3/4/2013 Health Notes

From Women's Health contributor and yoga expert Kathryn Budig—the essential, authoritative guide to yoga, for beginners and beyond.

Approximately 16 millions Americans now practice yoga on a regular basis. Devotees can't rave enough about this ancient art of meditation, breathing, and physical postures that calms the mind and slims the body.

Unlike fitness fads, yoga is worth the hype. The postures stretch and tone lean muscle mass and sculpt a strong and slender physique—burning up to 400 calories in a 90-minute session. But yoga does something even better. It's proven to reduce the biggest cause of weight gain—stress—which 43% of Americans say makes them overeat.