Does Yoga Get You into Good Shape?

I just started Yoga and LOVE it! I am very sore later on and i can feel all the muscles in my body work (even on the days I don’t do yoga – I feel more “aware” of my body) :)

Mayo clinic says:
The health benefits of yoga
The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include:

1) Stress reduction. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus away from your busy, chaotic day and toward calm as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration.

2) Increased fitness. As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. And this means you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities.

3) Management of chronic health conditions. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, by helping with sleep problems, fatigue and mood. Yoga also can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

4) Weight loss. If you're overweight or have binge-eating disorder, yoga may help you make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of your eating and drop those extra pounds.

In order to lose pounds you need to burn more calories than you take in. cardio can burn calories, but weight lifting/muscle building/toning/weight bearing will burn calories over time and is important for bone health. So it is good to have a balance of both weight bearing (e.g. yoga) and cardio (walking)

here is a great reliable resource:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MY00432

have fun!

It's super! I do it along with cardio and weights to keep in shape. I've found that it doesn't really help with weight loss (since no cardio burning calories), but it's fantastic for toning up all over. It's much harder than it looks, but is fun and you'll quickly learn how to do all of the poses.

I would definitely give it a try! Everyone I know who's tried yoga has loved it.

Yoga is absolutely amazing for toning your body, straightening the spine, flexibility, and just making you feel good! If it's hot in the room and the class is at least an hour long, you will burn a lot of calories. When I did it regularly, I looked the best I've ever looked in my life! If I could afford it and had the time, I would do it again. It hurts at first, lots of soreness, but that will happen with any new workout regime. It's also relaxing. I say go for it!

I've tried a yoga video and didn't stick with it because it was to slow for me although the stretching is good. I enjoy pilates. I have the 10 Minute Solutions Rapid Results Pilates. It tones and shapes you.

I used to do yoga at home (had a DVD) , it was Ashtanga yoga. It worked really well in toning and changing the shape of my body , and as the weeks went on I became much more flexible. The downside is that it can all be undone very quickly , so if you went a week or two without doing it then you will notice quite quickly becoming less toned.

yoga is good for some toning. it is super for posture, which can make you look even smaller then you are. I perfer pilates for toning and kicking ab work. Don't forget cardio, we need some for our hearts. Walking can even cover that for you