As the holidays approach, foodies who are ready to indulge may also anticipate making New Year's resolutions to lose weight. According to several sports medicine experts, Massachusetts yoga classes can help balance life fitness through both mind-body awareness and increased physical activity, as reported in My Health News Daily.
Weight loss occurs when one burns more calories than they eat, which is an important concept to keep in mind when participating in yoga.
"Many yoga practices burn fewer calories than traditional exercise (e.g., jogging, brisk walking); however, yoga can increase one's mindfulness and the way one relates to their body," said Beth Lewis, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology, quoted by the news source. "So, individuals will become more aware of what they are eating and make better food choices."
Furthermore, performing any continuous physical activity several times a week will change one's metabolic needs, according to Jen Cassetty, an American College of Sports Medicine certified health fitness specialist.
As of 2006, more than 13 million Americans were practicing yoga, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The agency also reports that the existing body of research suggests that yoga may have benefits for heart rate, lung capacity, body composition, stress management and physical fitness.
