The answer might surprise you.

I get asked all the time, “Does yoga help you lose weight?” Well, it all depends on the type of yoga you’re doing. There are slow, fluid classes that are more about stretching, and there are other classes that are more about power, speed and strength. All yoga is beneficial to your health and your mind, but which style you choose will determine how many calories you’ll burn.If you’re looking to lose weight with yoga, here are 3 reasons why it’s a good idea to start today:

To burn the most calories during yoga, pay attention to the labels! “Vinyasa Flow” classes earn 3 times as many calories than traditional “Hatha” yoga!

It’s a fact — yoga burns calories. To burn the most calories, find a yoga class that focuses on strength, fluidity, flow or power. Typically, these classes will be called “Vinyasa Flow” or “Power Yoga.” When you choose these classes, you’ll not only burn calories, but you’ll also increase your heart rate throughout the class. You can burn up to 597 calories in a Vinyasa Flow class, and only 189 in “Hatha” yoga, a term that describes a class that’s more relaxin and focuses on flexibility.

To reduce your caloric intake throughout the day, take mindfulness off the mat and into your life. 

Research shows that the mindfulness side of yoga has a strong correlation with weight loss. This is because the mindfulness that you practice in yoga is carried on into your daily life. The stillness of being in the moment will help you make healthier decisions throughout the day, especially when you’re faced with a choice like, “Should I have a brownie or should I have some strawberries?” Making decisions like this become easier when you practice yoga, because you’ll learn balance, confidence, and relaxation so you can stay in-the-moment and make decisions that are beneficial to your health.

To burn more calories after class, perform strength-training poses.

Yoga helps develop strength. Some yoga poses require you to hold your own body weight while using your breath. While you’re bearing this weight,  you build muscle in your entire body…from your arms to your core to your calves! As you gain this strength, everyday tasks (like running up a flight of stairs) become a little easier. This increased muscle mass will help you move more efficiently throughout the day, which helps burn extra calories!

Remember, yoga will not only help you lose weight, it will improve your balance, strength, coordination, flexibility, cardiovascular health and physical confidence. It’s a must for anyone suffering from aches, pains or too much tension, or if you’re looking to drop a few pounds. Here’s to your health!