Hot Yoga: Is It Safe?

If you’ve been considering taking a few yoga classes but you’re not totally convinced that it would be the best kind of exercise for you and your lifestyle, you’ve come to the right article because there are actually many benefits that come with incorporating yoga into your weekly (or even daily) regimen.

Yoga relieves body aches (especially in the lower back area), increases flexibility, improves symptoms related to insomnia, betters your sex life, boosts your confidence and gives you a more positive attitude on life—and these are only a few of the reasons why it’s such a good kind of exercise to do.

If this piques your interest and you decide to do more research on yoga, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll come across a few articles about what is known as “Hot Yoga”. Although there are some people who sing its praises, there are others who feel that it comes with a few serious risks that each individual should strongly consider before signing up for a series of classes. Before you make a decision either way, we’ve enclosed some of the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make a choice that is best for you.

The Benefits of Hot Yoga

What makes Hot Yoga so popular is because it’s a form of yoga that comes with all kinds of “pros”. For one thing, it is a good way to naturally detoxify the body. Another benefit is that it has a wonderful way of being able to rejuvenate and relax you, almost simultaneously; those effects can last for hours even after leaving the class. Still, another advantage with Hot Yoga is that it can restore the muscles in your body back to a healthy state while it promotes the thorough stretching of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. So yes, if you’re looking for a kind of yoga class that produces some noticeable results in a fairly short amount of time, Hot Yoga will help you to achieve that goal.

The Challenges of Hot Yoga

On the other hand, there are some challenges that tend to come with it too. For one thing, they don’t call it “Hot Yoga” for nothing. Being that you’re exercising in very warm temperatures, there are some people who have been known to become severely dehydrated and ill. Another thing to keep in mind about this form of yoga is that it’s not unnatural to lose a significant amount of weight in a very short span of time. Now if that is something that you actually want to happen, initially, that probably doesn’t sound like a “con” but remember that if you lose drastic amounts of weight over a short period, that could put you at risk for doing some serious damage to your body. And finally, Hot Yoga is considered to be controversial to some because while (traditional) yoga pushes the principle of being one with your mind, body and spirit, many yoga enthusiasts believe that you’d be better off signing up for one of the affordable gym memberships in your area than taking a Hot Yoga class; to them, it’s not a “spiritual practice” but simply another kind of physical workout.

So, as you can see, in figuring out if Hot Yoga is safe or not, there’s no really simple answer. Our recommendation is that you start off taking some yoga classes, speak with a few yoga instructors as well as your physician and also visit a couple of Hot Yoga studios in your area. If your doctor gives you the green light and you don’t feel hesitant, give it a try. Just look for the signs of dehydration and drastic weight loss. If you see those, that is your cue to try something else.