Have you ever felt that your previous efforts for losing weight, gaining muscle, reducing stress and general physical wellness have had little to no lasting benefits? Did you often find yourself confused at the gym, not knowing which piece of equipment to use for what part of the body, for how often and for how long? Or maybe find yourself spending money on special equipment, clothes or footwear that you will most likely never use? If you answer yes to any of these questions, join the club, you are not alone. Many of us have felt as the Greek King Sisyphus did, pushing an immense boulder up a hill only to watch it roll back down and repeat this process over and over again. Well, repeat that process no longer, dump that immense boulder and come practice Hot Yoga with us.
Is Hot Yoga all you need for exercise? In short, yes. Hot yoga is all you need for exercise. Hot Yoga, here at Mai Town Yoga, is designed for EVERYONE - any age, size, shape, condition, or problem. Our Hot Yoga classes are specifically designed to give your body a great workout. Hot Yoga is a complete workout with a mixture of stretching, anaerobic and aerobic exercise with using only your body. The heat works in synergy with the postures to strengthen muscles, increase muscle tone, increase range of motion and flexibility, detoxify the body, aid in weight loss, reduce stress and increase balance. This integrated approach to fitness is a complete exercise science that brings harmony to the mind, body, spirit connection.
A 2010 study from researchers at the University Of Maryland School Of Nursing published a comparative analysis study that examined the health benefits of Yoga. The researchers found that yoga outperformed standard aerobic exercise at improving balance, flexibility, strength, pain levels among seniors, menopausal symptoms, daily energy level, and social and occupation functioning, among other health parameters. Now add the heat. The addition of the controlled heated and humidified room provides the Hot Yoga practitioner with many more benefits than a regular Yoga practice.
Being in a Hot Yoga room is comparable to being in a sauna. The hot yoga room helps to increase your heart rate allowing for better circulation and lubrication to the limbs. Hot Yoga benefits your body as the heat allows you to move more freely and safely move deeper into the postures. Toxins are eliminated during hot yoga, primarily thru sweat. Water rushes out during the course of the class, creating immense benefits such as super clean skin and the detoxification of pores in the body's largest organ - the skin.
The heat and humidity make it so that your lungs only work at 50%, pushing your lungs and heart to work harder, strengthening your organs. With this, the body uses the oxygen more efficiently and allows your internal organs to breathe. Toxins are pushed out of your internal organs and through your sweat making your body healthier. The added sweat and heat makes your muscles more limber, allowing them to achieve deeper stretching and avoid injury.
Here at Mai Town Yoga, we offer several classes that do something different for your body. We'd like to call our recipe for getting the most out of your practice, " Warrior, Core, Restore". Taking the Warrior, Warrior to the Core, and Restorative classes in any sequence that can fit into your regular practice is the most effective and efficient way to see the greatest results.
Practicing Hot Yoga creates many benefits to both mind and body and a Hot Yoga class is known for burning anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories a session. Remember, the more you put into your Hot Yoga workout, the more you will gain from it.
Dan Cicconi RYT 500
