For the past five years, Bikram yoga has been trending in urban America with work-out spas emerging in inner cities everywhere. Â Before you make the sweaty dive, consider some scientific facts about the consequences of “hot” yoga. Â
Yoga has been used for centuries to improve muscle flexibility, tone, endurance and peristalsis. Â What many don’t realize, however, is that like there are many forms of resistance training, there are many forms of yoga. Â Bikram yoga is a sub-genre of yoga that requires participants to hold yoga poses in a room heated to 104 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (F) with atmospheric humidity maintained at 40 percent.
Yogis and devotees credit Bikram yoga classes for improved balance, posture, muscle control, and overall strength. Â However, the dangers of putting stress on the body in such extreme temperatures are not often touted or discussed.
The American Council on Exercise sponsored a study of the physiological effects of Bikram yoga on healthy adults who practice Bikram yoga on a regular basis. Â It was found that the participants’ core temperatures dangerously escalated up to 103 degrees F and above from normal body temperatures of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Â In addition heart rates jumped to 75-85% of the predicted maximum heart rate. Â These findings pose danger for people who are intolerant to heat.
If you still think it is worth it to brave the heat, consider this. Â Another study conducted at Colorado State University found that the same amount of calories burned during a 90-minute Bikram yoga session may also be burned during a 90-minute brisk walk.
Doprah No Filtah is a clinical research professional and health enthusiast. She holds a Master of Science in Health Science from Touro University and a B.A. in Human Services from George Washington University.  When she’s not ensuring the quality of over-the-counter supplements at the Food and Drug Administration, she is off listening to some dope underground hip hop. Follow her on Twitter @SNSNightlifeMag.
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