If you’re trying to shed the extra kilos, hiding your love handles, wearing baggy clothes, and going on crash diets won’t cut it. You will have to incorporate a proper exercise regime into your routine. While working out at the gym can help you lose weight quickly, practicing yoga can help you build strength, flexibility, and a positive mindset, which can lead to weight loss. Additionally, yoga is a journey of self-discovery. Hot yoga, on the other hand, is a unique practice that challenges both your body and mind. It’s usually done in a heated environment, with temperatures ranging from 38 to 41 degrees Celsius. This practice can help you get the most out of your workout by harmonizing your body with the environment. Here are the benefits of hot yoga for weight loss and overall health.

What is hot yoga?

Yoga performed in a warm and humid setting is called hot yoga. Heat and humidity encourage you to go deeper into the difficult Hatha Yoga poses by making it easier for you to hold them. Your body sweats a lot as a result of the increased temperature, which helps your body get rid of pollutants and aids in weight loss.

How does hot yoga aid in weight loss?

“Obesity, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, is often caused by leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating fast food. Hot yoga provides a viable alternative to strenuous exercises that can be done without complex gym equipment and offers a balanced workout. The induced atmospheric heat makes you sweat more and increases your heart rate, thereby helping you burn more calories. It is an excellent method for weight loss, provided the efforts are consistent and accompanied by healthy habits,” says Yoga Expert, Shivani Bajwa.

4 benefits of incorporating hot yoga into your fitness regimen

Here are some of the potential benefits of adding hot yoga to your fitness regimen.

1. Aids weight loss

A slower-paced hatha yoga class burns 144 calories in 50 minutes, found a study published by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), . That’s around the amount of calories a walk would burn. If you’re seeking to burn even more calories, a 50-minute class of power yoga at a greater intensity burns 237 calories, according to ACE researchers. There is conflicting evidence about whether hot yoga burns significantly more calories than other forms of yoga. Doing hot yoga burns calories just marginally more than doing regular yoga. Therefore, even if hot yoga helps you burn calories, additional research is needed to determine whether it’s more beneficial than regular yoga.

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2. Promotes heart health

Working out in the heat is not an easy workout. Higher temperatures force your body to exert more energy. A study published in the International Journal of Yoga found that 12 hot yoga sessions increased participants’ heat tolerance and cardiovascular fitness. It does so by lowering your blood pressure more effectively than normal yoga flow.

3. Boosts flexibility

Yoga improves flexibility. However, if you opt for hot yoga, it could prove to be an even more effective way to increase your body flexibility. The heat generated by hot yoga can help loosen up your muscles, making it easier to stretch them and thereby, allowing you to enhance your range of motion.

4. Strengthens your bones

“Strong bones and a healthy heart are indicators of good health. With age, bones become fragile. Since hot yoga is a low-impact exercise, it improves bone density in older adults,” says the expert.

5 effective hot yoga poses for quick weight loss

Here are some of the best hot yoga poses that help you shed the extra kilos, as explained by the expert.

1. Garudasana or Eagle Pose

How to do:

• Step 1: Bend your knees, cross your elbows, and piece your palms together.
• Step 2: Follow this with a sitting posture while keeping the spine straight.
• Step 3: Intertwine the knee and thigh of opposite legs.
• Step 4: The pose is achieved when the body weight is shifted to the standing foot and there is no gap between the legs.

2. Janushirasana or Head-to-Knee Forward Pose

How to do:

• Step 1: Stand at attention, stretch one leg, and position it at 90 degrees with the standing foot.
• Step 2: Use both hands to hold the outstretched leg and touch your elbows with calf muscles.
• Step 3: Touch your forehead to the knee to perform the pose.

3. Dhanurasana or Bow Pose

How to do:

• Step 1: Stand at attention and lift one leg.
• Step 2: Grab your ankle joint firmly and stretch it upwards.
• Step 3: Keep the free hand outstretched for balance.

4. Tuladandasana or Balancing Stick Pose

How to do:

• Step 1: In this pose, the leg is stretched backward instead of upwards and the leg and upper body form a straight line with both arms in front, leaving no gap between them and the ears.

5. Trikonasana or Triangle Pose

How to do:

• Step 1: Here, the hands should be stretched out in opposite directions and the chin should be touching the shoulder.
• Step 2: Straighten one leg and keep another at right angles, ensuring that the lower hand touches the calves on the bent leg.

Are there any side effects of hot yoga?

• An increase in temperature can lead to heat injuries like fainting and heat stroke in some people.
• Sodium is integral to maintaining blood pressure and proper functioning of muscles. If reduced to disproportionately low levels, it can cause dehydration and life-threatening conditions like hyponatremia. It is crucial to hydrate oneself adequately before a hot yoga session.
• Spraining and muscle injury are all too common in hot yoga. It worsens joint issues and arthritis. While heat aids the heart to produce more energy, sometimes it backfires when taken too far without precaution.

Hot yoga, in general, is a great way to lose weight but make sure you consult your professional trainer or healthcare provider before incorporating it in your regime.