Hot Yoga.. A Perfect Workout For "Type A" Personalities!

I am one of the least earthy-crunchy people you could meet, but I love Hot Yoga. "Type A" gal by day, Hot Yoga enthusiast by night and weekend.

Hot Yoga, which is yoga typically practiced in a heated room between 80-105 degrees, is one the best workouts I have ever experienced. Every single muscle, even ones that you didn’t know you had, get a work out. You can build strength, get your heart pumping and improve your balance. Also, the added heat significantly increases your flexibility and forces you to sweat out all of the impurities in your body.

I had tried other types of yoga in the past and was honestly.. bored. I am someone who likes to stay active and not really interested in a lot of chanting when I exercise. There are other forms of yoga that are more focused on relaxation, spiritual discovery and being “one with the earth”. That’s great- but they’re not for everyone. Hot Yoga is for me!

Hot Yoga is definitely a work out. And, there are different forms of Hot Yoga that will appeal to beginners up to more advanced yogis.

Ann Pizer, a free-lance writer at About.com, penned a great article simply titled ” What is Bikram Yoga? What is Hot Yoga?” which provides a concise and helpful overview of the yoga types.

You may also like the Wikipedia article on Hot Yoga.

In addition to the physical benefits of the heated room (flexibility, sweat) I also find that it helps to calm my mind. Any fellow type A’s know that it’s hard to stop thinking.

When you watch TV you’re also thinking about what you have to do at work the next day. When you eat breakfast, you’re also thinking about errands you want to run.. etc.

I find that the heat of the room helps to keep my mind more focused on the present- and the yoga workout. As a result, I get more from the work-out and get some of the benefits you’d get from meditation. My mind feels more clear after I finish a class.

Here are some of the questions I often get about hot yoga…

Who typically attends a Hot Yoga class?
Unlike other group workout classes, which tend to be mostly women, Hot Yoga classes tend to have a fairly balanced mix of both men and women.

The age group of the attendees will likely vary, depending on the location of the studio. And, every class I’ve attended has a mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced students.

What if I can’t do all the Yoga poses?
One of the great things about yoga is that almost any pose can be adjusted and made easier or more difficult depending on the participant’s skill level.

For example, the pose may call for a participant to stand on their left leg, then lift their right leg up a few feet in front of them, while keeping it straight and the toe pointed. Some attendees do just that, others lift the leg only 1 inch off the ground while others may stand with the right knee bent.

You can also take a break in a yoga class any time. Some participants lie on their back and relax while others take a break in child’s pose. You can wait and join the class again when you’re ready.

How do I find a Hot Yoga studio near me?
The website Yoga.com provides a directory of most yoga studios across the United States. Or you can try using Google and entering the keywords hot yoga and your city/state.

The website, About.com, also has a Hot Yoga blog, shown below. Good luck!