5 exercises that curb your hunger and help you lose weight

Some easy-to-do stretching workouts will work as hunger suppressants and help you achieve your weight-loss mission.

Editorial Team | Published: May 16, 2019 10:36 am

A mindful and well-balanced diet is the cornerstone of maintaining ideal body weight and keeping obesity at bay. © Shutterstock

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.

Bridge pose

Performing this exercise enhances metabolism. © Shutterstock

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.

How to:

Lie down flat on your back with your hands by your side.
Lift your hips from the ground while keeping your feet on the ground.
Now try to lift your chest upwards while placing your body weight on your shoulders and feet.
Try to balance your frame on your feet and the back of your shoulder for as long as possible.

Spinal twist

Spinal twist helps you alleviate your stress levels, thus preventing overeating. © Shutterstock

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.

How to:

Lie flat on your back and spread your hands in a way that you form a T-shape.
Move your hips 2 inches to the right side.
Bring your knees close to your chest and breathe out.
Roll your legs to your right while making sure that your knees are on top of each other.
Repeat the same on the other side.

Tree pose

It enhances your mindfulness which helps you focus better on the important aspects of your life including eating pattern. © Shutterstock

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.

How to:

Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart.
Gradually lift your left foot and place it on the right inner thigh.
Maintain equal pressure with your foot and inner thigh as they are pressed together.
Hold the pose for 5-10 seconds and then repeat the same with your right foot.

Cobra pose

Cobra pose enhances your metabolism rate which helps you burn more calories help in weight loss. © Shutterstock

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.

How to:

Lie down flat on your stomach keeping your toes on the ground and lifting your forehead.
Place your palms beneath your shoulder on to the ground.
Now, lift your chest upwards by straightening your arms and tilt your head backwards.
Stay in this pose for as long as possible and then gradually come back to the original position.
Try to do 5-10 reps of the same for five times a week. This will give you better results.

Abs exercise with a blanket

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.

How to:

Lie down flat on your back and bend your knees, keeping your feet on the ground.
Place a rolled-up blanket or a towel between your legs.
Clasp your hand behind your head while making sure your elbows are pointing upwards.
Breathe in, hold your breath and squeeze the blanket with your legs as you lift your head.
Repeat this exercise at regular intervals to get the desired result.

Published: May 16, 2019 10:36 am

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