Why so frickin hot?!
Here are reasons why we love the heat and why you will to … we promise!
- Hot yoga classes are held in a studio that is heated to apporximately 95 degrees and up – depending on the type of class.
- The heat warms the body’s muscles and joints, encouraging blood flow and helping protect the body’s muscles while stretching.
- Muscles, faster, and connective tissue become more elastic allowing for greater flexibility with less chance of injury.
- Promotes sweating, which assists the detox process using the body’s largest eliminating organ – the skin.
- Blood becomes thinner, clearing the circulatory system.
- When the body is warm, T-cell output from the thymus gland is multiplied 20 fold. T-cells fight infection, in turn, keeping the immune system functioning properly.
- Warmer temperatures produce a fluid-like stretch that allows for greater range of motion in the joints.
- Heart rate becomes elevated, thus improving the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs).
- Warm muscles burn fat more effectively. When we stretch, the fat has no room to sit so it redistributes to the blood stream which we then use as energy.
- Capillaries respond to heat by dilating. This allows more oxygen to muscles, tissues, glands and organs, adding in elimination.
- Higher temps improve the function of the nervous system, meaning that messages are carried more rapidly to and from the brain or spinal cord (you think more clearly!).
- Improves strength because proteins are utilized more effectively.
- Speed up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.
- Provides strengthening of willpower, self control, and determination through such a challenging environment!