Yoga is one of the most versatile forms of exercise and self-care. It can help you find your inner zen and let the stress of life melt away, it can improve strength and flexibility, and in some cases, it may even support your weight loss goals.
Of all the different forms of yoga, though, hot yoga for weight loss is gaining attention. Is this another case of too good to be true, or does hot yoga help you lose weight? Fortunately, the connection between hot yoga and weight loss is more fact than fiction.
The heat itself forces your body to shed water weight, but you’ll also burn calories while practicing hot yoga. We’ll take a closer look at the hot yoga weight loss link below and help you get started with hot yoga for weight loss.
What is Hot Yoga?
As the name implies, this form of yoga is practiced in a heated room - typically ranging between 85°F to 105°F (29°C to 40°C), with humidity levels often set around 40%. These conditions sound uncomfortable, and that’s by design.
Unlike traditional yoga, the heat makes for a far more intense experience that brings out all the potential yoga has to offer in promoting flexibility, sweating, and mental focus.
The most well-known type of hot yoga can be traced back to the 1970s when Bikram Choudhury introduced a concept that’s still popular today. Bikram yoga involves a strict sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises performed in a room heated to 105°F with 40% humidity.
These days, though, there are plenty of other forms to choose from like hot Vinyasa, Power Yoga, and Hot Hatha, where the sequence and flow are more flexible. They all share the common theme of heat, though.
The warmth helps muscles warm up faster to reduce the risk of injury while helping you get into deeper stretches. However, the heat also challenges cardiovascular endurance, as the body works harder to regulate its temperature.
Physical benefits aside, hot yoga emphasizes mindfulness and mental clarity, essentially forcing the individual to focus on their breath and remain present despite physical discomfort.
Nearly 40% of Americans practice hot yoga, and that trend is only expected to grow in the coming years. It’s not hard to see why. Does hot yoga help you lose weight, though?
Does Hot Yoga Help You Lose Weight?
The short answer is yes, hot yoga for weight loss is an effective addition to a more comprehensive weight management program. But you do need to set your expectations, as it’s only one piece of the weight loss puzzle.
So why is hot yoga good for weight loss, and how much weight can you lose with hot yoga? Let’s take a closer look at the hot yoga weight loss connection below.
Why is Hot Yoga Good For Weight Loss?
The heat, combined with yoga postures, encourages the body to work harder - burning calories, sweating more, and challenging muscles. Translation: your body turns to fat for fuel while offloading water weight.
While it may not lead to the same level of weight loss as a more intensive form of cardio, there are four ways in which hot yoga can support weight management:
- Increased Calorie Burn: Hot yoga raises your heart rate and metabolism just like light to moderate cardiovascular exercise. It forces your body to work harder to maintain its core temperature, which burns calories - as many as 300-600 calories in a 60-minute hot yoga session depending on the intensity of the practice and your body weight!
- Enhanced Flexibility and Muscle Engagement: The heat helps you get into deeper stretches for better muscle activation. As those muscles become more pliable, you can perform poses with better alignment and more effectively engage stabilizing muscles. This promotes lean muscle development, boosting your metabolic rate even at rest. In other words, you’ll burn more calories without doing anything.
- Water Weight Loss Through Sweating: The intense sweating in hot yoga causes temporary water weight loss. While it’s not fat loss, it can reduce bloating and help you look and feel lighter. Just make sure to rehydrate afterward.
- Stress Reduction and Appetite Control: Hot yoga emphasizes mindfulness and breath control, both of which help reduce stress and minimize emotional eating. Its calming effects may regulate cortisol levels as well, the hormone associated with weight gain around the midsection.
So, yes - hot yoga is good for weight loss. The question is, how does it compare to other styles and is it really worth the extra discomfort that comes with the heat?
Comparison With Other Forms of Yoga
Technically all forms of yoga can support weight management in one way or another. But, hot yoga is far more effective. Traditional yoga just focuses on flexibility, strength, and mindfulness - the calorie burn and water weight loss will be fairly low.
Some studies say you can burn as many as 200 calories through standard yoga sessions, which is a fraction of what you could burn with hot yoga in the same timeframe.
Power yoga is a more dynamic, fast-paced style so it’ll yield better results than traditional yoga - but even it falls short compared to hot yoga. For the best of both worlds, try power yoga in a heated room! More on that later.
Just keep in mind that all forms of yoga will likely pale in comparison to a more intensive exercise style like high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This will burn more calories, but its more strain on your joints and doesn’t offer the same flexibility and mindfulness benefits.
Technically both might have a place in your weight management regimen, but you came here to learn about hot yoga and weight loss specifically. So, how much weight can you lose with hot yoga?
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Hot Yoga?
It’s impossible to give you a one-size-fits-all answer for how much weight you can expect to shed through hot yoga. There are too many moving pieces - such as your current weight, diet, frequency of practice, and lifestyle habits.
That being said, you can reasonably expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week during hot yoga 3-5 times a week. This estimate assumes you’re also following a calorie-controlled diet and implementing other strategies, of course.
Over the longer run, like a month or even a few months, you’ll see much more noticeable changes not just on the scale but in your measurements, your physique, and how you feel. So, how can you lose weight doing hot yoga starting today? We’ll set you up for success below.
How Can You Lose Weight Doing Hot Yoga? Tips on Getting Started With Hot Yoga for Weight Loss
While hot yoga for weight loss is just one piece of the puzzle, it can be a powerful step in the right direction. It’s easy to get started, too. You just need to choose a specific hot yoga style and dive in! Here are some tips to help you feel confident in your next steps.
Choosing the Right Style of Hot Yoga for Weight Loss
Not all forms of hot yoga for weight loss are created equal. The specific style you choose will influence how much weight you’re capable of losing safely. There are 3 forms we recommend:
Bikram Yoga
This is the original type of hot yoga, and as we said earlier, it involves a super specific sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises with the room heated to around 105°F with 40% humidity.
Uncomfortable? Sure. Effective? You bet! A 90-minute Bikram session can burn anywhere from 300-600 calories
The structure is part of why we recommend Bikram for beginners, as it’s repetitive and easy to master over a few sessions. There’s no guesswork about what to do or when to do it, as the style tends to be guided.
Hot Vinyasa Yoga
This method combines flowing movements with heat, linking poses together through dynamic transitions. The constant movement raises your heart rate and burns more calories compared to static yoga styles.
It’s a bit more free-flowing than Bikram and works great for anyone trying to get strength-building and cardiovascular benefits in one session.
Power Yoga in Heat
The third option is power yoga in the heat, which technically combines two different forms. As we said earlier, power yoga is more closely related to HIIT in that you’re burning more calories through active movement.
But since you’re combining heat, endurance, and strength, we would suggest beginners start with something like Bikram or Hot Vinyasa first. This is a more advanced method.
Precautions for Practicing Hot Yoga Safely
Whatever form of hot yoga for weight loss you decide to try, it’s important that you’re aware of the risks - most notably, dehydration. Here are some tips to reap the weight loss benefits without any adverse effects:
- Hydrate Before, During, and After: Drink water throughout the day leading up to your session and afterward as well. Electrolyte-enhanced water can help replace minerals lost through sweat, which is just as important as replenishing the water itself.
- Listen to Your Body: Take a break in child’s pose or step out of the room if you feel dizzy, fatigued, or lightheaded. Pushing too hard can be counterproductive. Don’t try to be a hero and tough it out!
- Wear Lightweight Clothing: Moisture-wicking, breathable fabrics will help you stay comfortable while supporting freedom of movement.
- Avoid Hot Yoga if Pregnant or Certain Health Issues: Consult with a healthcare provider if you have blood pressure concerns, heart conditions, or other health-related restrictions.
Our advice is to always start your hot yoga journey with some sort of structured, guided class at a local wellness center - or at the very least, online guidance. This will help you get the hang of poses safely before you engrain bad habits.
How Many Times a Week Should I Do Hot Yoga to Lose Weight?
Consistency is of the utmost importance for reaping all the hot yoga weight loss benefits. So, how many times a week should I do hot yoga to lose weight?
We suggest 3-4 sessions once you get up to speed, but you might want to start slower with 1-2 sessions as a beginner to let your body adapt to the heat and physical demands.
Rest days are just as important. You can use these days to do other exercises, like walking, cycling, or swimming.
Track Your Progress Over Time
The last thing you should do is step on the scale after your first hot yoga session hoping to see a smaller number. This is something you need to stay patient with - but that doesn’t mean you can’t start tracking progress right away.
Instead of focusing solely on the scale, pay attention to improved muscle tone, flexibility, and endurance. You can jot down your starting weight and measurements and then see how you’ve progressed after 2-4 weeks. Frequent progress pictures are a good way to gauge results too.
Log your yoga improvements as well. Keep a journal noting the number of classes attended, calories burned (using fitness trackers), and how you feel after each session.
Take note of how you’re mastering each pose, how long you can hold challenging postures, and your ability to withstand the heat. These are all signs your strength and stamina are on the rise!
Enhance Your Practice With Nutrition
The only proven way to lose weight is by putting your body in a caloric deficit, which means you burn more calories than you consume.
While hot yoga will help you burn more calories, you should also be consuming fewer calories. Just a 100-200 calorie deficit leads to big differences over the course of a few months.
What you eat matters just as much, though. Your plate should primarily consist of lean proteins, healthy fats, and fiber-rich carbohydrates to fuel your sessions and keep hunger at bay. That means plenty of chicken, salmon, quinoa, avocados, and leafy greens.
As far as what to eat before and after yoga, make sure you’re getting a light, easily digestible meal 1-2 hours before class. That could be a banana with almond butter or a small smoothie.
Replenish after the session with protein and electrolytes with a protein shake, greek yogurt, or a small meal such as grilled chicken breast and sweet potatoes. Be careful about overeating after your class, as sweating and physical effort can increase hunger cues.
Our blog has more resources on how to lose weight without counting calories if you choose to go that route. You can also explore the concept of a juice cleanse to lose weight fast, other homemade drinks to lose weight fast, the best tea to lose weight, and matcha for weight loss.
Should You Incorporate Other Workouts?
Hot yoga is just one of many forms of exercise worth trying as part of your weight loss journey. In fact, others might be more effective.
Strength training, for example, builds lean muscle mass which can increase your resting metabolic rate and help your body burn fat more efficiently.
But if you want to learn how to lose weight without gaining muscle, you might be more interested in other types of cardio. Activities like running, cycling, or HIIT are all great options.
Just remember to give your body time to recover, recognizing the toll that hot yoga can take on you physically and mentally. Most importantly, stay patient and consistent as you get started with hot yoga for weight loss - the results will be worth the wait!
Bringing Our Hot Yoga Weight Loss Guide to a Close
So, does hot yoga help you lose weight? Absolutely - it can be a powerful step towards a slimmer, healthier figure. It offers so many other benefits beyond weight management as well, like flexibility improvements, stress reduction, and more.
We hope this hot yoga weight loss guide has left you feeling clear and confident in your next steps. Just remember that progress takes time, so track your results and celebrate small milestones along the way.
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