Effective Yoga For Weight Gain

Yoga has numerous benefits such as better metabolism, better posture, and it also helps lose weight. But did you know yoga is also connected to weight gain? If you didn’t but are curious to know, read along.

In this article, we’ll discuss how yoga helps with weight. Also, we’ll list some yoga poses that will help you achieve a healthy weight gain.

How Does Yoga Help You Gain Weight?

First of all, yoga alone doesn’t help you gain weight directly. Yoga improves your endurance and muscular strength. Whether or not you’ll gain weight depends on resistance-style workouts in your routine and your diet.

Also, weight gain occurs with hypertrophy training and by maintaining a high-calorie intake. To trigger hypertrophy and to achieve a larger muscle strength/size, you need an anabolic stimulus.

With that said, it’s clear that yoga alone doesn’t directly help with weight gain. However, it can definitely improve your muscle strength.

Asanas such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa are known for enhancing your muscle strength. Regular practice of Vinyasa by using your body as resistance you can build your body’s strength. Furthermore, if you sustain the movement for long, you can also improve your endurance.

Yoga asanas can help you build muscle strength, but what about weight gain? Find out below.

Diet is as Important as Yoga for Weight Gain

Yoga alone can offer you so many benefits, including better muscle mass, better metabolism, or enhanced endurance. But if you want to gain a healthy weight, a balanced diet is essential along with yoga.

It’s because yoga enhances the absorption of nutrients, carbs, and fats in your bodies which can help in healthy weight gain. And for nutrients to be absorbed, you need to first consume nutrient-rich food.

You can include food that is rich in carbs, proteins, etc., that will help develop healthy fats in your body. Here are some nutritious food items you can include in your diet:

• Chapatis
• Rice
• Suji
• Dal
• Oats
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Soya Chunks
• Tofu
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Milk Products

What Body Areas Are Most Likely to Gain Weight with Yoga?

Practicing yoga poses may not add weight to your main body frame. However, you might experience a boost of strength and endurance in different parts of your body. And what parts will experience better strength depends on what yoga poses you practice.

For example, practicing arm balances and Chaturanga asana can strengthen your shoulders, triceps, and biceps. For hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps, you can go for chair series and lunges. And to improve your core strength, you can practice backbends, arm balances, and of course, planks.

What’s more, by regularly practicing vinyasa power yoga, you can expect an increase in strength in your rectus, obliques, and your transverse abdomen.

Some Yoga Poses for Weight Gain

Here are some yoga poses for enhancing weight gain and muscle strength:

Utkatasana or Chair Pose

This pose targets your glutes, hamstrings, and thighs.

1. Stand with your feet close to each other and arms on your side.
2. Now, lift your arms over your head. Make sure your fingers are close to your ears, pointing towards the sky.
3. Bend your knees to achieve a partial squat position. Your thighs and knees should be parallel to the floor.
4. Lean your upper body/torso forward.
5. Hold this position for 10-15 breaths.

Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)

1. Lie down in the supine position or lying on your stomach.
2. Raise your legs slowly upward and bring it to a 90° angle.
3. Bring the legs towards the head by raising the buttocks up.
4. Raise the legs; abdomen and chest try to form a straight line.
5. Place the palms on your back for support.
6. Place the chin against the chest.
7. Maintain the position as long as comfortable.
8. Slowly return back to the original position.

Dhanurasana or Bow Pose

This pose strengthens your abdominal muscles and back.

1. Lay on your stomach and set your feet apart.
2. Reach out for the ankles by pulling your legs towards your back.
3. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds and focus on breathing.

Vajrasana or Diamond/ Thunderbolt Pose

It strengthens your calves, abdominal muscles, and thighs.‌

1. Start with kneeling position
2. Sit back on your legs
3. Make sure your back is erect.
4. Place both your hands on your thighs and concentrate.
5. Hold this position for at least 5-10 minute

Takeaway

One thing to note here is that yoga strengthens your muscles and helps increase their size. However, only yoga for weight gain isn’t enough. If you consume a carb, calorie, and protein-rich diet, along with the yoga poses mentioned above, you can improve muscle mass, endurance and gain a healthy weight.