Bikram yoga, better known as hot yoga, is a hot exercise choice for many people. This type of yoga earns its name since people perform specific yoga poses in a studio that is heated to 100 - 110ºF with only 40% humidity. Hot yoga also lives up to its name since you are guaranteed to sweat and burn calories; one session of hot yoga burns approximately 630 calories. Burning calories and being active through regular exercise is an important part of helping you achieve your weight loss goals.
A hot yoga session lasts for 90 minutes. During the session, you hold 26 different postures and two breathing postures. The postures require lengthy, forceful and well-controlled contractions of all major muscle groups. The workout effectively raises your metabolism and heart rate. If you choose hot yoga as your primary form of cardio, you should expect to attend classes three times a week in order to reap the full benefits. Benefits include increased muscle tone, better core stability, decreased stress levels and healthy weight loss. You may be thinking by now that you need to already be in top shape to execute this type of yoga, but you can actually start as a beginner. You are then able to work your way up to a higher intensity at your own pace. Higher intensity hot yoga workouts involve more "growing" or stretching into each pose, eventually holding each pose longer. The higher the intensity, the more calories you burn.
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Despite the concerns some people have about working out in extremely hot temperatures, hot yoga is a safe and effective form of exercise when done properly. Along with healthy diet plans, many people find hot yoga to be a great way to lose weight and to feel better in general. You must drink plenty of water before, during and after each session. This helps you stay hydrated and also decreases the potential for heat-related illness. It also helps to remember that you will typically require 10 - 14 days to become fully acclimated to working out in the hotter temperatures. Hot yoga is not for everyone though. You should pass on hot yoga if you have heart disease, problems with dehydration or heat intolerance, or if you have experienced prior heat-related illness, such as heatstroke. You should also consider skipping hot yoga if you are pregnant. Otherwise, if you have no other health concerns, you are good to go. Grab your water bottle and then get ready to sweat, boost your metabolism and burn a bunch of calories!
Related Resources:
Mayo Clinic: What’s different about hot yoga versus other types of yoga?
FitDay: Calories Burned for Yoga: Is it Enough for Weight Loss?
Yogawiz.com: Bikram Yoga And Weight Loss
MindBodyGreen: 6 Tips for Bikram Yoga Beginners
Please contact us if you have questions or want to learn more about our weight loss programs or Botox and Fillers: