Hot Yoga: Jenn’s New Found Love

Written by: Jenn on March 10th, 2010
General, Health & Wellness | 3 Comments »

I had never been very attracted to yoga. I had done a few poses here and there for stretching purposes but the meditation part of yoga was never my thing.  When I first heard about hot yoga I was instantly intrigued. Finally a way to get all the stretching, relaxing and toning that I was looking for, with the added bonus of a sweaty cardiovascular workout. And boy do you ever sweat. Within minutes of being in the room you feel hot and sticky.

Hot Yoga is exactly what it sounds like: performing yoga in a hot room usually around the temperature of 37°C. Yoga by itself is an excellent practice used to increase flexibility, improve tone, and create a relaxed body and mind, but there are a few things about hot yoga that gives it a bit of a kick:

  • The heat is similar to the body’s internal temperature, thus your warm muscles are able to stretch deeper and with ease.  With continued practice you will increase flexibility, and also increase fluidity to and throughout the joints.
  • The increased sweating detoxifies the skin, which is the largest organ of elimination in the body.
  • The body burns calories more efficiently in the heat. Hot yoga increases metabolism making the breakdown of sugar and fatty acids easier. This helps to burn fat and also aids the speed of digestion.
  • Along with the deep stretching and relaxing poses that yoga involves, there is the added bonus of strength training.  In yoga the focus is to tone and create lean, long muscles, rather than build bulk.

However there are some precautions with hot yoga that need to be considered before taking a class:

  • You must know your true limits. There is a risk of stretching beyond what your body can handle.  It is important for you to be aware of your physical abilities and do not try to push yourself to the point of injury.
  • Water, Water, Water! Because the body sweats profusely during hot yoga it is imperative you are well hydrated before, during, and after the class. Your body loses salt while you sweat so you may wish to restore your electrolytes in the hours after class by drinking sport drink or coconut water (which is a natural recovery drink providing the body with many vitamins and minerals).
  • Though heat exhaustion is rare, those who have a tendency not to fare well in the heat, who have high blood pressure, or who are pregnant, should either avoid hot yoga or consult a physician beforehand.

I encourage everyone to give it a try and let me know if you love it as much as I do!

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3 Responses to “Hot Yoga: Jenn’s New Found Love”

  1. Angela Jackson says:
    March 19, 2010 at 7:08 am

    Hello Jenn,
    So pleased that you have discovered yoga! I must clarify a few things about Hot yoga. You are correct that you do sweat however it is not a cardiovascular workout necessarily. As a student of Hatha yoga I must say that it is much better to create heat within yourself rather than artificially. Hot yoga has been known to cause injury to the body. I would encourage all individuals to first give a Hatha class a try with a trained instructor before choosing a Hot class. All of the benefits of yoga that you mention can be discovered in a Hatha class without the risks of the artificial heat.
    Enjoy & Namaste!

  2. customsguru says:
    March 26, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    Is there beginner classes for hot yoga in the Ajax durham area? I have been interested in the wellness aspect of yoga and the meditation aspect for some time and would love to try it. Ms. Jackson seems to say “hot yoga” should not be tried by first timers. Any suggestions for a curious beginner?

    M

  3. Jenn says:
    March 29, 2010 at 8:51 am

    Hi Customsguru and Angela! Thanks so much for your comments!

    Customsguru, I am in fact a yoga and hot yoga beginner myself. There certainly are precautions that need to be taken when practicing hot yoga as well as yoga and you should not jump into a class before a little research is done. I have asked my hot yoga instructor about what to eat, how much to drink and when, how far to stretch when practicing a new pose and I am sure you will find most instructors are willing to answer all of your questions you may have! I took the liberty of looking for yoga studios in your area. There is a studio that offers a “Gentle/Restorative Yoga and Gentle/Meditation Yoga” class, that sounds like it may be what your after! You can find it at http://www.eastvillageyoga.ca

    Angela, you’re right that hot yoga may not necessarily be a cardiovascular work out, but it depends on what kind of yoga you are performing. I didn’t mention it in my blog but I am taking a power flow yoga class. It is a way to move through the poses in continuation and increase the tempo of the transitions. This gets the heart and lungs working a little harder. I hope this clarifies things!

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