People don’t immediately think of yoga when they want to get fit as it is not strictly a ‘work-out’, but those who regularly practise will tell you that it is brilliant at strengthening and toning the body, as well as balancing the mind.
I’ve practised yoga for 10 years and set up Hotpod Yoga in 2013 with a friend, so yoga is now a part of my everyday life. Our innovative, heated, inflatable studios can be put up anywhere and we now have them internationally. The Hotpod Yoga philosophy is to pay absolute respect and homage to the thousands of years of yoga tradition that have come before us, but to bring it into the modern day through a logical, down-to-earth and ultra-accessible experience.
Both men and women relate to the health and fitness benefits of yoga. Hot yoga is the perfect pairing with sports and we are finding that more and more professional sportsmen and women the worldover are looking to include hot yoga in their fitness regimes.
What are the benefits of hot yoga?
Hot yoga is great for you physically and involves a lot of core elements, including flexibility, weight loss, building muscles, strengthening and toning. We heat the Hotpods to 37 degrees, this is what we consider to be the optimum heat to aid flexibility (by warming up the muscles) and for increasing the heart rate. We wanted to avoid extreme heat that can make people feel faint. We don’t believe there to be any benefit from greater heat.
Hotpod Yoga combines an aerobic work-out with heat and toning and stretching the muscles back to how they should be, working to improve body mechanics in the unique womb-like, de-stress environment of the Hotpod. Better body mechanics mean your body works the way it should do. The idea is to focus on exactly the sensation that is happening in your body at the time – stretching and strengthening – and to use your breathing as a tool to 1) keep you focused on what you are doing 2) help the muscles relax so you can go a little deeper.
As well as burning up to 700 calories per class, there are numerous health benefits to hot yoga. The heat helps you to reach levels of personal flexibility; your heart works harder, and working up a sweat will help your muscles, organs and glands to function properly. Hot yoga is also known to help you breathe properly, as well as reduce symptoms of conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis and obesity.
How to get the best out of your practice
It sounds obvious but the best way to look after your body is to be dedicated and persistent. Aim to exercise 3 to 4 times a week. Mix up a couple of aerobic workouts to get your cardiovascular system working so that energy (and therefore calories!) is burned. Anything from jogging to a more fartlek training (which means ‘speed play’ in Swedish – sprint, walk, jog, sprint, walk, jog etc) and of course, hot yoga, will really get your system working. Mix it up with some anaerobic workouts that work toward toning the body. This is why Hotpod Yoga is so good, as it stretches and tones the muscles as well as giving your cardio a good workout, too.
Meditate your way to a better body
As well as physical elements, the mental side of things has to be addressed in order to strive toward the goal of getting in shape. Of course, when you exercise the positivity that you gain afterwards makes your body and mind feel good. However, adding meditation to your daily routine can take it to the next level. Being able to ‘watch’ your thoughts and then let them go, rather than getting caught up in one thought and then another, can help to stop the creation of tension in your mind. Doing a little meditation every day allows for clarity, calmness and focus in your life, which therefore transcends into your exercise routine by staying focused and determined.
Working with businesses
One of our missions at Hotpod Yoga is to take the positive effects of yoga into the work place. We offer corporate classes, as everyone is leading increasingly stressful lives and companies are looking for innovative and exciting ways to look after their employees. Great companies know that the happier and fitter their employees are, the happier and fitter the company is going to be.
Comments are closed.