Happy & Healthy

HOT YOGA

What, why and where

Last night I was in long yoga pants and a top in a downward facing dog. During the heavy in and out breathing to hold this pose long enough, I saw the sweat droplets splashing on my mat. It was pouring from my forehead. I was at the edge of the room (I just made it to the class, hence) and looked to the right at the thermometer hanging on the wall. That thing showed 34 degrees. No wonder my head looked like a tomato and my underwear felt soaking wet. A hot yoga class I never get through dry.

In busy times, it's important to exercise, even if you feel tired. You actually gain energy from this. You can ‘clear your head’ and you feel stronger and less lifeless after a workout. I understand that you have to push yourself a bit, because you'd rather flop on the couch or sit behind your computer even longer, but give yourself an hour of sports. I quickly choose boxing, but yesterday I hopped on my bike for a yoga class. In the heat, of course. And that's when you really relax.

So what is hot yoga?

Very simple: a yoga class in a warm room. The temperature can vary between 32 and 40 degrees. The warmer, the more sweat and the harder the class, of course. Because you follow a fixed series in hot yoga, your body gets used to the poses and you can feel each week that you are getting better and can go ‘deeper’ into the pose. Most poses are static, but there are also schools with classes where you are more in a flow and do many exercises in a row. I am a proponent of that.

But what is so good about yoga in heat?

Because of the heat, you sweat a lot and get rid of waste products. The heat also makes your muscles more flexible, so you can get deeper into the pose and the chance of injuries is reduced. So that's beneficial. And a hot yoga class also raises your heart rate and that means? Fat burning.

Okay, where can I take such a class?

Google ‘hot yoga’ and the city where you would like to take a class and you will get (especially in the big cities) many options. Do check the pictures of the space and the changing rooms. I find it important that it is a clean school with nice showers, since a lot of sweating happens and various (people) aromas will be released. Ahem.