What Happens to Your Body When You Do Yoga Every Day?
Potential Risks and Dangers of Practicing Yoga Daily
What is hot yoga?
The gist of it is that hot yoga is yoga in a heated environment. That’s it! That’s the secret sauce.
True Hot Yoga combines the best of traditional hot yoga and classical Vinyasa yoga practiced in a heated room. The elevated temperature usually stays around 102°F with 50-60% humidity. The heat paired with the humidity helps warm up the muscles, increase flexibility, promote detoxification through sweating, and assist in mindfulness. The heat is an added challenge, improving circulation and pushing you (but not too hard) to be your favorite and most determined self.
Due to the humidity, this is slightly different from just pulling out your mat in the Arizona heat. While that may be an excellent workout and way to practice yoga, it is not the same controlled environment that you would experience at True Hot Yoga.
After conducting research that you can read about in one of our prior blogs, there are a few added benefits to hot yoga in comparison to its unheated counterpart.
What are the benefits of hot yoga?
Yoga is great for the mind, body, and soul. And we’re not just saying that because we love True Hot Yoga. It is all backed by science.
All types of yoga offer different benefits. All types of yoga will aid in flexibility and mind/body connection.
Hot yoga has so many incredible and science-backed benefits. Students leave their hot yoga class feeling great for the rest of the day.
Let’s take a look at the research!
Some of the benefits of hot yoga include: improved flexibility, strength building, balance improvement, joint health, better breathing, heart health, and improved sleep.
A study was published in 2016 in the International Journal of yoga which observed the effects of a yoga practice on male college athletes. Throughout the study, researchers observed significant gains in flexibility and balance in the group that practiced yoga, in comparison to the group that did not. The study determined that a yoga practive can in fact, enhance athletic performance due to increased flexibility.
Research shows that hot yoga does burn more calories than classic, non-heated yoga. With that being said, it is not as many calories as you may think. A study of Bikram practitioners showed that men burned roughly 460 calories and women about 330 calories per 90-minute session. This is equivalent to about as much as someone would burn by going for a 90-minute walk.
Research shows that this is still roughly 50% more calories than what one might burn in a non-heated class. Some non-heated classes will be more vigorous than a very slow-paced heated class, therefore burning more calories. It really depends on the class that you take and what your preferences are.
Hot yoga also aids in the process of detoxification (yes, our bodies need help with this). It has been proven to aid in healing depression and other mental health conditions.
Mental and Emotional Benefits of Yoga
Depending on your priorities, the mental and emotional benefits may outweigh the physical.
Yoga has always been about being focused on your mind and body in the present moment.
Some of the mental benefits of yoga include: easing anxiety and depression, reducing worry and inducing relaxation.
Those who have practiced yoga for a long time show better cognitive function, such as executive functions and reaction time. Practicing yoga has shown to improve memory and potentially improve cognition, balance, and mood. Research also shows that yoga may help people with ADHD, giving the, a way to practice focus and mindfulness. This can reduce impulsivity and improve attention.
Yoga is worth trying if you have axperienced depressive disorders or depression. Stress reduction is another benefit and in healthy individuals, yoga has been shown as a method of lowering stress and improving relaxation, leading to healthier choices.
Potential Risks and Dangers of Practicing Yoga Daily
Despite all of the benefits that come with practicing hot yoga, we don’t recommend practicing it daily. The same way it is not recommended to do heavy bicep or leg exercises every day, the same goes for hot yoga.
Doing what feels best for your body is what will be best for your body and sometimes less is more. With that being said, practicing hot yoga daily can lead to electrolyte imbalance and high blood pressure. It’s important to consult with a doctor if you have any medical problems that could be affected by hot yoga.
Tips for Starting and Maintaining a Daily Yoga Practice
Setting a goal for yourself to attend yoga regularly is something to be proud of. It’s important not to overdo it, especially if you are new to hot yoga. Even if you only have time to practice one to two times per week, you will still notice the benefits.
When you come to True Hot Yoga for your first class, take some time to observe and notice different common yoga poses like Downward Dog and Child’s Pose are positions that we practice regularly. On top of that, there is nothing worse than overdoing it and not feeling well after your first few practices. This can be due to a lack or food or water or maybe you have not acclimated to the heat yet.
With that being said, it is important to take breaks throughout class as needed and only push yourself as hard as your body tells you to.
While we lead class at True Hot Yoga we really encourage our clients to go at their own pace. Step outside as needed and take breaks. Some classes will feel harder than others and that is okay, that is part of the beauty of it.
The Bottom Line
Practicing hot yoga daily may not be the best option for everyone. Establishing a routine that works for you and your schedule is the best way to go.
We have locations in both North Scottsdale and Arrowhead Ranch, and you can book with us on our website at www.truehotyoga.com or on our True Hot Yoga app.
If you are interested in trying a True Hot Yoga class, we offer a 3-for $33 special for new students! Book with us at www.truehotyoga.com or download our app.