Heat for Health - Why You Should Take Hot Yoga Class

Working out when it's 40°C ? Voluntarily ? It's not so long time ago since I thougt I could never do that. But the last week I decided to outdo myself and I went to my first bikram yoga class. I was leaving sweating, I was exhaused - but at the same time I felt enthusiastic and excited for the next time I'll visit the studio again.

WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?
Bikram (hot) yoga is practised in a room heated for 38–42°C. This temperature facilitates stretching your muscles, increases calories burning and it has a lot of other pisitive health benefits. The exercises are the same every time so you're becomming better and better with every class you take. The whole class consists of 26 poses (asanas) and 2 breathing exercises. One pose prepares your body for the next one. The class begins with breathing exercise followed by series of stretching, balancing and strenghtening poses.

Benefits

Exercising in a room with higher temperature and the special serie of exercises have many benefits, for example:

• increases immunity
• stretches and strengthens all muscles in your body
• increases flexibility and balance
• you can burn up to 1200 kcal during one class
• speeds up metabolism (improves far burning)
• helps to reduce cellulite and improves skin quality
• increases lungs capacity
• cleanses the lymph system
• detox your body
• improves blood circulation 
• decrease stress, gets rid of depression and anxiety 

My experience and tips 

Few minutes before the class, my grandmother (65 years old) decided she'll go with me. And at the end we both survived. Granny was complaining mainly about the heat and she said she almost passed out for three times and she almost had several heart attacks. My biggest problems were the back stretching poses.

If you practise "normal" yoga, you can sweat sometimes. Sometimes you sweat less, sometimes more. If you do cardio - if you run, cycle (whether outdoor or in a gym) etc., you usually sweat a lot. But get ready to literally wring the clothes after one bikram yoga class. If you do all the poses properly, you have to concentrate a lot. Together with the hot air - it makes you sweat incredibly. When I used to go to the gym, I never showered in the fitness centre. I live about ten minutes from the gym and so I always took shower at home. But going home from bikram yoga class without shower - that's impossible. At least I think so. So don't forget to take one towel with you for the class and one bath towel you can use after the showe (take some bigger one so you can make a body wrap after you go from thew shower to the changing room).

You can probably borrow or buy the yoga mat in the studio but you can also take your own mat with you of course. Also you need to take enough water with you - the inctructor told us we should drink only in the definted breaks, because the water could make problems during head bending exercises. 

What to wear? I took sport bra, top, long yoga pants and short with me. I'm glad I left the long pants in the locker because I was freaking hot in the shorts too. Mini shorts and sports bra are enough. You don't need anything else. No top, no long pants. Of course it depends on you and what clothes you feel comfortable in. If you don't want to show your belly or if you're ashamed of your thighs, you can wear more "enshrouding" clothes. But you'll be hot. A lot.

You won't see all the health benefits after one class, you need to exercise regularly. But even afzer the first lesson, I saw some changes - I had more energy and mainly I was in a great mood, my shorts were (really, no kidding!) looser around my waistline (hot yoga also improves digestion), I had no cravings for unhealthy food and I was much more relaxed and calm. During the class my mind was completely clear. Usually I think about many things all the time  but during the class I was focused on the poses so much that I wasn't thinking about anything at all. My mind was calm and clear.

I haven't read about any limitations for bikram yoga. I've found just the benefits and the diseases which can be cured by bikram yoga. As I said, my grandmother survived the class - in her age, after a spine injury and other health problems. Maybe it can be unsuitable for people with highblood pressure (bikram yoga controles the blood pressure but it may not be very comportable in the beginning) and for people suffering from claustrophobia. You shouldn't leave the room if it's not absolutely necessary.

At the class you can meet women as well as men, people with different age, sporty slim people and also "chubby" people who have just started with the classes. Bikram yoga is suitable for (almost) everybody! :)