Hot Yoga?

cappri

I've recently started going to yoga classes. I started the second week of January attending 3 hour long classes a week and in February I've bumped that up to 4 classes a week. I'm quite happy with the results. I just took my measurements and since I started yoga I've lost 2 inches off my waist and 1.25 inches off my hips. My weight has stayed about the same, but I'm ok with that since I'm within my healthy range and trying to figure out what my goal weight is exactly.

Anyway I'm wondering what the advantage to Hot Yoga is? My yoga studio in town doesn't have Hot Yoga, but there is a studio nearby that does, that I could get to occasionally. Why would it be worth the drive?

Yogi_Carl

It would be worth the drive occasionally if you were wanting to work on increasing flexibility in a particular bodypart as the warmth helps to relax the muscles and aid stretching.

However, don't expect to burn significantly more calories than a Yoga Flow/Vinyasa yoga session. Sure your heart rate monitor will tell you your burn was higher but that's because your heart was pumping faster to try to keep cool - not because your were working harder. Don't be fooled!

The downside of hot yoga - the stink of perfume, aftershave and sweat from all your yogi session buddies and the possibility of contracting moisture borne nasties from flying sweat and humid air in the training room! Lovely!

cappri

The downside of hot yoga - the stink of perfume, aftershave and sweat from all your yogi session buddies and the possibility of contracting moisture borne nasties from flying sweat and humid air in the training room! Lovely!

Well that doesn't sound pleasant!

mwrh

C4RL05 is right on the money. I was attending some yoga classes for some variety and the business told me that hot yoga would burn an extra 500 calories a session. So naturally that peaked my interest. I wore my heart rate monitor and only ended up burning an extra 40 calories a session.

HOWEVER, it does help with increasing flexibility. So why not, give it a try

cappri

C4RL05 is right on the money. I was attending some yoga classes for some variety and the business told me that hot yoga would burn an extra 500 calories a session. So naturally that peaked my interest. I wore my heart rate monitor and only ended up burning an extra 40 calories a session.

HOWEVER, it does help with increasing flexibility. So why not, give it a try

I really wasn't to worried about the calorie burn. I wear an activity monitor and it registers yoga about the same as sitting on the couch watching tv. I do know it's changing the shape of my body though so it's worth it.

MissFuchsia

I love Hot Yoga. The studio I go to is a bit of a trek for me too but I think it's worth it. As others have said the calorie burn isn't much more than a standard vinsaya but the heat makes such a difference to my flexibility. It's definitley worth trying.

cappri

I think I'll give it a try this next week. The Hot Yoga studio has a $20 for 20 days special going, so even if I only go twice that's cheaper than their drop in rate of $15 a class.

Muddy_Yogi

I agree with the other posters...calorie burn is about the same...but the flexibility you will see is quite different! I have never noticed that is was smellier in the hot yoga classes than any other fitness class I have taken though.