08 Oct Hot Yoga: The Perfect Fall Fitness Routine
The changing of seasons often brings with it a shaking up of the old routine. Summertime winds down, weather changes, school starts, workloads shift. Such sudden changes can make it difficult to stick with habits that served us well during summer… or, they can give us good reason to get out of our stale routine and try something new.
Like hot yoga. If you’re looking for the perfect wintertime workout (or just looking to switch up your usual fitness plan), hot yoga is the way to go. Yoga itself is a fast-growing trend in the U.S. among adults and kids alike. And its heated counterpart can add to the health benefits of the practice.
Hot yoga is designed to recreate India’s climate (hailed as the birthplace of modern yoga) with a temperature of 105 Fahrenheit and up to 40% humidity. Traditionally, the practice involves a specific 90-minute Bikram style of yoga made up of 26 poses performed in a particular order. However, many studios now offer Vinyasa Flow, Core Power, and other types of targeted yoga in the same heated environment.
Why? Well, besides paying homage to the original founders of the practice by doing yoga in a similar environment to theirs, the heat can add certain benefits to your workout. Here’s how:
Burn Mega Calories + Lose Weight
One 60-minute yoga class can burn up to 400 calories, depending on the type. A 90-minute hot yoga class can more than double that pay-off, burning up to 1,000 calories. Think yoga is too slow to help with weight loss? Think again: this is 90 minutes of pure heart-pumping and muscle-building, both of which help to melt away excess fat.
More Flexibility + Detoxification
It just makes sense: in a heated environment, muscles warm up faster. This means deeper stretches and a wider range of flexibility. The heat also leads to sweating, which helps to flush out the chemicals and toxins in your body. It also works to improve blood flow to your cells and clear out your pores, sometimes resulting in a noticeable “post-yoga glow.”
Mindfulness + Mood
Try taking a hot yoga class and focusing on anything else besides the heat… it’s an ideal way to practice living in the present moment and letting go of anxiety. Plus, this 90-minute activity produces an endorphin rush sufficient to naturally boost your mood and improve your outlook.
Bonus Benefit: Belonging
The yoga and hot yoga communities have gained a certain reputation for being peace-loving, supportive, and encouraging. “There’s always a reason people are drawn to yoga, and it’s not usually just fitness,” explains LA-based instructor/ trainer Cara Provenzano, “They’re seeking relief from some emotional or mental pain, and they want to belong to something. There’s a really sweet community around yoga – friendly without judgment. It’s a safe place for people to let go of trauma and anxiety and find something deeper.”
Learn more about the practice and benefits of hot yoga in this article by BestHealthMag.com. Need gear? Stock up on all the eco-friendly yoga goodies you’ll need at Corc Yoga. Consider adding hot yoga to your workout regimen this fall and reaping the rewards of trying something new!