The Benefits of Hot Yoga: 6 Reasons to Practice!

Is Hot Yoga Good For You?

6 Benefits of a Regular Yoga Practice

Whether you’re new to yoga entirely or practice hot yoga every day, you might wonder what benefits you get out of your 60 minutes in the studio. While this isn’t a comprehensive list, we’ve laid out 6 of our favorite hot yoga benefits.

Let’s start by breaking down our style of hot yoga– it’s not Bikram yoga. At Highland, we practice vinyasa-style yoga, combining vigorous flow, creative sequencing, and mindfulness practices in a room heated to 93 degrees. In addition to on point playlists and sweaty, feel-good vibes, these are the hot yoga benefits you can expect:

It aids in weight loss.

Women’s Health recently named hot power yoga one of their 14 best exercises for burning calories because hot yoga benefits weight loss in several ways. Fast-moving vinyasa flows get your body moving while the heated room works up a sweat quickly for a calorie-blasting combination. Add in the strength, flexibility and endurance needed to complete a class and it’s no surprise hot yoga is ranked among weight loss favorites like interval running and strength training.

It makes you stronger AND more flexible.

All those chaturangas have to be good for something, right? Improved strength and flexibility is a common hot yoga benefit. It’s a myth that you need to be strong and flexible to start practicing yoga– you don’t! Instead, use regular practice to build up both.

It reduces stress.

Beyond the physical benefits, one of the most important reasons people seek out yoga is to help manage day-to-day stress and anxiety. Exercise alone goes a long way in beating stress but yoga takes it a step further.

Hot vinyasa yoga matches breath to movement, forcing you to focus on your breathing and the present moment, rather than your to-do list or a frustrating coworker. Mindfulness and meditation have dozens of proven benefits, and yoga helps you reap those benefits of both on and off the mat.

It’s good for your skin.

The second you walk into a sweaty studio, you start seeing the benefits of hot yoga for skin. When your skin gets warm, the capillaries and vessels dilate, bringing blood and oxygen to skin cells. This causes the skin to look renewed and fresh. It’s the same effect you see after sitting in a sauna or steam room. On top of that, yoga helps improve blood circulation, which feeds the skin and keeps it healthy. The combination gives your skin a healthy glow from within.

It has dozens of other health benefits.

Research shows that hot yoga helps boost the immune system, improve lung capacity, and strengthen the lymphatic system (in other words, help with heart health!) These long term benefits of hot yoga, along with its low impact on joints, makes it a great activity for all ages and fitness levels.

It provides you with a community.

We might be biased but we think our #HYTribe is made up of the best people in Atlanta. No matter where you choose to practice, regularly attending yoga classes gives you the opportunity to connect with others in the local community and meet like-minded friends. Our workshops, teacher trainings, and retreats are great ways to get even more involved!

What about hot yoga disadvantages?

Like any physical activity, there are some risks to practicing hot yoga.

If you’re pregnant, injured, have low pressure, or other health concerns, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise regime. If you’re in the clear health-wise, there are still precautions you should take before and during class to practice safely– drink plenty of water, don’t push yourself too hard, and discuss any concerns or questions with your teacher before class.