Surya Namaskar is said to be the complete body workout for weight loss. Yoga experts say that doing 12 sets of Surya Namaskar translates into doing 288 powerful yoga poses in a span of 12 to 15 minutes! It is another example of how good things come in small (read quickly) packages.
A Complete workout to lose weight
Face a time crunch? Want to feel fit but don’t know how? Welcome to the world of Surya Namaskar. Literally translated as sun salutation, Surya Namaskar comprises a sequence of 12 yoga postures. The best part about Sun Salutation is that it works well for those ‘super busy’ people who often complain about not being able to do yoga because of a time crunch. Doing at least 12 sets of Surya Namaskar, preferably at sunrise, at a fast pace provide a good cardiovascular workout. If done at a slow pace, these postures help tone the muscles and can be relaxing and meditative. Moreover, it allows you to enjoy the stretch and feel the body getting flexible.
Though pretty much an exercise in itself, Sun Salutation forms an excellent link between warm-ups and intense yoga postures. Start your early morning yoga routine with some warm-up stretches to ease out body stiffness. You can then do a few rounds of Surya Namaskar to help increase body flexibility and also prepare the body to stretch more during the intense yoga posture sequence.
Why Surya Namaskar is good
But that’s not all. Regular practice of Sun Salutation offers a lot of interesting benefits for every part of the body. These powerful yoga poses have a great impact on the heart, liver, intestine, stomach, chest, throat, and legs – the whole body from top to bottom. It purifies the blood and improves blood circulation throughout the body, and ensures proper functioning of the stomach, bowels, and nerve centers. Practicing Sun Salutation daily helps balance the three constitutions – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – that the body is made up of.
No. of yoga poses you do in 12 minutes of Surya Namaskar
One round of Surya Namaskar consists of 12 yoga poses.
One set consists of 2 rounds of Surya Namaskar: first stretching the right side of your body and then the left side.
So, when you do 12 sets of Sun Salutation, you are completing 12 sets x 2 rounds in each set x 12 yoga poses in each = 288 yoga poses in 12 to 15 minutes.
Calories burnt with every Surya Namaskar
One round of Surya Namaskar burns up to 13.90 calories for an average weighing person. You can now set the target for yourself. Slowly you can increase the number of rounds of Surya namaskar to 108. By the time you reach this number, you will find a leaner you.
30-minutes workout calorie meter
Let us checkout the number of calories burnt in your 30-minutes of workout
Weight lifting = 199 calories
Tennis = 232 calories
Basketball = 265 calories
Beach volleyball = 265 calories
Football = 298 calories
Bicycling (14 – 15.9 mph) = 331 calories
Rock climbing = 364 calories
Running (7.5mph) = 414 calories
Surya Namaskar = 417 calories
Surya Namaskar is able to burn maximum calories compare to other types of workouts.
Gratitude with Yoga
Remember those school lessons on how the sun makes life possible on this planet? As a kid, we all learned about the indispensable role this glowing, yellow ball plays in our lives – casting away darkness, breathing life into the creation. Now, it’s our turn to say ‘thank you to our closest star. Surya Namaskar gives us this opportunity. Sun Salutation is a great way to exercise the whole body while feeling grateful to our revered life force, the Sun.
Eager to try out Sun Salutation for weight loss? Follow these simple steps on how to do Sun Salutation. All you need to do is get onto the yoga mat, flow gracefully from one yoga pose into another, keep smiling and enjoy the stretches. Add a dollop of gratefulness to the Sun to make your Sun Salutation practice more sacred and rewarding. You are now treading your way to a disease-free body and a relaxed mind.
Also, you might like to visit how to train yourself for 108 Surya Namskar in one session.
Surya Namaskar Video
Find a Sri Sri Yoga Course near you to learn Sun Salutation correctly from a Sri Sri Yoga teacher. Send your questions and queries to info@srisriyoga.in. We look forward to helping you with your yoga practice.
