it will not even meet the requirements of American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for weight mgmt.

BUT,

6} Bio-energetics clearly says that Low intensity, long duration aerobic exercise always uses Fat as a fuel and energy is derived from slow glycolysis and fat oxidation.

7} Whereas, high intensity exercises show high and selective dependence on CHO as a fuel.

8} Not only Yoga , but low intensity longer duration exercises like Tai-chi or Pilates which necessarily explore the “mind and body ” connection as well, also bring about the same effect.

9} Low intensity Yoga has shown to promote (by experience and observation) a lasting Wt loss, improved strength and flexibility by achieving efficient burning of Fat.

10} Last but not the least, dynamic and continuous Yoga { now a days being called as Power Yoga} but used for generations by Indians in the form of Sun Salutations (A & B) viz “Surya Namaskar” would also qualify for burning enough calories according to modern standards for achieving wt loss.

As for other exercises, Brisk walking will similarly qualify for a lower intensity exercise which burns calories effectively but this will not necessarily improve on flexibility, muscle tone, posture and strength like Yoga would.

Jogging according to me will be a high intensity exercise.

As for me, a combination of warm up stretches, brisk walk of 25 mins, dynamic yoga 25mins and cooling down should show the desired effect of wt loss with out the addiction of any exercise machines anywhere on the planet.

Shraddha Rajwaday