Restorative yoga could aid weight loss

A relaxing and mellow form of yoga has shown to help people lose a lot of weight.

Restorative yoga is one of the mellowest forms. With the support of props like bolsters or blankets, people assume a relaxing pose like Supta Baddha Konasana or Savasana to practise this type of yoga for about five to 10 minutes. The intensity of stretch varies.

Restorative yoga has been proven to help reduce stress, heal people form health issues and become more flexible.

For the study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (US), two groups of participants were monitored over a period of 48 weeks. One group practised restorative yoga, while the other performed simple stretching moves.

While both groups lost weight, those that practised the relaxing form of yoga lost twice more. They were also much more able to keep it off.

Lead author of the study Maria G. Araneta, a PhD, MPH, of the University of California, San Diego, restorative yoga helps people lose subcutaneous fat.

While the reason is still not clear, experts believe it could be due to it link to a stress hormone called cortisol. High levels of this hormone are known to cause weight gain.