Hot Yoga & Flexibility – Does the Heat Help?
If you are considering taking a hot yoga class, you may be wondering – does the heat help at all? The truth is that, yes, it really does. A warm body means warm muscles and that means they will stretch more easily. Think of a recent cold morning when you woke up feeling stiff and tired. Your muscles probably did not feel as though they could stretch very easily, and it may have taken a Herculean effort just to step out of bed.
Our muscles like to be ‘warmed up’ before we stretch. This is why almost every professional athlete will warm up his body before attempting to give his all in the sport he or she participates in. A warm room really helps to circulate blood in the body. Circulating blood and elevated body heat also help to lubricate individual muscle fibers joints, and tendons. Even humidity can affect the way our bodies move. When the barometric pressure drops, many people can feel a difference in the way their bodies respond to movement. Muscles can feel tired and sore and joints can feel achy and actually snap and pop. A heated yoga room emulates warmer weather, wherein our muscles and joints move more cooperatively. This is especially important if you are trying to master more difficult asana or are working through a sports injury or recovering from an illness that has kept you sedentary.
The heat does help the muscles move and flex with more ease. Around 38 degrees C is ideal, and anything more is not good because you will start to dehydrate and lose vital trace minerals like potassium, which help your muscles to recover. Make sure to hydrate all week long, and not just during your class, and you will feel more flexible in no time.
