Hot yoga

Hot Yoga

Characteristics
Type	Yoga
Venue	Hot yoga is typically performed in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40,5 °C) with a humidity of 40%.[1]
Presence
Country or region	Canada, India, UK, USA

Hot yoga is a form of yoga as exercise performed under hot and humid conditions, resulting in considerable sweating. Some hot yoga practices seek to replicate the heat and humidity of India, where yoga originated.^[2] Bikram Choudhury has suggested that the heated environment of Bikram Yoga helps to prepare the body for movement and to "remove impurities".^[3]

The first style described as hot yoga is that of Bikram Choudhury,^[4] who claimed to have devised it from traditional hatha yoga techniques,^[5] but then increased the temperature of the studios while in Japan to represent the heat of India. Bikram Yoga resulted, and became popular in the early 1970s after Choudhury moved to the United States.^[6] The style incorporates 24 asanas and 2 breathing exercises along with a room heated to 105 °F (41 °C). Each class is 90 minutes long and has a fixed sequence of movements. The class ends with a two-minute shavasana (corpse pose). Bikram Yoga differs markedly from other hot yoga styles, as shown in the table.^{[7] Bikram yoga classes are generally consistent in terms of the same class and temperature, regardless of the teacher or location. In hot yoga, the teacher creates their own routines, patterns, and movements for the class. The temperature will also vary by class depending on the number of bodies in the room and the selected temperature. In hot yoga, classes are typically are shorter than Bikram classes and incorporate quick flow movements between poses.[8]}

Approximately 13 million Americans participate in hot yoga, reflecting broader health and fitness trends, including the rise in group and fitness classes. In addition to its growing popularity due to perceived health benefits, hot yoga has gained traction through celebrity and influencer endorsements, aesthetic workout sets, and a specific lifestyle appeal.^[9] Major studio chains, such as CorePower Yoga, have also contributed to the growth of hot yoga, as they frequently have long waitlists for classes due to high demand.^[9] The popularization of hot yoga reflects broader trends in fitness, with exercise shaped by social media, consumer culture, and branding.

Forrest Yoga is a style developed by Ana T. Forrest, c. 1982. The style focuses on holding poses for a longer duration. The repetition of twenty specific poses accentuates the stretch equally on each side of the body.^[10]

CorePower Yoga, founded in 2002, is a vigorous multi-disciplinary hot yoga style.^[11]

Baron Baptiste Power Yoga has the room heated somewhat less than Bikram Yoga. Baptiste, who learnt yoga from T. K. V. Desikachar and B. K. S. Iyengar as a boy, and had Indra Devi as godmother, uses a Vinyasa (flow) style, the breath linked to the movements, with emphasis on the gaze (Drishti) and the use of a lock, Uddiyana Bandha, to stabilize the core.^[12]

Moksha yoga, also known as Modo Yoga, is based on Bikram Yoga. Moksha Yoga was founded in Canada in 2004 by human rights and environmental activists Jessica Robertson and Ted Grand.^[13]

Tribalance Hot Yoga, created in Schaumburg, Illinois by Corey Kelly and Shawnda Falvo in 2007, is based on Bikram and Yin Yoga; it does not have a fixed series of asanas, and emphasises the meditational aspect of yoga.^[14]

Buti Yoga, created by Bizzie Gold in 2012, by combining traditional Vinyasa style flow yoga with dynamic dance movements^[15]

Research suggests that hot yoga can be associated with improvements in both physical and mental improvements.^[16] A randomized controlled trial found that a six-week hot yoga intervention increased life satisfaction, mindfulness, and perceived general health all while also enhancing positive emotions immediately following the sessions.^[17] The study noticed that participants experienced increases in momentary positive emotions, which contributed to improvements in overall mental well-being.^[17] Another empirical study has also demonstrated that hot yoga is particularly effective in reducing negative affect and state anxiety in individuals who are under substantial stress in daily life.^[17]

Hot yoga has been linked to both hedonic well being (positive emotions) and eudaemonic well being (sense of meaning), indicating potential effects on both short term mood and broader psychological functioning.^[17] Yoga encourages you to turn inward and create awareness of the outside factors that cause you stress.^[18] When you practice regularly, you'll start to understand how the breathing techniques, stillness, and heat of the room help your body and mind relax.^[18]

Research from Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts General Hospital found that 44% of yoga participants went into remission from depression after practicing yoga weekly for just eight weeks.^[19] While the study specifically focused on the impact of heated hot yoga on depression, both researchers - Simmie Foster, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and immunologist and co investigator on the study, and Maren Nyer, PhD, a clinical psychologist and lead investigator on the study - agree that hot yoga can be a reset for more than just mood.^[19] They both also acknowledge how understudied hot yoga actually is.^[19]

Other mental health benefits of hot yoga include less anxiety, as well as reduces perceived stress, hopelessness, and rumination. Mindfulness increases as does an overall better quality of life, and people's responses from the Harvard study indicated that they were getting more enjoyment out of life.^[19]

Hot yoga is known for its physical benefits, the main two being strength and flexibility. The elevated temperatures increase blood flow and warm muscle tissue, which enhance flexibility and range of motion while reducing stiffness and risk of injury. Hot yoga also links to improvements in overall physical fitness like balance, mobility, and functional strength. The heat increases cardiovascular demand as it raises heart rate during practice and contributes to calorie expenditure and endurance.^[16]

In an article published by Nike that is centered around the many benefits of hot yoga, it is clear that regular participation in it comes with a surplus of benefits. Improved lung capacity comes from controlled breathing techniques, as ell as potential increases in bone density and metabolic regulation.^[18] The heated environment also supports circulation and recovery by promoting greater oxygen and delivery to muscles. Research from Sports Medicine Open found that in addition to more flexibility, those who regularly practiced hot yoga also showed improved mineral density.^[18] The yogic focus on breath can have a notable effect on lung capacity, which is particularly important as you age. The American Lung Association explains that being mindful of breathing techniques during yoga can also be beneficial for those living with lung diseases, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).^[18]

According to the American Diabetes Association, the use of mind body practices like yoga may lower blood sugar as much as some diabetes medications. The organization adds that yoga can also help with improving pain symptoms, boosting sleep quality, and promoting weight management, which can all help lower the chance of complications.^[18] Because of its ability to increase relaxation and induce a balanced mental state, yoga has been studied to evaluate its possible effects on sleep and insomnia.^[20] One study in a May 2021 issue of The International Journal of Yoga found that chronic heat exposure in hot yoga promotes cardiovascular and cellular adaptations, which means the heart adjusts to handle the heat stress - improving its function overall.^[18]

However, research suggests that the physical benefits of hot yoga are not solely dependent on heat, and similar improvements may occur with regular yoga practice performed at lower temperatures.^[16] However, the intensity of a hot yoga class causes your body to work harder than you might in a traditional yoga class, which increases calorie burn.^[18]

Hot yoga's popularity has been attributed to both its physical intensity and its perceived mental and lifestyle benefits. The elevated temperature causes the body to work harder to regulate your temperature, which can increase the perceived effectiveness of the workout.^[18] Many styles of yoga have evidence supporting an antidepressant effect.^[21] Yoga, a form of meditation, is one of many types of mind body practices that allows people to become more aware and live in their body, enhancing a sense of embodiment.^[21]

Hot yoga not only has physical benefits such as increased mobility and flexibility, but there is also aesthetic benefits that come along with it. Skin is the largest organ on the human body and the things people consume and expose their skin to can have a great impact on its appearance. Dermatologist Nicole Ruth believes that hot yoga causes improved circulation which gives skin a healthy glow and promotes the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to skin cells.^[22] Traditional methods of weight loss such as high-intensity interval training and weightlifting have been the gold standard for losing weight for decades. Most people wouldn't think that yoga is something that could also achieve a similar result as it is not as intense as these other forms of exercise, but it can get the job done. In an Article by Heart Magazines, Johnni Southerland recounts how hot yoga transformed her body after gaining 50 pounds. She claims it made her feel more connected to her body and soul, and with a change in diet she began losing the weight.^[23]

Yoga is recognized as a form of mind-body medicine that integrates an individuals physical, mental, and spiritual components to improve aspects of health, particularly stress related illness.^[20] The heated environment and structured class format can also contribute to a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction following sessions. People frequently report feeling relaxed and energized after classes, describing calm and post class bliss that distinguishes hot yoga from other forms of exercise.^[24] The latter is calming and restorative; it lowers breathing and heart rate, decreases blood pressure, lowers cortisol levels, and increases blood flow to the intestines and vital organs.^[20] Evidence suggests that those with the lowest well being may get the most out of yoga in general, but the moderating role of baseline well being in the impact of hot yoga remains poorly understood and warrants further investigation.^[17]

Researchers are only beginning to understand how disciplines such as yoga promote personal growth, health and well-being. By acknowledging the unity of mind, body and spirit, mind body programs can assist people in their pursuit of peace, calmness, and greater wholeness and integration in their lives.^[20] Despite the growing interest in the effects of yoga in general, research on hot yoga remains scarce, mostly comprises small sample sizes, and is largely centered on its physical and physiological benefits.^[17] Yoga suspends the fluctuations of the mind and by acting consciously, we live better and suffer less.^[20]

Exercise in high heat and humidity is a contraindication for pregnant women, as there is an increased risk of exhaustion, and hence muscle injury and cartilage and tissue damage. Hormones and fetal development affect blood pressure, making the mother also more susceptible to fainting and lightheadedness if exercising in a hot environment.^[25]

Besides the harm that it can cause pregnant women, there's other groups of people that may not benefit from hot yoga. Although hot yoga has its many supporters, for every supporter of hot yoga there is a harsh critic right around the corner. Many supporters of hot yoga rave about the benefits that they get from doing the activity and swear by it, however hot yoga is relatively something that is still understudied. Hot yoga is safe for most people, but according to medical doctor Edward Laskowski, it should be avoided if someone has heart conditions, past heat injuries, heat intolerance and dehydration.^[26]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease that affects nearly one million people in the United States according to a report from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society [1] . MS causes muscle spasms and mobility issues, yoga is considered to be a powerful exercise for those with MS as it can increase strength, mobility, flexibility, and balance which is important because those with the condition are weaker in those areas. Unfortunately, it is recommended that those with MS avoid hot yoga as the heat can cause symptoms to worsen, according to Dr. Mehta at Massachusett General Hospital.^[27]