THE 7 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA
MY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
This past January marked ten years since I took my first Original Hot Yoga class. Mind you, I resisted for a long time. Ninety minutes in 105° degree heat? No, thank you. I’ll just stick to my gym membership if you don’t mind. I’m sure many of you reading this can remember back to those early days. It’s daunting to watch the practitioners scrape themselves up off the floor at the end of class, dripping sweat, utterly crushed from the workout they’d endured.
But things change. Certainly they did for me. One of our former teachers, Jon Stewart, got my wife to try a class. And she eventually convinced me.
The rest, as they say… is history.
I expected to be challenged by the postures— my flexibility isn’t great, nor is my balance — but what I didn’t realize was that it would be such an incredible cardio workout. This, I came to realize, is pretty common. As I continued along on my yoga journey, I would take different teachers. In time I started to learn about all of the other incredible benefits. Those who have been practicing a long time undoubtedly have heard these, but it’s worth a refresher. For anyone out there still on the fence, I offer this for your consideration:
BENEFIT #1 - ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES
The 26+2 Original Hot Yoga Series was designed to be a beginner’s sequence, which means it works for students of all levels and abilities. This is a practice that will grow with you and change as your body changes. Struggling with an injury? The sequence is there to support your recovery. Using it as a complement to a broader workout routine? The yoga works brilliantly as a cross-training regimen. Aging out of the rigorous, high-impact exercises you did in your younger days? This is a series that can carry you safely into retirement and beyond.
We may not like to think of getting older, but it happens to all of us. And the need for physical exercise does not disappear as we age. In fact, most experts agree that the need for exercise becomes even more pressing at that point. This is a routine you can do safely for all the rest of your days.
BENEFIT #2 - IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY
Stretching is a key part of the practice, but here’s something many newbies don’t realize:
“You don’t need to be flexible in order to take class. You need to take class in order to be flexible.”
Chrystine said that in my very first class, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Of course! It was so obvious at that moment, but I remember how nervous I was beforehand. I remember thinking: “Everyone else will be able to twist themselves into odd positions, and I’ll be the guy in the corner who can barely touch his toes.”
And I could not have been more wrong. Yes, there were some Gumbies in the class. But far more of the practitioners were just like me. What a relief! “Go to your maximum,” Chrystine continued. “Your practice will be different than the person next to you, but as long as you’re doing your best and going to your edge, you’re getting all of the benefits.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a solid yoga practice.
BENEFIT #3 - BUILDS STRENGTH
If you think the practice is just about stretching, then you’ve obviously never tried to hold Triangle Pose for the full minute. It’s the apex of the standing series — just about 40 minutes into class — and one of the most challenging moments of class. Hitting a pose is one thing; holding proper form for the duration is quite another. Building strength and toning muscles is an inevitable byproduct of the series. Give in, give over, and within a matter of weeks you’ll notice the difference.
Arms, legs, abs, back, and glutes… the 26+2 Series is nothing if not a full-body workout.
BENEFIT #4 - BOOSTS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
I’m a runner. Back in 2019 (at the age of 39), I trained for six months and ran the NYC Marathon (my first marathon ever). I love that runner’s high — the feeling you get sustaining an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time. It affects me in a profound way. The Original Hot Yoga series is the only other time I’ve come close to that feeling. And I still can’t quite believe how it happens.
As it turns out though, holding different yoga poses in high heat can give your heart, lungs, and muscles a more challenging workout than doing the same poses in a lower temperature. The 26+2 is a “hatha” practice, meaning we hit a pose, hold that pose, then rest in between. The on/off nature of the class works in much the same way as interval training.
But get this… according to a 2014 study, the average heart rate during the standing series is around 145 bpm for men and 125 bpm for women and over the course of the 90 minutes the average practitioner burns about 450 calories per class, far more than in a traditional (unheated) yoga class. Cardio, respiratory, and metabolism are all connected and the data is clear — Original Hot Yoga helps drive all three.
BENEFIT #5 - HELPS FIGHT DIABETES
All types of exercise can help reduce circulating levels of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream, but data shows that hot yoga can be an especially helpful tool for people at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes. A 2013 study found that even just a short-term Original Hot Yoga regimen improved glucose tolerance in older adults with obesity. While the study only measured short term effects, we can certainly attest to the long-term benefits of a daily yoga practice. Over the past 22 years we’ve been able to help thousands of individuals who have come through our doors looking for a better approach to health and wellness.
BENEFIT #6 - LOWERS STRESS
It is well-documented at this point, but yoga has long been an effective way to improve your mood. According to the American Psychology Association, yoga’s ability to reduce stress may also be a helpful therapy for reducing the symptoms of depression. A 2017 review of 23 different medical studies that focused on yoga as a treatment for depression concluded that a regular yoga practice can be one of the most effective tools in battling stress, anxiety, and depression.
BENEFIT #7 - THE POWER OF ROUTINE
Back in January — as we were prepping to launch our 2021 Challenge — I wrote a blog post called The Power of Routine. Productivity hacks could be like a second career for me. My life has been transformed by the books I’ve read and the classes I’ve taken on this subject. The interesting thing is that even the best exercise routine won’t work unless you commit to it.
One thing I’ve learned through this practice is the importance of making it a habit. As Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) has said on many occasions, “We don’t find the time, you make the time.” We all have busy lives. Certainly those lives have gotten crazier over the past eighteen months… but in order to succeed and see a positive change, you need to make your health and well-being a priority.
That begins by setting goals for yourself. Not focusing on results, but instead focusing on the journey. By that I mean… instead of saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of October”… set the intention: “I want to practice at least 3 times a week, every week from now till the end of October.”
One you can control, the other you can’t.
Understanding that mindset shift will make an enormous difference in all parts of your life. But especially when it comes to your health.
The bottom line is this: the series works. But only if you do.
Chip Klose is a longtime practitioner, as well as the Marketing Director here at bodē nyc. Got questions about membership, class schedules, or the content of this blog? Reach out and say hello: chip@bodenyc.com