When It Comes to Losing Body Fat, Experts Say Hot Yoga Has a Small Advantage

Get the Full StoryIf you've ever survived a hot yoga class, you'll know it's no easy feat. There's a lot of heavy breathing, intense poses, Chaturanagas, and so much sweat. While the yoga practice has long been a favorite of people seeking to add an extra level of difficulty to their practice, there's new evidence to suggest the addition of heat does nothing to make it more beneficial than other forms of yoga.

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According to a recent study into the effects of heated yoga on heart health, you get the same benefits practicing yoga at normal temperatures as you do when you practice in heated conditions. The small 12-week study split previously sedentary group of 52 people into three groups: a group of 19 who did no exercise and two groups of 19 and 14 who each took three identical yoga classes a week with the former group practicing under heated conditions and the latter in normal temperatures.

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The study found that although the group who practiced in heated rooms saw a reduction in their body-fat percentage, but when it came to heart health and reduced risk of heart disease, they shared nearly identical positive results with the group who practiced under normal conditions. Unsurprisingly, the group who remained sedentary saw no change in their health. Given the findings, the researchers involved in the study concluded that the benefits of hot yoga were nominal in comparison to more common practices.

Given how much classes at boutique yoga studios can cost, this should settle any feeling of FOMO you might have when your fitness budget wont extend beyond a solo Savasana in your living room.

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