Tell me about Hot Yoga?

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ouandi
ouandi Posts: 135 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My gym offers it no charge and I have a friend who swears by it. Can someone tell me what the benefits are? Is it just the sweating part? Wouldn't that just be water weight?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • lilpe5512
    lilpe5512 Posts: 425 Member
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    I did hot yoga for a month. You do sweat off water weight but the heat and the stretching seem to help when I was sore from other activities. If the membership wasn't so expensive I would have continued it.
  • danschultz01
    danschultz01 Posts: 9 Member
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    I have been practicing hot yoga (bikram in my case) and for a 90 minute workout I am shocked the cardio workout one gets as well as the strengthening and stretching. I am 235 lbs, I burn over 1500 calories and I notice a HUGE difference. I personally love it. And take it from a marathon runner / mma black belt. I am no slouch when it comes to working out. I love the P90x/Insanity styles. But there is something that hot yoga does that none of them do. And I feel so refreshed afterwards. I use it with my other workouts!
  • amandamotley
    amandamotley Posts: 63
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    It's tough and wonderful all at once. Leaves me sore for sure, and so relaxed. There's a lot of conflicting information out there about how many calories it burns. If I were using it as a means to lose weight, I'd definitely want to check the calories burned with a reliable heart rate monitor.
  • Doreen_Murray
    Doreen_Murray Posts: 396 Member
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    It's pure awesomeness! Wish I could do it more. Best stretch I've ever had and a great counter exercise to any lifting, plyo, or running routine. If you give it a try I find it helpful to hydrate more than usual, eat light prior (2 hrs before), and I eat a banana afterwards because I'm usually pretty hungry. If I drink too much water right before class (first class mistake) I get a little queezy during the class so I drink heavily a few hours before and then cut off until after class is over.

    Non-hot yoga is great too though as a counter--inversion poses are awesome after compressing your muscles all week.

    Love me some yoga! :heart:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    I have been practicing hot yoga (bikram in my case) and for a 90 minute workout I am shocked the cardio workout one gets as well as the strengthening and stretching. I am 235 lbs, I burn over 1500 calories and I notice a HUGE difference. I personally love it. And take it from a marathon runner / mma black belt. I am no slouch when it comes to working out. I love the P90x/Insanity styles. But there is something that hot yoga does that none of them do. And I feel so refreshed afterwards. I use it with my other workouts!
    Hate to tell you that you aren't burning 1500 hundred calories and unless you're moving in continual repetitive movements (which I'm sure then wouldn't be yoga) then there isn't really a cardio respiratory increase of fitness. Even at your weight, an estimated burn would be approximately 500-550 calories for that 90 minutes.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    It's tough and wonderful all at once. Leaves me sore for sure, and so relaxed. There's a lot of conflicting information out there about how many calories it burns. If I were using it as a means to lose weight, I'd definitely want to check the calories burned with a reliable heart rate monitor.
    Heart rate monitors don't work with strength training calories burned since it's measuring heart rate and NOT how muscle actually burns calories. You're heart rate could go up watching a scary movie and that wouldn't indicate a higher calorie burn compared to just sitting there and being more calm.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • nofattrish
    nofattrish Posts: 10 Member
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    I've just done my 4th session of Bikram (in 8 days) and have to say I'm hooked. I had little experience of yoga before other than a pregnancy class I'd taken a few years ago. You obviously lose weight because of the sweating, BUT you drink so much more water than normal that I believe any weight loss is real. I've lost around 3.5lb in the 10 days and started Bikram 8 days ago. I am watching what I eat and trying to stay within my allocated calories, so I do believe it works.

    Try it and see if it works for you. At our centre, they suggest doing it 3/week for a month to get used to it and decide how it works for your body. If it's free, I would certainly go for it as Bikram is usually really expensive.

    Good luck x
  • sdtrex
    sdtrex Posts: 18 Member
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    Hot Yoga is when my wife does yoga. She's hot.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    I've just done my 4th session of Bikram (in 8 days) and have to say I'm hooked. I had little experience of yoga before other than a pregnancy class I'd taken a few years ago. You obviously lose weight because of the sweating, BUT you drink so much more water than normal that I believe any weight loss is real. I've lost around 3.5lb in the 10 days and started Bikram 8 days ago. I am watching what I eat and trying to stay within my allocated calories, so I do believe it works.

    Try it and see if it works for you. At our centre, they suggest doing it 3/week for a month to get used to it and decide how it works for your body. If it's free, I would certainly go for it as Bikram is usually really expensive.

    Good luck x
    But water weight isn't "real" weight since it doesn't have a calorie value.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • danschultz01
    danschultz01 Posts: 9 Member
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    Ok - I will quote my source for the calories burned. I am not a certified trainer - so maybe you know more than I do. But this is the same rate I burn at 230lb+ for swimming and running (10/mile pace). And the way I felt afterwards and the way I am losing weight I don't doubt it at all. But if you have a more accurate source, please do share - I do want to be accurate.

    The source...
    http://www.everydayhealth.com/Calories-Burned-Yoga.htm
  • danschultz01
    danschultz01 Posts: 9 Member
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    Oh yes - and there is CONSTANT movement and my heart rate is extremely elevated. Remember too that this is in 105 degree heat at 40+% humidity. But it is very much a cardio more than you would expect. Try it!

    Here is where I practice - with info... http://www.bikramyogaannarbor.com/index.php
    and bikram's site has alot of info as well...
    http://www.bikramyoga.com/
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
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    I am 270lbs, an only burn about 400 calories max in a 75 munute power vinyasa class. I doubt you burn 1500. I got this from my body media fit arm band.
  • pullipgirl
    pullipgirl Posts: 767 Member
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    I can't do it I have a problem with loose joints and heard it can make it worse
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    Ok - I will quote my source for the calories burned. I am not a certified trainer - so maybe you know more than I do. But this is the same rate I burn at 230lb+ for swimming and running (10/mile pace). And the way I felt afterwards and the way I am losing weight I don't doubt it at all. But if you have a more accurate source, please do share - I do want to be accurate.

    The source...
    http://www.everydayhealth.com/Calories-Burned-Yoga.htm
    I can promise you that the caloric burn value doesn't equate to running at a 10 mile pace and swimming. Yoga is resistance training and a lot of it is static or isometric in nature. So if you pushed your two hands against each other for 3 minutes and kept the tension up, you would fatigue the muscles and if you were in a hot room, definitely sweat, but the total calorie burn for those 4 minutes.............about 10 calories. If you did a Tabata protocol in those same 4 minutes you'd burn about 180 calories. Both raise heart rate, but one utilizes oxygen and glycogen much differently than the other which is the reason for calorie burns.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    Oh yes - and there is CONSTANT movement and my heart rate is extremely elevated. Remember too that this is in 105 degree heat at 40+% humidity. But it is very much a cardio more than you would expect. Try it!

    Here is where I practice - with info... http://www.bikramyogaannarbor.com/index.php
    and bikram's site has alot of info as well...
    http://www.bikramyoga.com/
    By movement I mean that like running or rowing. Yoga has poses, so there is stopping involved. There's a difference in running a mile straight through and running a few steps, stopping to rest, then continuing till you complete a mile.
    Yoga is great for mind, body, flexibility and fitness. Just don't believe all the hype about it burning a bunch of calories and making you cardio fit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • firstnamekaren
    firstnamekaren Posts: 274 Member
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    I wouldn't call hot yoga "constant" movement - after the standing section, you're going back to your rest position after every pose.
  • firstnamekaren
    firstnamekaren Posts: 274 Member
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    I love hot yoga and would do it more if it weren't so expensive and time-consuming. I absolutely love feeling and seeing sweat roll off my body. I don't like sweating if I'm just sitting around it's hot - but I love sweating when I'm working out. Afterwards, you get a real sense of accomplishment.
  • ouandi
    ouandi Posts: 135 Member
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    Thanks everyone! My workout time is precious to me as I have two small kids so every minute counts. I would love to just add some type of relaxation yoga but I just don't have the time. If it gets me closer to my weight loss goal then I'm all for it. Regular yoga to me doesn't burn enough calories and since it takes up a whole hour it's not worth it to me. The girl I know that does Bikram hot yoga has lost 30lbs doing it but I just can't believe it because all I know is regular yoga.

    Do you get light-headed from the heat? I'm terrified of feeling sick or throwing up in the studio!!!
  • ctooch99
    ctooch99 Posts: 459 Member
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    Here's an article that essentially echos what you have stated bout Yoga - so no debate there:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/413162-does-hot-yoga-provide-a-cardio-workout/

    However, my own sense from participating in sports and exercise for the past 30 years is that Yoga, when done strictly, is a pretty intense workout and I am certain has good health benefits when combined with other exercise (at least for me). The P90X yoga workout definitely gets my heart rate going!
  • CaraColleen
    CaraColleen Posts: 110 Member
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    I have started a 30-day challenge this week, where I attend 30 hot yoga classes in 30 days. It is wonderful! I am definitely getting addicted. It isn't about how much weight you lose, but how many inches you lose. You will be gaining muscle from the poses, so since muscle weighs more than fat, you may not lose weight. But it generally tones the body and it is amazing the amount of inches you can lose! I would definitely recommend it as a supplement to a workout routine, such as running or swimming. The combination of these is sure to bring you great success.

    And just a warning: DRINK A TON OF WATER! It will make your class so much more enjoyable, and you won't feel dizzy or nauseous.

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