Obesity has turned into a global epidemic thanks to our unhealthy eating habits and inactive lifestyle. But excessive body weight isn't a condition that affects your looks and necessitates a wardrobe change only. It impacts your body internally increasing your risk of developing a number of health complications like cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypertension, so on and so forth. One of the major culprits behind obesity is uncontrolled hunger that leads to overeating. Eating more than you need to can hinder your weight loss plans.
Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI), a calculation that divides your body weight (measured in kg) by your height (measured in metres squared). The normal range of BMI hovers between 18.5-25 while any figure between 25-30 falls in the overweight category. Someone with a BMI between 30-40 is considered obese.
A mindful and well-balanced diet is the cornerstone of maintaining ideal body weight and keeping obesity at bay. What you eat, the number of meals that you have, the portions you allow yourself, your meal timings and the gap between the meals--everything counts while you are on a weight loss mission. To follow a healthy eating plan, it is extremely crucial to regulate your hunger in an intelligent way. Some exercises actually help you do that. In a 2016 study published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers revealed that working out may help in curbing your hunger pangs. This happens because exercising can cause a decline in the levels of ghrelin, your hunger hormone while boosting the levels of leptin, a satiety hormone. While there are foods that work as hunger suppressants and help you shed those kilos, there are simple stretching workouts as well which help in your weight loss journey by taming hunger pangs. According to a study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, yoga can help you curb your binge eating by 51 per cent. Here, are some easy-to-do stretching exercises that will help you manage your hunger successfully.
It is an effective stretching exercise if you are looking to get back in shape. Performing this exercise enhances metabolism and therefore your digestive capacity as well. If your digestive organs are functioning well, you will not experience irregular hunger bouts. This will help you lose weight. In bridge pose, you need to put your entire body weight on your neck, shoulders and feet.
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Spinal twist is a stretching exercise that can help you alleviate your stress levels. When you are stressed, you tend to overeat to manage your emotions. Apart from this, spinal twist can also be an effective in enhancing blood flow.
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As the name suggests, this pose resembles the posture of a tree. It enhances your mindfulness which helps you focus better on the important aspects of your life including eating pattern. A growing body of research says that practising this yoga pose for at least one minute a day can help you curb your cravings for food and therefore, help in weight loss. Since tree pose requires you to stand on one leg, you need to have immense body balance and concentration levels. In order to maintain your balance, you should focus your gaze on something that does not move.
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If you are looking to reduce your hunger, this pose can work wonders for you. Cobra pose targets your liver, kidney, pancreas and gall bladder improving your gut function and relieving you of constipation naturally. Also, it enhances your metabolism rate which helps you burn more calories help in weight loss.
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This is a simple stretching exercise that will help you enhance the strength of your core and abdominal muscles. While performing abs exercise with a blanket, your awareness about these parts of the body increases. Moreover, your digestive system also starts working more efficiently. All these contribute to help you judge your hunger levels better and regulate your meals accordingly.
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