6 Best Yoga Poses to Burn Fat & Strengthen Muscles

If you are looking for some effective ways to lose weight and tone your muscles, then you need to get started with yoga. Yoga is one of the best ways to help us stay in shape and it doesn't just make our body slim, but also toned and taut.

Along with all these health benefits, the best part about practicing yoga is that anyone can perform it at home. Yes, that's right! You don't need any special equipment or machines to perform yoga, all you need is a good yoga mat as it is all about stretching and improving flexibility.

With that in mind, here are six of the best yoga poses that will help you burn fat and strengthen your muscles.

Best Yoga Poses to Burn Fat and Strengthen Your Body

1) Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

This yoga pose gently burns fat and strengthens the muscles in the core region, while helping to reverse the effects of poor posture.

Watch the correct way to do Bhujangasana here:

Here's how you do this posture:

Lie down flat on your belly and place your hands next to your shoulders. Stretch your legs back so that your feet and pubis are aligned with the floor.
Inhale and lift your upper body, making sure that your pubis and toes remain in contact with the floor at all times.
Hold this position for 25-30 seconds, before exhaling and slowly returning to the original position.

2) Dhanurasana (Bow pose)

One of the easiest to perform, this pose is a total body workout that will burn fat and strengthen your muscles.

Watch the proper technique of doing a Dhanurasana here:

To do this yoga posture:

Lie on your belly with your your legs straight and feet flat on the floor.
Bend your knees, placing your feet on top of your hamstrings.
As you inhale, lift your hands, arms, head, shoulders and chest off the floor.
Hold this pose for up to 90 seconds, gradually increasing to 2 minutes. Exhale and return to the original position eventually.

3) Kumbhakasana (The plank)

The plank pose is a full-body exercise that strengthens your core, arms, legs and back, along with helping you burn fat and tone muscles.

Watch how Kumbhakasana is done:

To do this yoga pose:

Lie on your stomach and lift your whole body up on your hands and toes.
Balance on your arms and toes, making sure to face downwards throughout.
Hold this position for as long as you can, then repeat a few more times with breaks in between.
Work at extending the time you can hold this pose each day.

4) Chaturanga Dandasana

This classic sequence is basically like a low push-up and, when done properly, will burn fat and strengthen muscles. Your core has to be contracted, your legs engaged and your arms working to maintain perfect form. Even advanced practitioners have to move with control.

Here's how you do the Chaturanga Dandasana:

To do this pose:

Get in a plank position, with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your bodyweight forward in a downward-facing dog. Lift your thighs off the floor.
Pin your back muscles to your shoulder blades, then flex your elbows and hug them close to your lower ribs.
Lengthen your tailbone, stretch your neck and take a deep breath.

5) Dolphin Pose

The dolphin pose can also work to burn fat and strengthen muscles while also stretching you out. Its sister pose downward dog is the perfect place to start if you just want to get your muscles warmed up.

Here's how you do the dolphin pose:

Here's how you do this:

Come into downward-facing dog, and bring your forearms to the floor in front of your knees.
Spread your fingers wide and press down on your inner wrists to help stabilize yourself.
Remember to keep your shoulders in front of the elbows, and stacked over them.

6) High Lunge

The high lunge is a beneficial pose that can help you burn fat and strengthen your muscles. It works the whole body, especially your glutes and quadriceps.

Here's how you do the high lunge:

Here's how you do this:

Stand on a mat with your feet hip-distance apart.
Bend forward at the waist so that your fingers touch the floor.
Step back with your right foot and bend your left knee so it forms a 90-degree angle.
Place the weight of your torso on your left thigh and stretch your right leg as you lift your upper body up while keeping your arms overhead.
Keep your right leg straight and press your right heel to the floor for three to five breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Takeaway

It's important not to give up if you don't see results right away. Yoga is a long-term practice, and it's important to remember this when considering the overall impact of these poses on belly fat.

It takes time, so if you're dedicated to your sessions and making time for them every day - about five days a week - you will see the results soon enough. It may not be easy at first, but maintaining your practice and seeing results will likely make all the work worthwhile in the end.