Hot yoga has become a cult as a modified version of traditional yoga practice in the recent period. The popular modified version we are talking about has its roots linked to Bikram Yoga. There are many benefits that we can get from hot yoga similar to traditional yoga, such as stress reduction, improved strength, and flexibility. The thing that makes it more beneficial is that hot yoga can give your heart, lungs, and muscles an even greater, and more intense workout. So this article will help you in knowing more about hot yoga and its benefits.
What is Hot Yoga?
Many times we hear the terms “hot yoga” and “Bikram yoga” used mutually like they are the same thing but they’re not. Bikram yoga was developed by a yogi named Bikram Choudhury which is done in a room heated to 41°C with 40 percent humidity. Bikram yoga is just one style of hot yoga and other popular hot yoga options include the Canadian import Moksha yoga which is also known as Modo yoga in the United States and CorePower yoga which is a fast expanding series. Many locally-owned and autonomous yoga studios give their form of heated classes as well.
It has a set of 26 poses and two breathing exercises that are followed and performed in the same order every day every session. Bikram yoga sessions generally last 90 minutes. Whereas, Hot Yoga includes the room is heated above normal room temperature and the heat can be set to whatever the yoga tutor needs, though it’s generally between 27 and 38°C.
Hot yoga sessions consist of any variety of poses, and the time of each class will vary from studio to studio. Apart from this, Bikram yoga is a more peaceful, serious practice, whereas hot yoga often includes music and more communication among the people in the group. So you can find a hot yoga studio near you and start with your sessions without being lazy and compromising on your health and fitness.
What are the benefits of hot yoga?
Despite the room temperature, both hot yoga and Bikram yoga strive to provide relaxation of the mind and improve physical fitness.
A heated environment can initiate the practice of yoga more challenging, but some of the advantages may be worth it, especially if you’re looking to make development in one of the areas outlined below. If you do hot yoga correctly and safely, then it can provide you the following benefits:
1) Improves flexibility
Hot yoga helps in improving stretching. Its hot environment makes muscles lose and stretch more. Performing hot yoga will also strengthen your muscles and lead it to make them flexible.
2) Burns more calories
The weight you can burn with traditional yoga can increase more and become easier with hot yoga as turning up the heat can encourage you to burn even more calories. According to scholars at Colorado State University, the calorie burn can be as high as 460 for men and 330 for women throughout a 90-minute Bikram yoga session. Therefore we can estimate about a fair number of calories burned with hot yoga as it is the modification of Bikram yoga that can help you in burning more calories than a traditional yoga workout.
3) Nourishes the skin
Sweating, and a lot of it are among the foremost objectives of hot yoga. The major benefit of sweating in a warm environment is that it can enhance circulation, bringing oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to skin cells and this will help to nourish your skin from the inside.
4) Builds bone density
Maintaining your weight during a yoga pose can help in building bone density. This is especially great for older adults and premenopausal women, as bone density decreases as you age-old.
Research on women who participated in Bikram yoga determined that over 5 years found that premenopausal women had enhanced bone density in their neck, hips, and lower back, so this indicates the conclusion that Bikram yoga may be an effective option for decreasing the risk of osteoporosis in women.
5) Reduces stress
Many people who turn to yoga generally don’t like lifting weights much and want to feel peace and calm with yoga. Yoga also saves your time and you can do it whenever you want to. Hot yoga is great at reducing stress and pressure. It helps in calming down your mind and make your mind peaceful.
6) Eases depression
Yoga is a popular technique to help you ease and improve your mood. According to the American Psychology Association, it can also be a helpful therapy for reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
7) Provides a cardiovascular boost
Performing different yoga poses in high heat can give your heart, lungs, and muscles a more challenging workout as compared to performing the same poses at a lower temperature. According to a study, just one session of hot yoga is enough to get your heart pumping at the same rate as a brisk walk (3.5 miles per hour) and hot yoga also revs up your respiration and metabolism.
8) Reduces blood glucose levels
Any sort of exercise or workout helps in burning energy and reduce circulating levels of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream, hot yoga may be an especially effective tool for people at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
