Hot Yoga Might Not Be For Everyone!

With the winter months setting in, hot yoga, also known as ‘Bikram yoga’ might be an exciting prospect. What better way to get into the mood for some yoga practice on a cold, winter day, than by practicing in a well-heated room, with a renewed sense of flexibility! The claims of toxins and body fat being gotten rid off with the practice makes it all the more enticing.

However, Diana Zotos, a yoga instructor and physical therapist in the rehabilitation department at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City warns of the underlying risks of the practice, strongly recommending all practitioners to consult their physicians before beginning hot yoga. Zotos elaborates that people who have a previous record of heat sensitivity, those who have had a heat stroke, patients with arthritis/ joint disorders, blood pressure and cardiovascular patients, and those who tend to get fatigued or dehydrated easily should particularly be cautious of hot yoga.

Zotos explains that hot yoga is more physically demanding on the body than regular yoga, and poses increased burden on the heart. Moreover, it makes people have a false sense of flexibility, causing them to stretch their muscles beyond their actual capacity resulting in muscle strains and damages to joints. She advises patients to ensure that the hot yoga instructor they are enrolling with is an authorised instructor, and going about the whole process smoothly and gradually, stopping at the first signs of discomfort.

Source: - Health News