Busy lifestyle, unhealthy eating routines, lack of exercise, and unchecked stress levels are primary causes for the increase in the waistline.
There are no shortcuts. You need a sattvic balanced diet, healthy routines, recreation and regular exercise to reduce belly fats to a large extent. Try to balance these four fundamental aspects of good health.
Yoga is a holistic solution to providing complete care. Some quick yoga tips and tricks to reduce the lower belly fats.
Ahar or Diet
It’s the rainy season so avoid eating outside and unhygienic foods. Diseases such as dysentery, common cold and cough, asthma, arthritis, nasal infections, digestion problems and skin allergies are common during monsoon season.
- Eat more of whole grains, barley, pulses soups, curd, buttermilk, citrus fruits, honey etc.
- Increase intake of Ginger, fennel seeds and black pepper to improve digestion naturally through foods
- Increase the uptake of fibre in your daily diet.
- Green leafy vegetables to avoid or clean them properly before use because they tend to contain more muck, dirt and soil than usual. Boil or steam the green leafy vegetables before consumption.
- Don’t consume frozen foods, ice-creams, fast foods, refined, roadside pakodas and processed foods.
- Most important eat on time with complete awareness.
Vihar or Recreation
Yoga indoors is recommended. Suggesting simple poses, techniques and relaxation to reduce stress and keep lower belly fats at bay. Walking is a gentle form of exercise. Spot walking, jogging, hip walking indoors is a good idea during rainy days.
- Talasana (Palm tree Pose) – Discover and inculcate a deeper level of physical and mental well-being for your body through a cheerier spirit, toned abdominal muscles and healthier digestive system. Helps in all-around fitness, flexibility, abdominal weight loss, developed immunity and inner peace. Watch Video
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) – Strengthens the entire digestive system and prevents constipation. Improves blood circulation and invigorates the nervous system. Develops the lungs and improves vital capacity. Balances the hormonal systems and reduces redundant lower belly fats.
Read Here – How to do Surya Namaskar
- Padahastasana (Standing Forward Bend) and Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) – Compression on the abdominal area will gently massages the internal organs and reduce the lower belly fats.
Read Here – How to do Pashimottasana
- Pavanamuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose) – Benefits the digestive system. The abdominal region is exercised and stomach fats mobilized. Highly recommended and easy to do pose.
Read Here – How to do Pawanmuktasana
- Naukasana (Boat Pose)- Firm core is the secret to keep the lower belly fat at bay. Initially it will be difficult and you might experience some tremors when holding the position. But with enough practice this pose is the best way for firm abs and trimmed waistline.
- Marjarasana (Cat Pose) – The abdomen contraction and expansion experienced in the abdominal region while holding the posture static helps in mobilizing the lower belly fats, and therefore, reduces the waistline. This pose also benefits spine and improves flexibility of the spine.
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist Pose) – Twisting action in this posture benefits the oblique or love-handles and reduces the lower belly fats.
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose) – Try conscious relaxation Shavasana. This will help to reduce the stress and improve the levels of happy hormones and thus the belly fat will be kept under control. Watch Video
Achar or Daily routines
- Eat on time and sleep on time. Dinner should be completed early in the evening. Avoid late night parties.
- Use hot water during bathing and washing your hair. If your head is wet immediately dry it.
- Avoid skin infections – Quick home tip- Add 1 or 2 spoons of neem oil to half a cup of warm coconut oil and use it for the massage before hot water bath.
- People with arthritis and joint pains should avoid sitting on cold floors since it will increase Vata dosha and aggravate the pain.
- Foot care is very essential for people with diabetes – During rains the feet tend to get wet often. Dry them properly.
- If you have to travel for the job keep an extra set of dry clothes in your office or lockers provided.
- Keep body warm wear adequate clothing and cover your head when required or travelling. Invest in comfortable footwear with proper grip to avoid falling or slipping on wet surfaces.
- Cut your nails moisture between them will increase the chance of infection.
Vichar or Thoughts/Thinking
- Mind chatter increases stress and anxiety. Excessive stress leads to elevated levels of cortisol that ultimately lead to muscle breakdown and an increase in fat deposits. Unchecked and chronic stress causes increases in belly fat deposits due to physiological and psychological reasons. Many times chain of useless thoughts just keeps popping up. Thought and breath are connected.
- Positive thinking helps. Also, try to do more of pranayamas just before you go to bed on a light stomach (take your light dinner early by 7.30pm and post-dinner after 2 hours do pranayama’s at least for 15 minutes) to experience quality sleep.
Recommended Pranayama for better sleep
Yogendra Pranayama IV– Helps in the reduction of fat deposits in the abdominal region. Facilitates parasympathetic nervous system and induces relaxation. Rectifies sleep disorders like insomnia and reduces stress.
Meditation Practices like mantra chanting, guided meditation etc. help in staying away from stress and this might help you to lose those lower belly fat bulges.
*Consult your physician before you attempt to take up Yoga. Also always learn yoga from a qualified and trained yoga teacher.
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