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Turn Up the Heat!
Reshape Your Body with Hot Yoga By Jenn Director Knudsen
As more people catch wind of the health benefits afforded by yoga done in the heat, they want to try it. People are flocking to studios to give hot yoga a shot.
At Elizabeth's Portland, Ore.-area studio that opened in January, her client base is already at 700. And Choudhury himself is considering placing a moratorium on new studios in San Francisco, Calif., as the market there is nearing saturation, according to the Los Angeles Times. One hundred and fifty Bikram studios have opened around the country since January.
Despite its popularity, hot yoga isn't for everyone. For starters, the heat scares would-be practitioners from trying it out. "Your head has made it hotter than it is," Elizabeth says, adding that practicing the Bikram yoga she teaches is not like exercising under the glare of a 105-degree sun.
But instructors agree some people should approach hot yoga with caution and check first with their health care providers before doing it. "I think Bikram yoga is beneficial for every body, but not every body wants Bikram yoga," Elizabeth says.
For example, elderly and obese people may not be candidates for hot yoga, nor those with chronic fatigue syndrome or diseases like fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis, although Elizabeth has students in every one of those categories.
"Pregnancy doesn't necessarily rule out participation," she adds. Modifications such as eschewing any belly-down positions and abdominal compressions are made to postures for pregnant women, yet expectant moms still must be vigilant about participating in hot yoga, says Ambrogi, who currently has three pregnant women in his class.
Because of the heat, instructors recommend their students drink more water than usual when they practice hot yoga, and they should drink throughout class. Limiting caffeinated and alcoholic beverages is another way to stave off dehydration and heat illness; drinks with caffeine and alcohol work as diuretics, sapping the body of needed fluids.
Conscientious teachers keep a close eye on their students, suggesting when and how to take a break from the heat if it's getting to them. "A good teacher has to keep a close eye on all high-risk students and tell them when to slow down or even stop," Ambrogi says.