Hot Yoga for Weight Loss!

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  • pittsjg
    pittsjg Posts: 46 Member
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    I always try to look at it the simplest way I can, exercise does not cause weight loss, calorie deficits do cause weight loss, exercise can help create a calorie deficit (by burning calories and possibly increasing metabolism) and obviously has health and appearance advantages, but at the end of the day, week or month the math is going to determine loss, maintenance or gain.
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
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    All the websites and teachers agree it is a cardio work out. Trust me, your heart is beating out of control during it. If you haven't done it, I would understand not thinking it was cardio.
    The high heart rate doesn't translate to it being aerobic exercise. Yoga is isometric exercise and isometric exercise is anaerobic. This isn't disputed by any journals of medicine, science or physiology.
    A good example of a racing heart rate not always relating to cardio is watching a scary movie or the "fight or flight" feeling one gets when anxious.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    True, but during the style of yoga OP is referring to, you're not just sitting there doing gentle stretches in the heat. You're placing a pretty heavy load on a succession of different muscle groups and basically working them to failure- in conjunction with challenging breathing techniques.
  • Amandatorie
    Amandatorie Posts: 93 Member
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    I did the "30 classes in 30 days" of hot yoga years ago. It's the best I've ever felt or looked in my life. It was a flow-style class, not bikram. And yes, my classes definitely included some cardio. Not just because I was sweating and my heart was beating fast, but because I was essentially laying down and standing up a LOT of times in a row. No one seems to disagree that doing a bunch of burpees is cardio--a yoga flow is similar! But I agree with everyone that yoga shouldn't take place of cardio. It's mainly stretching and strength training. I was so, so, so much stronger after doing the 30 classes in 30 days.

    Because I had built so much muscle, while I looked much thinner, the scale didn't go down much in those 30 days. I'm actually trying to get back into yoga, but not hot yoga. I just can't handle that kind of commitment at this point in my life!
  • ingraha
    ingraha Posts: 99 Member
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    Nothing wrong with hot yoga if your heart is healthy and you take care of yourself; but I might suggest you dont rely on it completely; eat your calories back and eat responsibly while you do it and you will take off the weight and keep it off. Good luck to you.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    All the websites and teachers agree it is a cardio work out. Trust me, your heart is beating out of control during it. If you haven't done it, I would understand not thinking it was cardio.
    The high heart rate doesn't translate to it being aerobic exercise. Yoga is isometric exercise and isometric exercise is anaerobic. This isn't disputed by any journals of medicine, science or physiology.
    A good example of a racing heart rate not always relating to cardio is watching a scary movie or the "fight or flight" feeling one gets when anxious.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    True, but during the style of yoga OP is referring to, you're not just sitting there doing gentle stretches in the heat. You're placing a pretty heavy load on a succession of different muscle groups and basically working them to failure- in conjunction with challenging breathing techniques.
    One does the same in an intense weight lifting session. And it's still not a cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic metabolic pathway for energy use is different than that of anaerobic. Again not disputed by any journals of medicine or science. Research how the two are different. It's more than just getting one's heart rate up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    The sweating will cause a temporary weight loss.
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
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    All the websites and teachers agree it is a cardio work out. Trust me, your heart is beating out of control during it. If you haven't done it, I would understand not thinking it was cardio.
    The high heart rate doesn't translate to it being aerobic exercise. Yoga is isometric exercise and isometric exercise is anaerobic. This isn't disputed by any journals of medicine, science or physiology.
    A good example of a racing heart rate not always relating to cardio is watching a scary movie or the "fight or flight" feeling one gets when anxious.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    True, but during the style of yoga OP is referring to, you're not just sitting there doing gentle stretches in the heat. You're placing a pretty heavy load on a succession of different muscle groups and basically working them to failure- in conjunction with challenging breathing techniques.
    One does the same in an intense weight lifting session. And it's still not a cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic metabolic pathway for energy use is different than that of anaerobic. Again not disputed by any journals of medicine or science. Research how the two are different. It's more than just getting one's heart rate up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I guess I'm just not too worried about the classification of the Bikram as cardio exercise, just that it gave me awesomely toned muscles, shot my energy levels through the roof, and burned me some serious calories!
  • supergirlzoe
    supergirlzoe Posts: 4
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    Hi!
    I did a 30 day challenge with hot flow yoga. Yes my heart rate goes up. But whether or not it's cardio, what it absolutely does is strengthen your core to a completely new level which will in turn help you across the board with any other workouts you do. I still try to go but I got a bit burnt out after the 31 days. The benefits of yoga far supersede what you get when you are just on the mat. I think I am an overall better person with yoga. And yeah the arm sculpting from the multiple chaturangas are pretty sweet!
    Enjoy!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    All the websites and teachers agree it is a cardio work out. Trust me, your heart is beating out of control during it. If you haven't done it, I would understand not thinking it was cardio.
    The high heart rate doesn't translate to it being aerobic exercise. Yoga is isometric exercise and isometric exercise is anaerobic. This isn't disputed by any journals of medicine, science or physiology.
    A good example of a racing heart rate not always relating to cardio is watching a scary movie or the "fight or flight" feeling one gets when anxious.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    True, but during the style of yoga OP is referring to, you're not just sitting there doing gentle stretches in the heat. You're placing a pretty heavy load on a succession of different muscle groups and basically working them to failure- in conjunction with challenging breathing techniques.
    One does the same in an intense weight lifting session. And it's still not a cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic metabolic pathway for energy use is different than that of anaerobic. Again not disputed by any journals of medicine or science. Research how the two are different. It's more than just getting one's heart rate up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I guess I'm just not too worried about the classification of the Bikram as cardio exercise, just that it gave me awesomely toned muscles, shot my energy levels through the roof, and burned me some serious calories!
    I doubt that most would be worried about classification if they're meeting goals they want. It's is important though if someone is looking for an aerobic program and some saying that hot yoga is aerobic. That would lead that person down the wrong direction.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Jill102211
    Jill102211 Posts: 1
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    I just started a 40 day challenge with hot/warm flow yoga for overall well being and hopefully some fat loss. I would love to shed some fat and gain muscle in my upper body and core. I believe that practicing yoga daily may be a way to achieve this. I'm on day 6 right now and I feel really good mentally and slightly tired physically after each class. I spoke with a woman in class who has lost 25 lbs from doing yoga 4x a week and walking on a treadmill 2x a week. I'm already feeling taller and slightly sore in some places. I'm thinking of asking the instructor what some of the benefits of this challenge are before class today.
  • Jkelly1221
    Jkelly1221 Posts: 91 Member
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    I LOVE LOVE LOVE hot yoga, however, I don't rely on it solely for my weight loss. Hot yoga is more for my all around mental well being :-). I do hot yoga once or twice a week, do a kettlebell class once or twice a week, and fill in the remainder of the days with gym days. :-)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I've done 30 day challenges in Bikram yoga and don't lose much weight, but I feel better and can eat anything I want without gaining because I tend to want less when I'm doing it regularly. I've worn a HRM in class and it says I burned like 800 calories but that's impossible. It's overestimating due to the heat causing elevated HR (which is good for me, too, I'm pretty sure). If I burned 800 calories per session, I would've lost more weight. I did it 4-6 times/week for 9 months recently. I lost about 10 lbs. the first 2 months and then nothing more, though I didn't 'diet' and didn't gain.

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