Is yoga a good exercise to burn calories?

Yoga is a combination of power, flexibility, balance and stamina.

With the following 7 exercises, you will definitely burn a lot of calories:

1. Yoga pose: Plank / Bretthaltung (Chaturanga)

Unlike the classic Plank, which relies on your forearms, you are holding hands in Chaturanga. However, your whole body is extremely tense and flat like a board. Make sure that you place your hands directly under the shoulders and do not move the weight too far back. To hold this position, all the muscles in your body need to work. No wonder that the Plank is so effective. If you want a little more, just take your feet off the mat alternately. And of course, the longer you go, the more calories you burn.

2. Yoga pose: Chair (Utkatasana)

In order to get into the chair position, you must first of all tighten the gluteus maximus, ie the gluteus maximus and the thigh muscles. Because these are relatively large muscles, a corresponding number of calories are burned. In Utkatasana, the feet are close together. Sit back so that your butt is at knee level and you can see your toes. The arms are stretched upwards. This strengthens your back and shoulders and makes the whole thing more sweaty. The beauty of this pose: It can be anywhere and easily perform without a mat and even in your everyday clothes. For the extra kick: Lift your heels off the ground so you balance on your toes. For that the body has to be completely tense. At the same time you train your sense of balance.

3. Yoga pose: The cane (Chaturanga dandasana)

You need a lot of strength for this asana. As you remain in the lowest position of a push-up, your shoulders, arms and stomach will start to burn properly. For Chaturanga Dandasana, slowly lower your body from the plank until your shoulders and elbows are at a height. Her elbows stay close to the body all the time, so the triceps have to work properly. Also belly and back must be tense, so that you do not fall into the hollow cross. If this exercise is difficult at first, it is best practiced on your knees so as not to hurt your back. This is how you train the body tension you need and build up a lot of strength in your arms. By the way, Chaturanga Dandasana is a real challenge even for experienced yogis.

4. Yoga pose: The wheel (Chakrasana)

This yoga pose requires stretching and some flexibility in the shoulders. This does not happen overnight, so it’s more of an advanced skill. And: be sure to warm up! Position your hands in supine position close to your ears and place your feet hip width. Push yourself up with arms and legs. To open the chest and relieve the lower back, imagine letting your torso push against a wall. So the whole front part of the body is stretched and opened. But it’s not just about stretching. The wheel strengthens buttocks, legs, shoulders and arms. And: as soon as many large muscle parts work, many calories are burned; exactly what we want. Tip: In order to touch this asana, practice the shoulder bridge in front of it.

5. Yoga pose: high lunge

Lunges or lunges you know for sure from some other training. Again, the whole body must participate – of course, especially the inner and outer thigh muscles. What makes this position so popular is that it is a very invigorating pose and at the same time it requires balance as the back heel is detached from the ground. This is exhausting and means to us: more calories burned. The front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle, the back leg tight. This not only gives you stability, but also makes the whole thing pretty sweaty. The arms are stretched upwards and are tense. To straighten your torso and strengthen your back, shoulders and arms. An extra point for calorie consumption.

6. Yoga pose: The dolphin

The dolphin looks similar to the dog looking down, only that the forearms are completely on the mat. That alone is really tiring, because your weight will be transferred to your arms. To get more out of this asana, you can play with her wonderfully. Shift your weight from the back to the front so that you slide from the starting position into a forearm support. Repeat this a few times. You will see how fast you work up a sweat. By the way: This exercise optimally prepares you for all reversal postures, such as the head, hand or forearm level.

Exercise 7: The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)

The sun salutation activates all muscles and warms the body optimally © Shutterstock / Evgeny Glazunov

The sun salutation is a traditional exercise sequence of many invigorating asanas such as the plank or the stalk. Since all muscles are stressed, it warms the body optimally and prepares you for your workout. Start slowly. Gradually increase the intensity by, for example, jumping out of the bend into the plank. After just a few repetitions, you will notice how your muscles work. The targeted movements and the change between opening and closing positions activate the nervous system and get the blood circulation going. The good thing about it: it really stresses all the muscles of the abdominal, buttocks, calves, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Tip: Breathe in the open poses and in the closing exercises.

TIP: To make the exercises even more intense, always keep your stomach taut (except on the bike). Imagine pulling your navel to the spine. Nice side effect: The trunk tension gives you additional stability.