Written by Lauren Turner, Yoga & Pilates Teacher
Lauren is an experienced Yoga and Pilates teacher and an endurance runner. She teaches across the Midlands Vinyasa, Rocket Yoga, Mat & Reformer Pilates. Lauren also runs Yoga & Meditation retreats across Europe.
Hot yoga has gained a devoted following, with enthusiasts praising its benefits for flexibility, detoxification, and mental clarity. But is the sweat-drenched practice truly a game-changer or just another fitness fad? Let’s explore the science, benefits, and potential downsides to determine whether hot yoga lives up to the hype.
What is hot yoga?
Hot yoga is a type of yoga practiced in a heated room, typically set between 27 and 38°C. The heat can make the practice more intense, helping to increase flexibility, burn calories, and reduce stress.
Hot yoga is not simply Bikram
There are different styles of hot yoga, with Bikram yoga being one of the most well-known. Bikram yoga involves a specific sequence of 26 poses with two breathing exercises performed in a room heated to 41°C with 40% humidity. However, not all hot yoga classes follow this format; many studios offer a variety of poses and class lengths.
In addition to Bikram, there are different variations of “hot,” with some studios even putting on “warm vinyasa.” Typically, around 37 degrees is considered hot, with the heat working with you rather than against you.
Sometimes, a Bikram class can feel a little like a heat endurance class, and the temperature of the studio can make a huge difference in what you may or may not be able to tolerate in the class. Quite simply, the hotter the class, the harder the practice becomes. For many, around the 37-degree mark is the optimal level.
Benefits
1. Improves flexibility
You may already know that stretching after you warm up your muscles is safer than stretching cold muscles.
So, it follows that an environment like a hot yoga studio can make yoga poses easier and more effective. The heat allows you to stretch a little further and achieve a greater range of motion.
2. Burns more calories
Calories burnt are individually dependent on a lot of factors, but as a generalisation, you are likely to burn more calories in a hot yoga class compared to a like-for-like class that is not heated. This is because your heart rate is higher. You will feel that you are working a little harder in general, especially if you’re not used to the heat. Your breath control will be more important than ever!
3. Builds bone density
Like any weight-bearing work, supporting your body weight during a yoga pose can help build bone density. This is especially important for older adults as bone density declines as you age.
Yoga works the body in so many ways, it can build strength and compliment your gym work. Often, we find that we move in quite mechanical ways in the gym, whereas yoga moves the body in almost every way possible. You might find muscles working you didn’t know you had!
4. Reduces stress
Many people turn to yoga as a natural way to deal with stress. The ability to immerse yourself in something for a period of time and to focus on deep breathing and connecting movement in breath can hugely help you switch off. Often, yoga classes can have a short meditation at the beginning or end, which adds to this benefit. In Shavasana, you are encouraged to go inwards. Meditation has enormous benefits and really can go hand in hand with your yoga practice.
Hot yoga may help you focus and switch off even more, as you are focussed on the breath and movement more intensely due to the heated environment.
Equally, regular practice can improve health-related quality of life, as well as self-efficacy, the belief that you have control over your behaviour and social environment.
5. Provides a cardiovascular boost
Striking different yoga poses in high heat can give your heart, lungs, and muscles a more challenging workout than doing the same poses at a lower temperature.
The heat makes them work harder, which increases your heart rate, breathing, and metabolism.
6. Nourishes the skin
Sweating, and a lot of it, is one of the main objectives of hot yoga.
One of the benefits of sweating in a warm environment is that it can improve circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to skin cells. This, in turn, may help to nourish your skin from the inside.
Taking make-up off can ensure you get these great skin benefits.
Dis-benefits
If arm balances are your thing, being a lot sweatier can make them much more challenging! Some more than others. For inversions such as the crow pose, the very limited connection of knees and arms requires a lot more core strength if you’re not able to connect with non-sweaty skin. This may be something to think about if you want a more progressive class, practicing specific postures.
However, other more advanced postures, such as Pincha or a headstand, shouldn’t be impacted by the heat. Being warmed up for these poses can help you find them in a safe way.
Hot yoga is not suitable for everyone, for example, special populations & pregnancy. If you’re unsure and on medication that you think could impact your participation in hot yoga safely, then you should always check with your doctor.
If you have a low tolerance to heat, it may not be for you, it may be overwhelming, and it can also make you feel a little sick if you’re not used to it. In most cases this isn’t the case, but if its not for you remember that’s totally fine, there are plenty non-heated classes out there.
Conclusion
Yes, it is worth the hype!
Hot Yoga has almost too many benefits to list, but most importantly, it makes you feel amazing, especially afterward.
A combination of hot and non-hot yoga can be great too. Maybe it's something you want to do every day, or maybe it's something you enjoy once or twice a month. If you haven’t tried it don’t be intimidated, you don’t have to do every posture, and you can rest in child’s pose any time you want to.
Although be warned, the heat may be easier in winter than in summer!
Lauren Turner, Yoga & Pilates Teacher
Lauren has been a yoga and movement practitioner for over two decades and is an experienced and intuitive Yoga & Pilates teacher. Lauren teaches Yoga & Pilates for all levels, from beginners to those with a progressive practice and runs Yoga & Meditation retreats across Europe. She teaches workshops across the Midlands and believes in yoga as not just a physical practice but as a way of life.
Her mission is to bring yoga to the masses and for as many people as possible to experience the benefit of a regular practice for both the body and mind. She firmly believes yoga is for every body and its never too late to start.
