We love all yoga at Oxygen, but here’s why there’s a special place in our hearts for hot yoga.
Whether you’re regularly practicing yoga, or have never walked in a studio before, you’ve likely heard of hot yoga. But have you ever been curious why working out in a heated room is so popular? As it turns out, hot yoga is not only an enjoyable practice and workout, but also a way to improve your yoga practice and your overall health. Oxygen Yoga offers many hot yoga classees, but if you’re curious to learn a bit more before you jump in and try one, here’s a few advantages you may get out of a hot yoga class.
Hot Yoga Helps Improve Your Flexibility
Stretching is an important part of many yoga practices. The flows you go through each class will likely help you to move your body in ways you never thought possible. But, you might find even more progress being made in your flexibility when you practice yoga in a heated room. It’s important to warm up your muscles before stretching in any situation, but stretching in the heated room can further help you to prepare your muscles to stretch and to work towards greater flexibility.
Hot Yoga Makes You Sweat
Lots of workouts help us to work up a sweat, but you might find yourself sweating even more in a hot yoga class. In fact, some people may even choose hot yoga classes specifically because they make them sweat more. If you’re wondering why you’d ever choose to sweat more than you have to, there is an important reason – sweat can help refresh your body in a myriad of ways. When you sweat, you’re clearing your body of heavy metals, chemicals, and bacteria. So while you might be coming into yoga class looking for a workout or mental refresh, you could also be getting a refresh while you’re on the mat.
Hot Yoga Can Be Good for Your Skin
When you decided to sign up for a yoga class, you might not have expected that it would do much for your pores. But, as it turns out, the heated rooms in which you practice hot yoga can actually be good for your skin. Building on the benefits sweating brings you, the detoxification process which is happening can help nourish your skin. It’s also important to remember that adding a moisturization routine for your skin after class can be very important if you want to gain the full benefits for your skin.
Hot Yoga Challenges You In a New Way
One of the best things you can do for your workout routine is to switch it up. When we incorporate new workouts into our workout routines, you can “keep your muscles guessing” as explained by Shape. If yoga isn’t your typical workout of choice, then adding hot yoga can be this switch that you need to take your fitness journey to the next level. And if you’re already attending yoga classes regularly, the challenge of practicing in a new environment could also push and surprise your body in new ways.
Hot Yoga Improves Your Circulation
According to Caroline Igo’s article in CNET, “the heat of the practice does wonders on the body’s ability to circulate blood”. You’ve likely heard someone say you should get your blood pumping, but you might not know why this is so important. Research suggests that heat can improve your body’s circulation, which is important for getting oxygen to your brain and body. Your hot yoga class may be able to get not only your body moving, but also your blood.
Hot Yoga Could Help You Metabolise
One potential benefit of attending hot yoga classes is improving your metabolism. A study from Texas State University comparing hot yoga to your typical yoga class found that people who took hot yoga had a larger change in body fat. This could suggest that hot yoga can help your metabolism, and your metabolism can affect not only body fat but also the energy you need for “essential body functions like breathing and digestion”, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic. Hot yoga takes the same amount of time out of your day as any other yoga class would, but the way it could affect your metabolism, as well as the other benefits discussed above, may mean you’re getting more benefits out of your time in the class in the long run.
Of course, like before starting any workout, it’s important to research whether the workout is right for your body, and in a heated room especially you want to ensure you are in touch with your body and what it needs, like staying hydrated and going at your own pace. If you’re interested in trying hot yoga, check out our full offerings online, or come let us know next time you’re in the studio!