Everyone knows that you sweat it out during most traditional yoga classes, but is the elevated temperature you experience during Hot Yoga really more beneficial for weight loss than other forms of Prahran yoga such as Vinyasa or Yin?
While all yoga is good for you, practicing yoga in a 38-40 degree Celsius heated room elevates the heart rate, which in turn, makes the
body work harder. The heat combined with fast-paced yoga helps burn fat faster, penetrating deep into the body and firing up cellular metabolism.
Essentially, hot yoga feels like more of a work-out on the body than other forms of yoga and is designed for individuals who want to develop strength and flexibility while achieving a cardiovascular workout. However, does it burn the most calories?
A lot of people are surprised to hear, that Vinyasa yoga is actually the best type of Prahran yoga for weight loss. Often referred to as “flow” yoga, Vinyasa involves moving continuously from one pose to the next, in a faster-paced environment. This style of Prahran yoga burns the highest amount of calories compared to any other form of yoga, including hot yoga.
This is because Vinyasa is ultimately a full-body workout that builds heat, focus and cardiovascular endurance, through rapid and continuous movement. According to the Health Status Calories Burned calculator, for a male, aged 35, 5’10 at 77kg, practicing one hour of Vinyasa will burn 673 calories. For a woman, aged 35, 5’4 at 59kg, practicing one hour of Vinyasa will burn 515 calories.
Hot Yoga is the next best option for weight loss, after Vinyasa. According to the Health Status Calories Burned calculator, for a male, aged 35, 5’10 at 77kg, practicing one hour of Hot Yoga will burn 540 calories. For a woman, aged 35, 5’4 at 59kg, practicing one hour of Hot Yoga will burn 413 calories.
Is Hot Yoga better than normal yoga?
Hot yoga is not necessarily ‘better’ or worse than other forms of traditional yoga, because each type of yoga essentially has its own unique benefits. The increased external temperature in Hot Yoga causes the body to sweat, which is believed to help “detoxification” by flushing toxins from the skin. The heat also helps the body relax and stretch into postures more deeply and safely, easing the flexibility aspects of yoga. Some of the other benefits of Hot Yoga include improved range of motion, metabolism and immune system.– No matter the yoga style you choose to practice, make sure you own comfortable clothes and a great pair of yoga shoes. That will help you get the most out of the experience.
Does Hot Yoga age your skin?
Exposing skin to any mixture of heat and moisture can have its benefits. However, if you don’t properly hydrate your skin afterward, using cleanser and moisturizer immediately after class and drinking plenty of water, too much hot yoga can actually dehydrate and age your skin. This is because too much heat exposure causes protective antioxidant levels in the skin to drop and genes to create MMP proteins that break down collagen and cause wrinkles.
The good news is- it can also be avoided. One of the best defences we have is hydrating moisturizers that contain minerals like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, or kaolin. These ingredients can act as physical blockers against infrared heat and protect your skin from aging. It’s also important to note, that in many cases, Hot Yoga can actually be deeply beneficial for the skin. Sweating during class will naturally exfoliate all those dead skill cells and they’ll rub right off, leaving you feeling lighter and brighter – not to mention smoother.
Why do I feel so good after hot yoga?
The exposure to heat along with the yoga poses and breath-work we practice in Hot Yoga isn’t just deep detoxification of the body; it also releases feel-good hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. This is why Hot Yoga enthusiasts always seem to leave class with a smile on their face! However Prahran Vinyasa Yoga will provide you with the same benefits!
