Hot Yoga: Is it safe?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I thought I'd start a thread debunking some of the myths promoters of Hot Yoga use to sell it, and some of the dangers it poses (no pun intended) to those who practice it. Something to consider for anyone actively practicing or considering practicing Hot Yoga.

To start, here is a quote from Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. I've highlighted the salient points.

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Is hot yoga (like Bikram) safe?

Yoga practiced in rooms where the temperature is cranked up to more than 100 degrees has become popular, in part because practitioners believe it can help them sweat off calories and toxins and make them more flexible as they pose. But it’s unclear whether hot yoga has more weight-loss benefits than other types of yoga, and it doesn’t help you purge toxins. Even worse, it could be harmful.

First, people tend to overstretch their muscles and joints in the warmth, making them more susceptible to injuries. And while some research has shown that body temperatures stay in a safe range, one recent study found that hot yoga raised some folks’ core body temps to 103 degrees, with one person’s hitting 104 degrees. Even for healthy people, that could lead to headache, dizziness and dehydration; anyone with a heart condition should definitely steer clear.

Yoga itself is a wonderful form of exercise and an effective stress reliever, but it’s safest to practice it (yoga) at room temperature. If you do decide to try hot yoga, make sure you take frequent water breaks and stop if you begin to feel breathless or uncomfortable. Bottom line: If you really want to perspire, a good old-fashioned run, dance class, or other form of cardio is your best bet.

#2

More on that claim of sweating away your toxins.

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[B]The Myth of Sweating Toxins[/B]

Does your yoga instructor tell you that the sweating is good for you because you are releasing toxins from the body? Well, this statement is not 100% true. Most of what you are sweating is water, but there are other chemicals that make up sweat including salt, potassium, ammonia, and urea. [B]True toxin elimination comes from the kidneys and liver, and some from the colon.[/B] Doing a ninety-minute hot yoga session and sweating to death is not releasing toxins. [B]You really are just dehydrating yourself and losing only water weight. [/B]I hate the burst the bubble, but my statement is true to the facts of body’s biological systems. If you really want to eliminate toxins from the body, it’s best to talk to your physician or purchase an over-the-counter liver, kidney, or colon cleanse made out of natural ingredients.