At Parkour.com we’ve found that supplementing our Parkour training with other ways to push our own physical and mental limits has been extremely advantageous. From weightlifting, to mobility training, to martial arts, to yoga, to hot and cold therapy, to dietary approaches, and the myriad of other training approaches and health ideas out there today… we’ve pretty much tried it all, and we’ve learned a ton! We recommend experimenting with new approaches to see if you can learn something as well. Every new idea is a new avenue to understand your body, your capabilities, and your limitations, so until you try something new you never know what benefit it can bring you and how it can augment your Parkour training.
_____________________________________
Often when people are looking to lose weight or get into shape, they may join a gym or take up running, but have you considered yoga?
Yoga has been practiced in South Asia for hundreds of years. Recently, it’s gained popularity globally because of its many benefits for the mind and body.
There are several kinds of yoga, one of which is hot yoga. You may have heard of Bikram yoga, a type of yoga also performed in a hot room, but there is a difference between Bikram yoga and hot yoga.
Bikram yoga is a more specific type of yoga that consists of doing twenty-six poses in a sweltering room. The room is usually heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Bikram yoga classes are generally quiet.
Hot yoga is practiced in a room warmer than average temperature and tends to emulate a sauna-like environment. Various poses may be done, depending on the instructor, and the class may include music and chanting.
Whether you choose Bikram yoga or hot yoga, the heat and humidity could add more of a challenge to your workout.
Some benefits of hot yoga may include the following:
Improves Heart Health
Performing yoga in a hot environment forces your muscles, heart, and lungs to work harder than they’d need in a cooler room. This boosts your heart rate and metabolism.
Your heart has to pump faster to push blood toward your skin more quickly to keep you cool.
Increases Lung Capacity
A significant focus of yoga is being mindful of your breathing. When you do yoga, you must concentrate on deep breathing and train yourself to take deeper breaths. You may think that breathing in a hot and humid environment is difficult, but doing breathing exercises in a warm room could help to train your lungs to retain more air. Taking deep breaths and retaining more air helps your lungs to expand so more oxygen enters the bloodstream and gets to your organs more efficiently.
Greater Flexibility
A benefit of yoga is that it helps you become more flexible, but yoga in a warm room makes it easier to stretch your muscles. When doing yoga in a heated room, the heat transfers to your muscles, making them warm, and warm muscles are more pliable.
You are also more likely to increase your range of motion and get into deeper stretches when the room and your muscles are warm.
You Burn More Calories
You may think that gentle stretches and deep breathing is good for the body and mind, but you will need a more intense workout to burn calories. This may not be entirely true. When you practice hot yoga, your heart rate increases; when this happens, you burn calories.
It’s a good idea to take a pre workout supplement, like one of Barbends best pre workout supplements, before your yoga class to give you the energy you need to get through an intense workout.
Because the environment is hot, you are likely to sweat more. Your body has to work harder, and your heart has to pump faster to circulate more blood to keep you cool and regulate your temperature. All of this requires your body to use more energy which burns calories and aids in weight loss.
How many calories you burn in each yoga class usually depends on your weight, how hot the room is, and the length of the session.
Reduces Stress
Regular yoga performed in a room with an average temperature is known to cause less stress, but performing yoga in a heated environment may reduce stress. In a hot room, you have to work harder on breathing since taking deep breaths in a humid climate is challenging. Concentrating on your breathing makes you less likely to be consumed by the day’s stresses, and you’ll leave the class feeling more relaxed.
Improves Bone Density
It’s a natural part of aging to lose bone density. This is especially the case for older women. Practicing yoga in a heated environment may improve circulation and respiration. Also, supporting your weight while performing yoga poses may help to increase bone density. This may reduce the risk of women developing osteoporosis.
Final Thoughts
Hot yoga is a wonderful exercise that involves practicing yoga in a heated environment. It is an excellent workout for the mind and body. It’s good for the heart and lungs, improves flexibility, lowers stress levels, and may help to build bone density.
References
- Nike: 9 Benefits of Hot Yoga for a Healthier Body and Mind
- Yogajala: What Are The Benefits Of Hot Yoga? 12 Benefits Explained
- Healthline: 8 Benefits of Sweating It Out with Hot Yoga
- Thegoodbody: 18 Sizzling Benefits of Hot Yoga (And 5 Must-know Risks)
- Womenshealthmag: 5 Benefits of Hot Yoga That Are Actually Legit