SEVEN BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA
Increased flexibility, a boost for mood and mindfulness, and lots and lots of sweat
I first tried hot yoga back in high school, when blustery winter days found me seeking warm solace in a heated studio. Since then, I’ve continued to practice hot yoga, even if that practice is somewhat sporadic.
Hot yoga, while a personal favourite, has been a somewhat contentious topic in the fitness world. While some people swear it’s changed them for the better, others say practicing yoga at room temperature is fine, and heating up the yogi’s environment is nothing but a gimmick. So I thought I’d ask the experts to see what they had to say about any and all real and measurable benefits of hot yoga.
1. It can increase your flexibility more than other forms of yoga
Flexibility is an obvious benefit of all yoga, so why include this on a list about hot yoga specifically? Well, according to Christine Bullock, a fitness and lifestyle expert, creator of Evolution 20 and Super Shred, and co-creator of Kayo Better Body Care, the heat expedites the stretching process beyond your body’s limits at room temperature.
“The external heat of the class is thought to have many benefits. First, the external heat allows muscles to expand and contract to greater limits so that higher flexibility can be achieved without the risk of injury.”
This means that hot yoga is an incredibly useful practice for athletes, trainers, dancers or really just anyone looking to improve upon and fine-tune their flexibility. Just don’t use that as an excuse to overstretch. Just like all other forms of yoga, it’s important to be mindful and gentle when it comes to your body.
2. It can detoxify your body
The sweat from a hot yoga class is unlike a sweat from any other workout class. While this can feel disconcerting and generally icky to hot yoga novices, it’s something that many experienced yogis claim to crave. Why? It could be due to the detoxification process.
“The heat and higher energy demand causes you to sweat ... A LOT,” Bullock says. “As you sweat, you reduce water retention and sweat out a long list of toxins, chemicals and other unwanted compounds that shouldn’t be in your body.”
Jasmine Rausch, a certified yoga therapist, corporate wellness expert, and founder of Root Yoga Therapy, agrees.
“Many devotees swear by the sweat and need the intensity to feel a release,” she says. “We sweat as a way for the body to maintain homeostasis. Being in an environment that is hotter than our body temperature increases internal temperatures and skin temperatures, which promotes blood flow to the skin cells. Couple that with challenging poses and breath and you will quickly find yourself drenched in more sweat. Sweating is also a great way to rid the body of excess water and salt. Additionally, small traces of environmental chemicals (like BPA) and other pollutants have been found in sweat, but studies are still inconclusive as to what effect ridding these toxins through sweat has on our health. Experiencing a deep sweat is a great way to open pores and rid dirt, grime, and other stubborn bacteria that clogs pores, leaving your skin with that awesome post-yoga glow.”
3. It can give you glowing skin
Everyone knows that when you work out, you’re boosting your heart rate and thus your circulation. Increased circulation means more blood cells — and oxygen — coming in contact with the skin. This means that any workout, from running to hiking to yoga and Pilates, can flush your skin and give it a natural glow.
According to research, though, when you add heat to your workout, it increases circulation even more than what would result from the same workout taking place at room temperature. This might explain why some people swear that a single 60minute hot yoga class makes their skin luminous and dewy, with no makeup necessary.
4. It can aid in weight loss
You might think that yoga is too slow or gentle for weight loss, but Bullock says that’s not so.
“The various poses that you are forced to hold as well as the increased heat make your heart pump and build lean muscle, which translates to some serious weight loss.”
She uses Bikram Yoga, which is a specific form of hot yoga, as a reference point. “A single 90-minute session of Bikram Yoga can help you burn up to 1000 calories, which is just as good as various other forms of cardiovascular exercise. Furthermore, the various poses involved in Bikram Yoga are said to benefit your digestive system and endocrine system, which boosts your metabolic rate.”
5. It may boost heart health
One study found an association between spending prolonged periods of time in a heated environment (in this particular study’s case, it was a sauna) and a reduced risk of hypertension, which is otherwise known as high blood pressure. This is important, considering high blood pressure is associated with heart disease. While researchers haven’t quite been able to explain the link between heat and healthy blood pressure, it’s worth taking into account when it comes to a hot yoga practice.
6. It helps promote mindfulness
Maybe the link between heart health and heat has to do with the restorative power of taking time out for yourself, whether that be in a sauna or in a heated yoga studio.
“Yoga is about cultivating mindfulness, which is the practice of paying attention without judgment and with purpose,” Rausch says. “Hot yoga heightens the physical environment, which, for most, encourages us to become present and take note of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. Every time I would step into a hot room, I remember immediately feeling my focus shift to my environment. I mean, it was so warm, there was nothing else I could think about. You notice the discomfort in your body, the thickness of the air, and how quickly the sweat beads form just about everywhere. As the practice went on, I had no choice but to stay present with my breath and body in order to ‘beat the heat.’”
7. It can boost your mood
As we know from studying various forms of meditation, mindfulness can help boost mood.
“Those with depression may find that practicing in the heat helps to ignite their internal fire, which can cleanse and release stagnant energy and stimulate passion,” Rausch says. “Lastly,” she adds, “prolonged sweating is a great way to boost endorphins in the brain. These chemicals also act as our body’s natural pain relievers, which can be why this practice can leave so many to feel open and relaxed.”
Feeling calm, open, and stress-free? That’s reason enough for us to return to our mats.