An active yoga class helps you burn calories to start to melt off the pounds. It can help you find your bliss, and some say yoga may also help you shed those extra pounds.

Many professional athletes are said to be doing it in an effort to improve their games.

Critics of yoga for weight loss generally believe the practice doesn't provide enough heart-pumping movement, but when researchers have taken a closer look, this isn't always the case. A study at the University of Pittsburgh found that a specific style of yoga, vinyasa, was intense enough to produce scientifically supported heart benefits and increased calorie burning.

Yoga offers a variety of benefits for those losing weight, including:

- increased flexibility;
- increased cardiovascular strength/health;
- immunity boost;
- stress reduction;
- balanced metabolism;
- increased muscle strength.

Yoga is a positive way of exercising for anyone who is just beginning and feels intimidated by the thoughts of a large gym or intense exercises. With yoga during medical weight loss, you can have fun and explore your limits when it comes to physical activity, without overexerting yourself.

To optimize your weight loss program you'll want to make regular exercise part of your weekly routine. The only tricky part is determining what kind of exercise you'd like to partake in, and how likely you are to stay on track with that particular program.