Hot Yoga on a Hot Day… The Science says – YES!
Hot Yoga on a Hot Day?
The Science says…
YES!
The hot weather making you tiered & listless – good news – hot yoga can help! Yes HOT yoga.
You are tiered because your body is expending more energy to keep you cool, so how can a hot yoga class help?
Santiago Lorenzo, a researcher, and former Olympic Athlete found in a study for the University of Oregon that exercising in the heat can boost aerobic capacity by 8% after 10 days of heat training. As the body and mind acclimatise to the heat, you improve your physical and mental endurance. So, after heat training, you find it easier to function on these beautiful, hot summer days.
For more information please see The Study
More Scientifically Proven Reasons to start/keep up a Hot Yoga Practice when it’s hot out:
1 – Hot Yoga Improves Your Flexibly (Study 1 & Study 2)
2 – Hot Yoga Can relieve Stress (The Study)
3 – Hot Yoga is proven to be a cardiovascular workout. It also therefore Increases cardiovascular fitness and has been proven to increase cellular thermotolerance adaptations. i.e. you can handle the summer heat better
Comparing heated and non heated Yoga this study found Hot Yoga improved Cardio vascular fitness and both significantly increased Serum BDNF. Increasing BDNF can have profound effects on cognitive function, memory, mood, and overall mental health (Study 1 Study 2 Study 3)
4 – Hot Yoga can be effective at reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. (The Study)
5 – Hot Yoga Burns more calories (The Study)
6 – Yoga improves your sleep (Study 1 Study 2 )
7 – Hot Yoga can decrease blood pressure
IF YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING UP A HOT YOGA PRACTISE.
8 – Hot yoga ameliorates arterial stiffness in overweight/obese adults and can positively impact quality of life regardless of BMI. (The Study)
Remember to achieve any of these and/or reach health and fitness goals like weight loss, toning etc consistency is key. You have to have a regular practise, and this means not using the outside temperature as an excuse not to keep going.
The hot room wont be hotter because it’s a hot day. We keep the temperatures the same 365 (well 363, we are shut on boxing day and new years day). So you may even find it a little easier in the summer as you are already warm
If you are practising in the hotter months:
– Stay hydrated, replenish your electrolytes.
– Eat well. Make sure you are giving your body enough fuel before and after class.
-Be kind to yourself and listen to your body. Yes the heat is wonderful, but be mindful of your body’s personal edge and avoid pushing to hard. You want to nurture not injure your body.
– Enjoy!
Well see you on your mat today!
