Hot Yoga Craze

It is the perfect time of year to get into hot yoga if you haven’t already. Maybe some of you don’t know what the hype about this new fitness craze is but I’ll fill you in. It feels so good when it’s getting cold outside, we are wearing coats and looking forward to hot chocolate and lattes. The feeling after going into a hot room and practicing yoga is so peaceful and euphoric. And it feel extra good in the winter.

I first started Yoga about 4 years ago and became so addicted to Bikram Yoga (the 90 minute practice) and found myself going every single day. And truly the more often you can go, the better. I do all types of working out but there is nothing quite like hot yoga.

Maybe some of you practice yoga without the heat, here’s how heating it up is beneficial for you:

    •    Your body burns fat more effectively, fat may be redistributed and burned as energy during the class. It is common to lose centimetres of shape in a very short time
•    The heat produces a fluid-like stretch allowing for greater range of movement in joints, muscles, ligaments and other supporting structures of the body
•    Capillaries dilate in the heat; more effectively oxygenating the tissues, muscles, glands and organs and helping in the removal of waste products
•    Your peripheral circulation improves due to enhanced perfusion of your extremities
•    Your metabolism speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids
•    You benefit from a strengthening of willpower, self control, concentration and determination in this challenging environment
•    Your cardiovascular system gets a thorough workout
•    Your muscles and connective tissue become more elastic and allow for greater flexibility with less chance of injury and improved resolution of injury
•    Sweating promotes detoxification and elimination through the skin – which is the body’s largest eliminating organ
•    Just as when your body raises its temperature to fight infection, the raised temperature in the room will assist in improving T-cell function and the proper functioning of your immune system
•    Your nervous system function is greatly improved and messages are carried more efficiently to and from your brain
•    Metabolism improves in your digestive system and in the body’s cells (that is food in   the gut and nutrients in the cells)

With hot yoga, there are so many benefits you are getting for both mind and body that no other form of exercise can give you. In all of 60-90 minutes you are losing weight, increasing mobility, balance and coordination, toning and strengthening your muscles, releasing tension and relieving stress, increasing performance and energy as well as developing a stronger immune system.

Something that is so important to know if you are going to try yoga or are already a practicing student or even use any work out gear at all- Environmental experts like those at Greenpeace have been known to refer to PVC (or polyvinyl chloride AKA vinyl) as the poison plastic. It has been linked to cancer, and contains hormone-disrupting phthalates lead. Between manufacturing and disposal it’s a huge toxic problem. When it comes to workout gear, PVC is found everywhere—in yoga mats, Pilates balancing balls, the colorful covers on weights, jump ropes, workout bags, and more.

It’s super important for our health that we use PVC free yoga mats!  Find them here at Natural Fitness Inc. below. They have some great Eco-friendly mats that I love!