How often should you do hot yoga? Many experienced yogis do this four times per week and you have to work yourself up to that point to get the most out of it.
If you want to maximize the benefits of any yoga, you must do it regularly. It takes time to build up your stamina, but if you can perform hot yoga approximately four times per week, you should maximize the benefits of this yoga discipline.
Like traditional yoga, hot yoga can help you increase your strength, boost your flexibility, and reduce your stress levels. When you perform yoga in a hot room, you also give your lungs, muscles, and heart an even greater workout. So, how can you get your body to that point?
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How To Perform Your First Hot Yoga Session
If you are interested in trying hot yoga for the first time, you must do it with an instructor. Because of the room’s temperature, it is very easy to get dehydrated, and you must have an experienced yoga professional there to keep an eye on you.
For example, it is not unusual for a hot yoga room to be approximately 105°F. It can be overwhelming when you are immediately smacked in the face by a heat wave when you open the door, but the heat is there for a reason.
Then, when you start performing hot yoga, you need to start slow. The heat will do a lot of the work for you, so you need to focus on your yoga poses.
You should bring plenty of water with you, but if you ever feel uncomfortable, you need to let the instructor know. That way, something can be done before you get hurt or fall ill.
Why Is The Heat Helpful?
The heat in the room is designed to place added stress on your body’s individual muscles and organs. When the room temperature increases, the body simply has to work harder to do its job.
This means that your muscles will have to work harder, your heart rate will get faster, and you will breathe more rapidly. This is a great option if you want to increase your endurance.
Learn more in our hot yoga vs. regular yoga guide.
Benefits Of Hot Yoga
There are several significant benefits of performing hot yoga regularly. They include:
1. Burn More Calories
One of the top benefits of hot yoga is that you can burn more calories. According to research from Colorado State University, a yoga session can burn a few hundred calories. When you turn up the temperature, you burn even more calories.
2. Reduce Your Stress Levels
According to research, previously physically inactive adults had much lower stress levels after several months of hot yoga. This type of yoga is a great way to improve your quality of life. All of the medical benefits you will enjoy from hot yoga can also do wonders for your mental health, helping you reduce stress.
3. Increase Flexibility
Hot yoga can also help you dramatically increase your flexibility because the heat allows more freedom of movement from your muscles.
Increasing your flexibility is important for reducing your chances of getting hurt. That is why many people who exercise regularly like to perform hot yoga. This can help you stay flexible and reduce your chances of getting hurt.
4. Clear Up Skin
One of the main objectives of hot yoga is to make you sweat. If you do a lot of sweating, you can increase circulation, carrying more oxygen and nutrition to the skin. This means you can provide your skin with more nutrients and clear up blemishes.
However, you must shower or at least, clean and moisturize your face after hot yoga. Otherwise, the sweat will make you break out.
5. Lower Blood Glucose Levels
Finally, hot yoga can also help you reduce your blood glucose levels. When you keep your blood sugar levels under control, you reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. According to one study, this type of yoga can have a significantly larger impact on adults who are either overweight or obese.
You can use hot yoga to reduce your chances of developing metabolic complications. Check our our explainer on what component of fitness is yoga.
