Why I don’t like hot yoga!!
Well the primary reason is… I really don’t like it.
“But Bri…” you may say, “Hot Yoga is supposed to be so good for you! What if you just try it? Give it a chance!”
I have… and I don’t like it. I don’t like exercising in the heat. I have a sauna I’d rather use instead for a multitude of reasons that I’ll list below.
How hot is Hot Yoga really?
Some say that hot yoga mimics practice in India where the climate is hot. However, in India they practice early in the morning as the sun rises or late in the day/sunset, not in the midday heat so this is not an accurate argument for hot yoga.
In Bikram yoga classes you’re moving through a fixed series of traditional poses in a 90-minute session in a room with an air temperature of 105°F (40°C) degrees and 40% humidity. Although studios will have some variation. During this time, according to a study by ACE (American Council on Exercise), your body temperature can rise to between 103-104 degrees, noting that exertional heatstroke is defined by a core body temperature that reaches 104-105 degrees Fahrenheit!
In the few times I attempted hot yoga classes, we were told to lie down if we felt dizzy, lightheaded or nauseas and not to leave the room. I tried at one point and was actually stopped at the door, told it’s best to just lie down. As someone who has had a vasovagal reflex (fainting), I was shocked at the complete lack of any screening involved in the class especially considering the additional stress above and beyond any regular yoga class on the body.
When practicing yoga you should be generating your own heat by engaging the Bandhas and using Ujjayi breathing. If you do this, you generate your own internal heat and don’t need a hot room.
So much sweat!
I also don’t like the sweat dripping down my face, into my eyes. Even with a towel to wipe it off, it interrupts my focus and my practice. Yoga is not about extremes, it’s about listening to your body without distractions, about calming conditioning your mind through postures. Using extremes and heat is an additional step removed from the entire point of yoga.
Some say that it’s great for weight loss and sweating out the toxins. First off, you can achieve both of these much more efficiently without attending a hot yoga class by using a sauna, a healthier diet and general exercise. Hot yoga classes are really not geared towards beginners and therefore this shouldn’t be your first choice. Additionally, according to a series of studies, including one funded by the Bikram Yoga College, hot yoga only burns around 330(women)-460(men) calories in a 90-minute class - half of the 1,000 calories some proponents and fitness apps promise. It’s also the poses and stretches themselves that are contributing to any benefits, not the heated room. Secondly, hot yoga being detoxifying is a misnomer because we detoxify our bodies mainly through our kidney and our liver. You’re mainly sweating out water, electrolytes and some urea. The only way it can detoxify you is by making you drink more water which boosts your overall metabolism and makes you want to urinate more.
Increased risk of injury and overstretching.
In a heated room, it’s much easier to overstretch as your muscles are warmed, you’re slippery with sweat and honestly in my experiences next to no guidance was provided in alignment. A quick look around the room and many people were in positions to easily injury their knees with incorrect alignment and using additional force in the competitive environment.
I don’t want to slip from the sweat when I’m holding a pose, or over stretch my muscles. If I warm up correctly, I don’t need a hot room to warm up my muscles for me.
If you’re going to try hot yoga, or already enjoy going, the key is to listen to your body, do what’s best for you and not push your limits. If you’re new to yoga, pregnant, nursing any injuries or have any heart or breathing conditions you should likely avoid hot yoga entirely.
I know many people swear by hot yoga, but I really do think it’s not right for many people and that includes me.
Bri
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/hot-yoga-booming-but-it-may-be-bad-for-you-051515
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/EP086725
https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/prosource/may-2015/5355/ace-study-examines-effects-of-bikram-yoga-on-core-body-temps/
https://oce.ovid.com/article/00005768-201405001-00450/HTML
https://oce.ovid.com/article/00005768-201405001-00450/HTML
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-heat-of-hot-yoga-can-be-very-good--but-also-risky-for-some-people/2017/12/29/150db00a-e1a3-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/02/dangers-of-hot-yoga/index.htm
https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-hot-yoga-is-it-bad-for-you-2017-3
