What Are the Benefits of Hot Yoga?

Category: Yoga |

Ashtanga, power, Iyenger, and now the new kid on the block: hot yoga. With all of these different types of yoga available, what’s so different about hot yoga? We have all the information you need about what is involved, and some of the benefits of this form of yoga.

Hot yoga is a general term, covering any form of yoga carried out in a heated room. Generally the room will be around 40°C, allowing the body to work up a real sweat. The purpose of this is to allow the body to rid itself of toxins, but the heat also eases muscles, contributing to greater flexibility. There are several other hot yoga benefits.

Weight Loss

The loss of fluids through sweating will result in a small amount of weight loss, but that will just be temporary. The real way in which you will lose weight is through making your body work harder because of the level of heat. Top tip: always wear very light, loose clothing and have a drink of water to hand.

Pain Prevention

Athletes warm up before training or a competition because we know that otherwise they are prone to tearing and straining. With hot yoga, stretches are gradual and more effective because of the heat. It is possible that limbering your muscles regularly in this way can help prevent muscle strains when you are not performing yoga.

Stress Management

It would be practically impossible to concentrate on holding a pose in a sweltering room and still worry about what is going on at work! Yoga forces you to think in the present, and this distraction is an excellent way to relieve stress. Focusing on your breathing is also a requirement of yoga that can be practiced in every day life whenever you feel anxious.

Boosting the Immune System

Stress has long been identified as a trigger for poor health, but the reduction of stress is not the only way that hot yoga can aid your immune system.  The heat results in a fever-like condition inside your body (although you will not feel it!) which causes white blood cells (for fighting infections) to multiply in your body. If you were to pick up a bug it is likely your body would be more than prepared to fight it off.

Yoga can cut stress, allow for meditation and improve your breathing control. Physical benefits include strength, flexibility and a boosted immune system as well as hot yoga weight loss benefits. A heated environment helps reduce the chance of tears or pulls to your muscles and also allows the body to rid itself of toxins. With so many benefits, isn’t it time to give hot yoga a go?