bikram yoga

Serenifly
Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
There is a studio by my house that offers 7 days unlimited for 20$ (First time tryers only)

So I'm doing it starting Saturday (the only 7 days I can go everyday this month)

I have never done yoga, I'm more of an all out cardio kinda gal (will do rowing, spinning, running, elipitcal in 1 session) mostly due to short attention span

Anyone do bikram? do you find weight loss? flexibility? good benefits overall ? 90 minute classes!

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Replies

  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    I REALLY want to try it!!! Let us know!
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
    http://besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/fitness/the-benefits-of-hot-yoga

    Found this article ... pretty handy ... I am hoping to try for a baby soon, so saddened to hear you can't do it if your prego, but if I like the bikram i guess I can just do regular yoga through pregnancy ?
  • Louiseha
    Louiseha Posts: 1
    I love bikram yoga. I haven't been doing it for very long but after a couple of weeks of going once or twice a week, I noticed that I was becoming more flexible. It's a great way to unwind and de-stress after a long day. Good luck!
  • albragg
    albragg Posts: 55
    its hot as eff. i've never sweat so much in my entire life. its a really good feeling after though. bring LOTS of water, feel free to lie down when you need to, and only do as much as you can. just remember that if you need a break, lie down but do not leave the room. i'm sure your instructor will go over etiquette with you prior to the class. enjoy!!!
  • nessajk
    nessajk Posts: 32
    Hey there! I've done heated yoga but not full bikram. It is definitely physically challenging! Yoga and pilates are my preferred strength training exercises. I've found that my benefits vary oftentimes with the studio and class type - I enjoy holistic yoga, and some places (including many studio chains) treat it more like a competitive sport. There are definitely great benefits to any type of yoga. I would be hesitant to have Bikram be my first type of yoga. I think it's generally heated to about 105 degrees or so. If I were you, I would try to at least hit a beginner class prior so you can learn the basic poses and rhythm of yoga. It's trickier to hold your form when you are sweating so much! At the very least, tell the instructor that it's your first time and that you welcome form correction.
  • kwaz29
    kwaz29 Posts: 190 Member
    i signed up for a yoga studio at the beginning of the summer, and i've been doing a whole mix of classes, from restorative yoga to vinyasa to bikram. i'm not sure how much it has contributed to my weight loss as ive been doing a lot of cardio as well, but i have found that i feel stronger, more flexible, and more relaxed. i started out barely being able to hold some poses for the whole time, but now i have progressed to doing handstands and backbends. the principles of yoga, like treating your body well and working with it, are also very interesting and helpful. it makes you want to eat to fuel your body and make it perform well. i would defnitely reccomend trying it!
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    I used to do it and loved it. My housemate (who runs an average of 5 miles a day) at the time got me involved. It was great for helping to stay flexible and I liked it because I have never been a very flexible person. I was able to get into positions that I never would be able to without injury without the high heat in the room. I felt invigorated when done and my muscles were sore the next day - not in a bad way but in a way that I knew they had been worked. Just be careful not to overdo it. My housemate also new a woman who did it and she pulled all her stomache muscles (ouch).
  • aray379
    aray379 Posts: 131
    I've done Bikram before. I didn't care for it as much as I liked heated vinyasa. However, my favorite is just regular vinyasa yoga. The heat kind of ruins the purpose of yoga to me, beyond strength training and flexibility I do it for relaxation centering purposes and the heat sometimes just stresses me out more.

    Definetley try it out though, that's an amazing price, my studio is $120 just for ten classes haha. Just make sure you drink a lot of water during the day, and don't eat a lot/anything before you go (like two hours before). And it will be hot, really friggin hot. So just accept that you're going to sweat your *kitten* off cause everybody else is too!
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
    Yeah I was wondering if it was ideal for a first time yogi. I've done the Jillian Michals yoga dvd, but it's high rep so I never concidered it yoga! lol

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  • kwaz29
    kwaz29 Posts: 190 Member
    for a first time yogi you might want to take a couple level 1 or 2 classes to get used to the poses and see how you enjoy it before doing a bikram yoga class. in my experience theyre usually harder and the heat makes them overwhelming sometimes!
  • Sj20fame
    Sj20fame Posts: 205 Member
    OMG!!! Bikram Yoga is amazing!!! and 20 dollars for 7 days is a really good price, I have to pay 17 dollars per visit, and when they did a promotional rate it was 39.99 for one month of unlimited, which was good! Definitly weight loss, you sweat like never before, your muscles burn like never before. Don't expect to get there and think your just going to meditate, the class will kick your *kitten* in all kind of ways the first few times, but then your body starts getting ustue it. Drink tons of water. Your flexibility changes with every class :) Your poster improves(I ustue slouch, and not so much anymore) Have fun, don't give up, and get through the 7 days! The heat is intense at first, but I promis you'll get ustue it after the 3 days:) Good luck! =D
  • aray379
    aray379 Posts: 131
    Yeah I was wondering if it was ideal for a first time yogi. I've done the Jillian Michals yoga dvd, but it's high rep so I never concidered it yoga! lol

    shapeimage_2.png

    I think it depends on what you're looking for. It's really personal preference I have known people that start out with Bikram and are obsessed with it and others who will never go again. Bikram isn't as much as a fluid yoga movement class it's more holding poses and breathing exercises. It could make you love or hate yoga. I started yoga just doing beginner vinyasa or ashtanga yoga classes and fell in love with the feeling and principles. You could always call the studio or go talk to the instructor they might be able to suggest since every studio is different.
  • Sj20fame
    Sj20fame Posts: 205 Member
    Yeah I was wondering if it was ideal for a first time yogi. I've done the Jillian Michals yoga dvd, but it's high rep so I never concidered it yoga! lol

    shapeimage_2.png

    This is fine for a first time Yogi, the people who are experienced will be in the front of the room and the beginners will be towards back of room.
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
    Thanks everyone for your input!!!!! I appreciate it! I will try it as it's so cheap for 1 week ...

    Do you think I can bring my HRM into the class? or will it get ruined? maybe I should write polar ! lol
  • Sj20fame
    Sj20fame Posts: 205 Member
    NO definitly no HRM in class, I don't even think they'll allow it.....but there is a website online for bikram yoga users, you put your age, weight, and how long you did your bikram yoga for and it will give you the calories burned, I do the 90 minitues and burn like 900 calories :) good luck to ya!
  • Sj20fame
    Sj20fame Posts: 205 Member
    Thanks everyone for your input!!!!! I appreciate it! I will try it as it's so cheap for 1 week ...

    Do you think I can bring my HRM into the class? or will it get ruined? maybe I should write polar ! lol

    If they do allow it, wear a water resistant one, you are gonna sweat, your gonna come out of the class like if you just got out the shower...yes gross!
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
    NO definitly no HRM in class, I don't even think they'll allow it.....but there is a website online for bikram yoga users, you put your age, weight, and how long you did your bikram yoga for and it will give you the calories burned, I do the 90 minitues and burn like 900 calories :) good luck to ya!

    Just wondering cuz my HRM has a program in it, and if I don't reach my weekly goal it yells at me ... I can manually input cals burned into it ...sick of it yelling me ... haha
  • KayaSamantha
    KayaSamantha Posts: 157 Member
    My boyfriend who has a terrible back and shoulders from playing rugby through highschool swears by it! He has lost a bunch of weight and has really leaned out now. Also it is one of the only things that really helps him relax his back and shoulders. I can't do it as I feel like I am about to pass out when I am just sitting in 30 degree heat but kudos to you for giving it a go!
  • aray379
    aray379 Posts: 131
    Thanks everyone for your input!!!!! I appreciate it! I will try it as it's so cheap for 1 week ...

    Do you think I can bring my HRM into the class? or will it get ruined? maybe I should write polar ! lol

    You can bring your HRM. Most of them are waterproof and you're not going to be submerged in water. You will sweat a lot but I've used a Garmin HRM in my spin class many times and I sweat a lot in that too and it's been fine. A lot of people wear their HRM to the studio I go to just make sure it doesn't beep or anything

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