How Hot is Heat Yoga?

How Hot is Heat Yoga?

Hot Yoga or Heat Yoga is the latest talk in town. But how hot is this latest avatar of yoga?

Yoga

Ever since its inception 2500 years ago by sage Patanjali, the very amazing ancient Indian form of exercises or asanas replete with breathing techniques, and also meditation, has caught the fancy of people all around the globe. Yoga in its various avatars viz Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Tantra Yoga can be practised indoors or outdoors and is widely agreed to as a form of exercise for the mind, body and spirit.

What is Heat Yoga or Hot Yoga?

While it is well-known that all kinds of physical activities require a brief spell of warming up, experts time and again noticed that the best results were obtained when the body is fully warmed and the degree of sweating was much higher when the muscles become most flexible. Thus was born the concept of Heat or Hot Yoga wherein the temperature of the room is controlled to set the humidity level just right to achieve the best results. The brainchild behind this system of yoga is Bikram Choudhury. Sessions of Hot Yoga as conceived by Bikram run to 90 minutes and consist of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises that enable flow of fresh and oxygenated blood to all organs and fibres of the body thereby making the body functions perfect.

Benefits of Heat Yoga:

1. Induces more fat burning as a result of which individuals tend to shed more in terms of inches.
2. Higher flexibility in joints, muscles, and ligaments which in turn makes a person less prone to injury.
3. Greater percentage of loss of toxins in the body because the heat causes capillaries to dilate which in turn increases the rate of oxygenation of tissues, the muscles, glands and other organs.
4. Greater blood circulation.
5. A more efficient body metabolism that expedites breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.
6. Works like magic for the mind thereby increasing the degree of well-being in an individual.
7. Heat yoga is a complete workout for the cardiovascular system.
8. Increased sweating results in higher detoxification through the surface of the skin.
9. Results reveal that Heat Yoga improves T-cell function and improves the efficiency of the immune system.
10. A boost for the nervous and digestive systems.

Precautions

While the benefits of Heat Yoga cannot be disputed, immense care should also be taken to avoid heat stress-related sicknesses. Although, Heat Yoga is gaining in popularity, experts like Leslie L Funk, Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik and Dr Sujit Chandratreya have raised concern on Hot Yoga and the matter of temperature regulation.

1. Thermoregulation: The normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, a result of the equilibrium between the amount of heat production in the body and the amount of heat lost to the environment. In cases where the temperature of the air is lower than that of the body, the increased heat in the body caused by exercise is dissipated by radiation, conduction, convection and evaporation. During sessions of Heat Yoga, the temperature of air (usually set to 105 degrees Fahrenheit) is higher than that of the body and the only way heat can be dissipated from the body is by evaporation. This means greater body temperature. Body temperatures of 106 degrees Fahrenheit or 41 degrees Celsius could prove fatal.
2. The need for proper evaporation: During exercise, evaporation of sweat or excess heat is vital for the body. In cases where the humidity is too high, the degree of evaporation is lessened, sweating is more and more water is lost resulting in de-hydration. The increase in humidity could be the source of heat, more individuals exercising in the room, or improper ventilation. Wiping off sweat should not be encouraged as that stops the heat from getting evaporated.
3. Dehydration: Sweating during exercise results in water loss in the body and it is important that the loss is made up for by replacement fluids. It is advisable that a session of Heat Yoga is preceded by adequate hydration of the body in the form of 8-10 glasses of water. And when exercising it is advisable to sip water at regular intervals.
4. Heat-related maladies: In Heat Yoga, there is every chance of an individual getting exhausted. In such cases, it is important the person affected is moved away from the heated environs and attended to with fluids like 0.1% NaCl electrolyte solution. Other hazards include heat stroke and cramps.
5. Proper Acclimatisation: Before one decides to get on with Heat Yoga, bouts of acclimatisation are recommended. In fact, to begin with a few sessions without exercise would help.