6 Reasons to Do Your Bikram Yoga This Summer

With temperatures in the 90s this week, summer is definitely here! Are you wondering whether it makes sense to turn the heat up even more by coming to hot yoga class? You may be asking yourself if you even have the energy for it. Your friends and fam may be looking at you funny if you mention where you're headed when the thermometer outside is reaching the triple digits... So is it worth it? Short answer= YES. Here are just a few reasons it is:

1. Better acclimate to the heat outside: Your body cools itself most effectively through sweat evaporating off our skin's surface. That means when you leave the yoga room, the outside air will feel cooler than inside! If you practice often, you may even notice that outside heat doesn’t bother you as much as it used to!
2.  Cope more effectively with sweltering weather: During your yoga class, you practice using appropriate coping tools for handling heat- mindful breathing through the nose to keep your nervous system calm, and sitting or lying down to lower your heart rate as needed.
3.  Go deeper: Consistent practice is key to maintaining all the results you achieved during the winter. In summer your muscles, joints and ligaments will already be warm when you enter the studio, so it's likely you'll feel more flexible and can go deeper into the postures. Capitalize on that to make further gains in your joint range of motion, core strength and spinal mobility.
4.  Encourage healthy habits: Bikram yoga will definitely make it clear to you if you're not making the greatest decisions about water and food! Taking class regularly will encourage you to stay well-hydrated and replenish your electrolytes, especially sodium (salt) and potassium. Warmer weather means we all need to hydrate better, so if you're doing Bikram yoga you'll really need to stay on top of it- and you'll get many benefits from doing so!
5. Shape up for summer recreation: Make time for your yoga practice and enjoy increased endurance for running, biking, pushing a stroller, hiking, or playing other sports outdoors. Building strength and flexibility as you do in class is always helpful too!
6.  Energize: We’ve all had days when the heat makes us feel sleepy and we can’t be bothered to exercise or even get off of that beach towel. But you know: yoga class is a gas station! Committing to regular summer practice will reenergize and save you from that sluggish summer feeling and give you quality time to focus on yourself.

Exercise scientists have been researching the benefits you may already be experiencing! Here's a study that explores how “Exercising in the Heat May Improve Athletic Performance in Cool and Hot Conditions.”