Omm…yoga. People sitting in a weird position, trying to reach harmony in their minds. That’s something the majority of us imagine when hearing the word “yoga,” isn’t it? Well, get ready for some surprises. First of all, while reaching the harmony of your spirit, you can notice a significant weight loss – quite a rewarding deal! By doing your asanas, you’ll have a strong and flexible body with a peaceful mind. What else do we need? We need more! And that’s where hot yoga enters the competition. Hot yoga is a relatively new form, gaining a solid position among people who want to lose weight. So, let’s see into the details of hot yoga weight loss.
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What Is Hot Yoga?
Hot yoga is a form of exercise performed in humid and hot conditions. The classes are heated to 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is not less than 40%. It’s claimed that hot yoga types of exercise aim to replicate India’s climate, where it originated. It was noticed that yoga classes in such an environment help you lose weight better and remove excess water from your body.
How To Make The Most Of Weight Loss With Hot Yoga: The Basics
Does hot yoga help you lose weight? Of course, but don’t be misled by the numbers on the scales. Your instant weight loss can be noticeable, but it is mainly about the water excesses because of sweating. Once your body is rehydrated, you’ll see the number going up again. Losing body fat requires more exercises and time. It’s always about time and patience.
P.S. Though it’s an effective way of preparation for a party when there’s “just-one-centimeter-more” and your new shorts or dress fit you perfectly again.
Types Of Hot Yoga
1. Bikram Yoga
This type of hot yoga was named after its creator – Bikram Choudhury. He came up with a fixed sequence of 26 poses that must be performed in a hot (105 F) and humid environment. It will help you perspire more, which will boost the detoxification process in your body (sweat is a natural way to get rid of toxins through your skin). The classes take 60 to 90 minutes.
2. Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga
Baron Baptiste initiated another subform of yoga with extra benefits for our body. The requirements for the working environment are quite the identical, although the poses are adopted from several types of yoga and include 53 poses. By performing this type of yoga, you will improve overall cardiovascular functioning and enhance your body’s flexibility.
3. Moksha
One more type of hot yoga class; Ted Grant designed it. Unlike the abovementioned types, this one doesn’t follow any specific sequences. It also requires a heated and humid room for the workout, but with more focus on the eco-conscious choice of materials. It gives more freedom to the instructor when choosing the forms of exercise.
4. Hot Power Yoga
It combines two aspects of yoga classes – power and hot yoga and has no particular structure for classes. The results and benefits will also amaze you – it helps boost circulation, promote weight loss and help you relieve stress.
What Is Better For Weight Loss: Hot Yoga Or Running?
These two types of activity are good for losing weight; however, they’re different in nature. Yoga belongs to anaerobic exercise while running/walking/cycling are the aerobic category. At first glance, running is a better option for weight loss. Burning 100 calories per mile (approximately) is a good result. By maintaining a healthy diet, you’ll lose fat quite soon. Yet running is quite exhausting. If you don’t have a toned body and start from zero, you’ll find it challenging to make running your everyday routine.
Hot yoga body transformation may be a better option for you to start with. When you get tired in some parts of your body, you can just switch to a different pose and keep practicing. So, there are fewer chances that you will stop, and it will boost your desire to improve.
Both activities can help you lose weight successfully, as they increase the heart rate, boost circulation, help with calorie burn and improve physical fitness. Whatever journey you choose, the results depend exclusively on your lifestyle, diet, weight, and how intensive your workouts are.
Benefits Of Hot Yoga
1. It Makes You More Flexible
Yoga outshines other types of physical activities with this particular feature. A hot and humid environment helps your muscles relax, which is why stretching them is easy. The variety of poses makes stretching deeper, and you’ll feel every muscle while working out.
2. It Burns Major Calories
Hot yoga can help you increase the number of calories burned daily as any other physical activity. However, yoga performed in a heated class works best at increasing your heart rate and so stimulates weight loss.
3. Increased Detoxification And Circulation
Another significant result of a regular yoga practice – getting rid of internal impurities. As long as you spend 90 minutes in a heated room, excessive sweating is a natural part of such practice. As a result, not only do you achieve fat loss, but you also lower the level of toxins.
4. Helpful In Stress Reduction
All the types of hot yoga for weight loss can address our stress levels. When you have a hard day, a class of yoga practice will definitely help you reorder your thoughts and feel better.
5. Ups Your Lung Capacity
Intense and deep breathing while doing yoga helps your lungs train better and retain more air. Quite stiff conditions of the environment have a positive influence on your health.
6. Builds Bone Density
Bones density declines while aging (especially for women); yoga practice helps to keep the density on a healthy level. While performing poses, you ought to support your body and weight. It does a good practice for your bones.
Recommended reading — How to get rid of stomach lines?
The Downsides Of Hot Yoga
If you decide to join the hot yoga weight loss programs, make sure you have no restrictions on that. The disadvantages can be the following:
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May Lead To Dehydration
More sweating – less water in your body. It may seem like a quick fat loss, but it’s just dehydration. Remember to keep the water balance. Drink before, during, and after the activities.
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The Risk Of Heat Exhaustion
If you can’t stand the heat outside, you won’t have success in a hot yoga class. The weight loss results will not make you happy if you have low blood pressure and feel like fainting.
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May Lead To Injury
Like any other physical activity, you can get injured. Besides, your muscles become more flexible with warmer temperatures, and you may want to do more to lose weight faster.
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It Is Not For Everybody
While traditional yoga benefits most people, hot yoga is recommended only for healthy people. No matter how hard you want to see weight loss results quicker, avoid this physical activity if you have heart problems, blood pressure issues, in case of pregnancy, etc. Calories burned will never outweigh your well-being.
Preparing Your Body For Hot Yoga
Practicing hot yoga for weight loss can’t be started on a whim. There are a lot of factors to consider:
- Taking into account the level of dehydration, a day before the class, fill up your tank. Fluids with electrolytes are preferable.
- Exclude any type of food 3-4 hours before the class. Yoga forms of exercise can make you feel sick when with a full stomach.
- Plan your outfit; remember about constant sweating. Choose breathable and sweat-wicking fabrics to avoid annoying discomfort.
- Listen to your body attentively. The second you start feeling dizziness, stop. Fat loss means losing fat, not consciousness.
Guidelines To A Bikram Hot Yoga Diet Plan
Not having a yoga diet plan for a day, you may regain all the calories you burn (apart from feeling sick during the practice) quite soon. To get the most from Bikram yoga, follow our important tips:
- Change the style of nutrition – instead of 2-3 heavy meals, have light meals 5-6 times throughout the day. This way you won’t feel hungry during the day and won’t consume more calories than you need.
- All the things needed for the proper functioning of your body can be found in simple food – fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and cereals. Avoid processed food; it’s typically full of hidden sugar or salt and extra calories.
- When choosing meat, give preference to lean types – chicken and turkey, instead of pork or beef.
- Bikram yoga requires water balance. On average, 2-3 liters of water per day can cover all the losses, especially during hot seasons or hot yoga practice.
- If you feel hungry before the yoga class, have a light snack – an oatmeal bar will do.
- Learn to differentiate your feeling of hunger. Is it a real one or just to trigger the boredom? Your weight loss results will improve once you stop stress-eating.
So, let’s think through all the information mentioned above.
Is hot yoga good for weight loss? It certainly is and helps boost your fitness level and improve weight loss results. You need to remember that no matter how hard you practice, fat loss comes down to balanced nutrition. If you want to keep your mind, spirit, and body – try doing yoga. If you need more calories burned and a more challenging environment, try hot yoga.
Before starting any type of hot yoga activity, have a complete checkup. Make sure you have no health problems, apart from weight, and join the world of calm but strenuous workouts.