I’ll admit I’ve been putting off trying Hot Yoga for one reason and one reason only – I heard it was hard. However, after a few biggish weekends I thought my body needed some serious detoxification and a bit of a shove in the right direction so off I went to Breeze Yoga in Beckenham…

Picture thanks to Opening Minds @ Flickr.com

What is Hot Yoga?
I guess I’m not going to surprise you when I say it’s Bikram yoga performed in a hot room? Nope, didn’t think so. The class takes place in a sauna-like room, at Breeze this is set at 42 degrees.

mummyratesit tries: Sewing machine classes
mummyratesit tries: mat-based Pilates
mummyratesit tries: Zumba
What do you do?
An instructor takes you through a series of poses and moves. In the class I attended we started off with very simple stretches to the sides which were repeated a few times. Each time you stretch you are encouraged to push that bit furhter whilst checking in the mirror that you are properly aligned. As the class progressed so too did the moves. I must admit that for some of the time I was trying to work out which way my feet/hands/head were supposed to be pointing as well as trying to pull in the tummy to assist your back. Something I definitely need to do more of!

What are the benefits of hot yoga?
Performing yoga moves in a hot environment allows the exerciser to get deeper in stretches, reduces the risk of over-stretching and injury, detoxifies (not surprisingly the sweat just drips off you), gives you a cardiovascular workout and also aids weight loss. An estimate on the Breeze site says you can burn off between 600-1000 calories per class.

Is hot yoga for everyone?
My guess is that there will be lots of people who would pay good money not to be shut in a hot room exercising for 90mins! However, if you fancy the idea of ticking a few boxes at once (for me detoxing and working-out) and you don’t mind the heat then go for it. I didn’t find it as hot as a sauna and even though I was sweating buckets (I’m not bothering to go down the ladylike ‘perspiration’ route here) I didn’t ever feel the need to escape. A helpful hint (which I was told) was to stay near the door so that when it opens you get a waft of cool air. I should also add that we had quite a few breaks to drink water and sit down if needed.

What do you need to wear/take?
Keep it as minimal as you feel comfortable. For me that was a sports vest and leggin shorts. Skinnier versions were in crop tops whilst some were in jogging bottoms but that must have been very uncomfortable as you get so sticky. Make sure you bring a towel to wipe your brow and a big bottle of water. Lots of people also brought a larger towel to to lay on top of the mat (some centres may require you to bring your own mat).

Conclusion
I felt so good when I finished the class, as though I was made of elastic. I knew I’d stretched areas that had long been neglected. I did ache for the next few days but I’ve definitely felt worse. I could quite easily make Hot Yoga part of my exercise routine.

I tried Hot Yoga at Breeze Yoga , 9 Albemarle Road
Beckenham

DISCLOSURE: This is an independent review and I paid for the class myself.