Hot yoga is a hot new trend

Feel the heat, Blazers! No, not the summer heat –the heat of hot yoga.

Hot yoga is a fun, new spin on traditional yoga. It is regular studio yoga cranked up to 90-105 degrees. This new form of exercise is overtaking the Maryland and DC area. It is even replacing more traditional forms of exercise, like running and swimming.

At first glance, hot yoga sounds very un-hot. Think about it- sweating in a steaming room with a bunch of other sweaty people. Ew! Your mat is slick with moisture, and your arms shine with a wet gloss as you assume the Downward Dog pose. But, don't just give up hot yoga just yet. It definitely has its benefits. Your body sweats during hot yoga in order to cool itself, so you'll lose water weight fast. This helps you burn fat more efficiently.

Steamtown hot yoga

Photo: A woman sweats and stretches during a hot yoga session.

A woman sweats and stretches during a hot yoga session.  Photo courtesy of Steamtown Yoga.

Hot yoga is also a more strenuous form of exercise than regular yoga. In the heat of the studio, your body has to work harder to maintain homeostasis. This makes your heart rate increase, which may help you burn more calories. There is no denying that you'll feel like you're working harder once you're covered in sweat.

Consider trying hot yoga if you enjoy a leisurely-paced activity. It incorporates slow movements of the body and stretches out the muscles. Bringing your arms over your head and leaning to the right will provide with a gentle stretch to your back. Slowly bending down, one vertebra at a time, and touching your toes will relax your muscles. Stiffening your back muscles and sitting up straight, assuming the Staff Pose, will provide the final stress releasing pull to your muscles. The slow pace of yoga is a sharp contrast to more traditional forms of exercise like swimming and running, which pose more of a fast-paced thrill.

However, nothing is perfect. It is a common myth that hot yoga makes you sweat out toxins. No matter how long you sweat, you will not sweat out harmful toxins. Human sweat glands just aren't meant for that purpose. Only the kidneys and liver eliminate toxins through the process of going to the bathroom. "Doing a ninety-minute hot yoga session and sweating to death is not releasing toxins," Amber Larson, a registered yoga instructor and biologist, explained in her article, Hot Yoga: The Dangers and Myths You Need to Know.

Some people enjoy fast paced exercise or prefer not to sweat. Hot yoga simply isn't for everyone. But it's gaining popularity fast. There are already over 15 hot yoga studios near Blair!

If you want to join this new hot yoga trend, try the following studios with high ratings near Blair:
1. Bikram Yoga – Takoma Park, Bethesda, Tenleytown
2. Down Dog Yoga – Bethesda
3. Thrive Yoga – Rockville

Remember - before a hot yoga session, make sure that you like the instructor and the staff. And most importantly, don't forget to hydrate, Blazers!