Weight gain is a major problem that most individuals are suffering from, and they are looking for several ways to reduce it. There are several methods to achieve the weight loss goal, like somatic exercise, a healthy diet, and performing hard work. These exercises help in stretching the muscles, burn excessive calories, and maintain metabolism in the body.
Though taking a nutritional diet and exercising is necessary for weight loss, some don’t know what exercises to include. So, if you are dealing with such a situation, then this article is right to read as here are the best somatic exercises that can be done for weight loss.
Do Somatic Exercises Help Lose Weight? Other Benefits
Somatic exercises are the best for aiming for a weight loss routine that can be done with regular movements of body muscles. However, it does not suggest that somatic exercise is the main cause of weight loss by healthcare professionals. But it will help in maintaining a healthy weight and work if you stick to it.
Further, it helps reduce stress, improve your sleep, and help your mental health, which are the main reasons for uncertain weight gain. Also, various semantic exercises help to keep your cortisol levels under control, preventing you from overeating and avoiding wanting more food, which aids in weight management.
Somatic exercises, which focus on improving awareness and control of movement, may offer various potential health benefits. While individual responses can vary, here are some general advantages associated with somatic exercises:
- Improved Posture: Somatic exercises often emphasize awareness of body alignment, helping individuals correct and maintain better posture.
- Reduced Muscle Tension: Somatic practices aim to release muscular tension, potentially alleviating discomfort and pain associated with muscle tightness.
- Enhanced Flexibility: By promoting mindful movement and stretching, somatic exercises may contribute to increased flexibility and joint mobility.
- Stress Reduction: Mind-body connection in somatic exercises can aid in stress reduction, promoting relaxation and mental well-being.
- Better Movement Efficiency: Somatic exercises foster efficient movement patterns, potentially enhancing coordination and overall movement quality.
- Pain Management: Individuals experiencing chronic pain conditions may find relief through somatic exercises, as they target muscular dysfunction and imbalances.
- Increased Body Awareness: Somatic practices encourage heightened awareness of bodily sensations, fostering a deeper connection between the mind and body.
- Neuromuscular Reeducation: Somatic exercises focus on retraining the nervous system, helping individuals regain control and coordination over their movements.
- Enhanced Breathing: Somatic techniques often incorporate breath awareness, promoting proper breathing patterns and respiratory function.
- Mind-Body Integration: Somatic exercises emphasize the integration of mental and physical aspects, potentially contributing to overall well-being.
How Do Somatic Exercises Help Minimize Belly Fat?
Somatic exercises are effective solutions for weight loss by burning calories and stomach fat. It is bound with stress relieving techniques that promote healthy weight gain and reduce unnecessary fats within the body.
It works by minimizing the cortisol levels, which are the main reasons for storing fats or hormonal bellies in the body. But it works effectively only when you include other good habits like reducing alcohol intake, eating high-protein foods, and drinking enough water.
Best Somatic Exercises For Aiming At Weight Loss
Somatic exercises are the best practice that refers to slow, mindful, and body-oriented movements, which can even help you focus on your mind-muscle connection. Further, it aims to increase body awareness and give a sensation of fullness. So, let’s see some of the best somatic exercises that can be done to reduce weight.
1] ENS Massage
ENS massage is the most common type of somatic exercise that helps to reduce belly fat and thereby control weight. Further, you have to focus on the sensation and rhythm that improve gut-brain communication and reduce stress.
2] Wall Presses
Wall press is another technique that can be used for reducing body fat and controlling weight. It works simply by just pressing both hands on the walls for about 10 minutes, which helps in down-regulating the nervous system. Besides, this exercise helps to stimulate the proprioceptive system and increase the body’s awareness.
3] Somatic Yoga
There are various somatic yoga poses like deep breathing, body shaking, and other relaxation techniques that effectively help in controlling weight by reducing stress and giving peace of mind. Moreover, doing yoga practices every day for about 10 to 15 minutes helps your body maintain a healthy weight and further burns calories.
4] Gentle Movement Patterns
Another effective tip to lose weight through somatic exercise is making gentle movement patterns, which helps relax muscles and the mind. It includes various practices like hip hinge, hip dominant, vertical pull, horizontal push, rotational, and diagonal practice that give body sensations to relieve stress and anxiety along with burning fats. Further, it helps in improving mental health and also helps in aiding balance and relaxation in the body and mind.
5] Cannon And Standing Awareness Exercises
Cannon is another best somatic exercise that helps in controlling cortisol levels, which is responsible for increasing weight, stress, and anxiety. It works by reducing the tension and helps your body naturally fight from releasing pent-up energy. Further, through this exercise, the rhythm and actions help to slow breathing and then gradually shift you back towards stillness.
6] Dancing, Martial Arts And Aerobic
Various somatic exercises like martial arts, dancing, aerobics, or even walking help in reducing stress and weight gain mechanisms. It makes your body and muscles take action and further reduces the state of hunger. These exercises help in better understanding emotion and give signals to be happy and stress-free, thereby reducing weight.
7] Body Scanning Exercise
Body scanning exercises are another technique for losing body weight and increasing body awareness. To do these exercises, you have to lie down and sit comfortably. Afterward, with your mind, scan your body from head to toe and note the areas of tension, stress, or anxiety. After a few minutes, you will feel that all these elements are slowly elevating from your mind, and you are feeling so relaxed. So, it is better to exercise to reduce stress. An herb helps in burning fats stored within the body.
Duration Of Doing Somatic Exercises Per Day
Somatic exercises are easy to perform and do not need any apparatus or application to include with your exercises. So, it can be done at any time and anywhere, depending on the health conditions. Moreover, to perform these exercises, you just have to give at least 20 to 30 minutes of your everyday life and make it a routine if you want to have a weight loss plan. Besides, if you think about how many somatic exercises should be done for weight loss management, then it is suggested to do 1-2 exercises a day to achieve the goal.
Bottom Line
Apart from weight loss plans, there are many benefits of doing somatic exercises, such as better mind-body connection, relief from stress, reduction of pain, and better flexibility and balance in the body. Moreover, these exercises help you better understand your physical sensations and what your body is trying to tell you, which allows you to do accordingly.
Further, it helps to reduce stress and restore balance within the body and mind. So, the above exercises are best when you are trying to achieve the balance goal for weight management, but remember to include a healthy diet and drinking enough water. Besides, set a routine and stick to it so that you can easily achieve your goal and improve your body and mind awareness.
References
- National Institute Of Health(2020) Effectiveness of Somatic Yoga and Meditation: A Pilot Study in a Multicultural Cancer Survivor Population with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Available online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31483689/
- National Institute Of Health(2019) Impact of Somatic Yoga and Meditation on Fall Risk, Function, and Quality of Life for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Syndrome in Cancer Survivors Available online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6537287/
