Shape up with Hot yoga
Get out from under that blanket and dust off your workout clothes. Summer is here and it is time to shed those excess pounds and get back into shape both mentally and physically. And what better way to do it than with Bikram Yoga?
For the uninitiated, Bikram yoga or Hot yoga is a form of yoga that is practiced in a room heated to about 104oF.
This environment makes for a very intensive workout with many additional benefits when compared to other forms of yoga. Participants in a session have to learn breathing techniques and learn to conserve energy in the hot environment.
A 90 minute Bikram yoga session consists of 26 poses or asanas.
Each pose can be adapted to make it easier for beginners. After gaining some experience you can move on to the full posture. The strenuous routine can leave you feeling burned out initially. Many people have reported feeling dizzy and faint or even sleepy after a session. According to the Bikram yoga site this is caused by the cleansing process the body is undergoing, getting rid of all the accumulated toxins from years of eating junk foods. All you need after a session is some rest and plenty of water. Do not over exert yourself and after a few sessions you will feel your body adapting to the new routine. If however, you have a serious medical condition, consult your doctor before commencing your new routine.
So how does Bikram yoga help you get into shape?
The high temperature of a Bikram yoga room makes it much easier for your joints to stretch. The workout exercises all your joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles making your body more supple. The intense heat makes you lose a lot of body fluids and dehydrates you. This causes the volume of blood to drop making your heart beat faster in order to pump blood throughout the body. The increase in heart rate increases the calorie burn rate, helping you to shed that excess flab and get into shape.
The different asanas have their own effects on different systems and organs in the body. Certain asanas target the endocrine system and regulate hormone levels while others target the digestive system and the metabolic process. The breathing exercises help to calm the mind and lower stress levels.
A few weeks of Bikram yoga will help to get you back into shape and rejuvenate you physically, mentally and emotionally.
Read more articles from the Yoga Asana Benefits Category.
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