Hot Yoga's Health Benefits Prove That It's Worth It to Turn Up the Heat

Emily Laurence
·6 min read

A typical yoga class—taken in a fully air-conditioned room—can already be a physical challenge. For some, the idea of voluntarily going through your flow in a room close to 100 degrees can sound pretty out there. But before you decide to write the idea off completely, it’s worth it to know the many benefits that turning up the heat can bring.

Whether you have been practicing yoga for years or are completely new to it, hot yoga has physical, mental and, for some, spiritual benefits that are widely enjoyed by many. Keep reading to find out what you can gain from giving it a try.

Related: 10 Benefits of Restorative Yoga for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

What Is Hot Yoga?

Angie Tiwari, a yoga, meditation, and breathwork coach, says that the hot yoga temperature is typically between 90 and 100 degrees.  “The purpose is to add an extra fire to the practice, enhancing flexibility, increasing bone density and detoxifying your body,” she says. Tiwari adds that the heat will feel different to different people, depending on how hydrated they are and what the temperature was before they walked into the room.

Kate Ingersoll, a certified yoga teacher and the owner of Hot Yoga Philadelphia, says that the heat increases one’s heart rate, even when they’re in a simple yoga pose. “When that happens, we are able to breathe normally through intense cardiovascular activity,” she says. “This is unlike, say, running, where the breathing is not so relaxed. It is a unique benefit of doing yoga in the heat.”

Just like yoga in an unheated room, it’s important to be mindful and respectful of yoga’s cultural roots when practicing it in a heated room. “Honoring yoga's cultural roots comes down to understanding the context and history of where yoga originated, as well as being aware of the differences between an authentic practice and one that actively excludes the cultural richness of yoga,” Tiwari says.

Before booking a class, Tiwari encourages researching to learn more about the instructors. “Ask yourself whether you engage with teachers of South Asian culture or teachers who actively share a deeper understanding of the practice other than the physical postures alone,” she says. Instructors that truly honor yoga’s roots will not solely focus on the physical postures, which is only one of yoga’s eight parts.

Once you do find an instructor who you feel honors yoga’s cultural roots, get ready to benefit in many ways. Just be sure to hydrate first—both instructors say that’s super important.

Related: 3 Yoga Poses for Anxiety

7 Hot Yoga Benefits

1. The heat increases the intensity

Tiwari and Ingersoll both point out one benefit you likely inherently know: Moving through a yoga flow in a room that’s over 90 degrees is more challenging than doing the same flow in a cooler room. Simply put, the heat increases the intensity of the class.

 “That heat really adds an intensity for your cardiovascular endurance, so you'll sweat more than in your non-heated yoga class,” Tiwari says. If you are looking for a way to make your yoga class more challenging, increasing the heat is a sure way to do it.

2. The heat adds a mental challenge

More heat doesn’t just make yoga physically more challenging; Ingersoll says it requires more mental strength and focus too. “The heat adds a mental challenge which in turn cultivates concentration and patience. Even the most experienced practitioner can be humbled by the challenge of the heat,” she says.

3. It helps with flexibility

“The heat allows you to stretch deeper so you'll gain an increased range of motion,” Tiwari says. She adds that while this means that you’ll be able to get into certain poses easier, this also means there’s more of a risk for overstretching. Therefore, it’s important to be careful and take your time in each pose.

Related: 25 Simple Exercises to Help You Get More Flexible and Get Rid of All Those Aches and Pains

4. Hot yoga may be safer than traditional yoga

Ingersoll says that, typically, the poses in a hot yoga class focus on 26 classic postures, none of which involve any weight-bearing poses. “This makes it safe for shoulder and neck injuries, as well as doable for aging, injured or weak bodies,” she says. “The poses themselves are considered beginner poses so you never have to worry about being asked to do any inversions, planks or any other high-level yoga poses.” Still, she says that this doesn’t mean that hot yoga is easy!

5. Hot yoga can give athletes a competitive edge

Hot yoga complements other types of physical activity, particularly for athletes. Ingersoll says that many runners, cyclers and rowers take her classes in Philly. “Balancing any sport where you're overusing one or a few muscle groups by stretching the full body in the heat and learning breath control is huge and gives an athletic edge to competitive sports participants,” she says. For example, many runners have tight hamstrings, something yoga can help counteract.

6. Practicing hot yoga can decrease cortisol

Scientific studies show that hot yoga is linked to lowering levels of cortisol. This hormone is often called the “stress hormone” and is linked to anxiety, depression, inflammation and weight gain. In this way, hot yoga benefits both physical and mental health.

7. Hot yoga is good for your bones

Studies also show that hot yoga helps increase bone density in some populations, including postmenopausal women. Since bone fractures and falls become a greater risk as we age, this is a significant benefit.

While hot yoga has many benefits, both instructors say it isn’t for everyone. “Folks on chemo or some antibiotics shouldn't do hot yoga,” Ingersoll says. She adds that pregnant women shouldn’t do hot yoga past their first trimester. Also, if you are diabetic or have low blood sugar, Ingersoll says it’s best to bring a sugary drink into class with you and to wear your CGM in class.

If you’re interested in hot yoga but still feel intimidated, rest assured that yoga in an unheated room can greatly impact physical and mental health too. It’s not a stretch to say that heat or no heat, your body will benefit.

Next up, here are 100 yoga quotes that will inspire you to look within and find more freedom and liberation.

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