Cautions of a heated room
- High or low blood pressure or heart conditions
Many cautions are not specific to hot yoga, but to yoga or exercising
in general, but can be more pronounced in a heated room. The heat
doesn’t make the workout harder. People with high blood pressure
or a heart condition need to get modifications from an experienced
teacher who will help them perform the relevant poses for a few
seconds only and at around 25% of their ability as one would with any
exercise regime in order to keep the heart rate in safe range. The hot
room actually thins the blood a little which is beneficial, but for low
blood pressure the instructor will show you how to breathe and come
up from forward bends without getting dizzy. However, long-term yoga
practice will help balance both high and low blood pressure.
If you have low or high blood pressure, a heart condition or a
pre-existing health condition, consult with a doctor before trying hot
yoga. If you have adverse reactions to heat, are prone to heat stroke
or dehydration or have a medical reason to avoid being in a hot tub
or sauna, hot yoga may not be for you. - Pregnancy
This is not the time to start hot yoga. New mums enjoy it after the
baby is born, and continue with pregnancy modifications for 6-9
months afterwards. - Overheating
It is quite rare for someone to overheat, as instructors can normally see
the signs before it becomes a problem. Being hydrated, sitting down
and not working too hard while you acclimatise will prevent overheating.
Tip: If you have to open your mouth to breathe you have worked too
hard and need to sit down until you can breathe through your nose
once again. If you have overheated ask to be assisted out of the room,
sit down, drink water with salts or electrolytes. Although rare, if you feel
nauseous, have a headache or experience shaking or disorientation
seek medical attention. Mainly it is muscular, fit people that overheat
because they are working too hard in class and fail to breathe correctly.
4. Tetany through hyperventilation
This is rare, temporary, and symptoms include tingling, pins and
needles and if left unchecked, cramping of extremities. It is caused
by not enough carbon dioxide being released into the blood, and is
caused through mouth breathing and over exertion. Symptoms are
scary but harmless. An experienced teacher will notice this before it
becomes a problem and the person feels better within a few minutes
if they slow down their breathing through the nose or hold their
breath for a few seconds on each breath.
5. Dehydration
It is important to drink about two litres of water two hours before
class. Sip water throughout the class. Most people do not get
dehydrated in a hot yoga class. Drinking water with a little Himalayan
salt and a little sugar works well, or an electrolyte sachet. If you
feel nauseous, or stop producing sweat, that means you are really
dehydrated and should leave the room, replenish your water and
salts and if symptoms do not subside seek medical attention. This,
however is very rare,
6. Shaky muscles
This is normal during your workout and nothing to worry about. If
you experience shaky muscles after your workout, it may be a sign
your blood sugar is running low.
Practiced in a moderately heated, well ventilated room, with the
right humidity and taught by an experienced instructor, hot yoga is
completely safe. As an effective health and wellbeing practice it is
certainly here to stay.Fierce Grace runs a one-day certification for yoga teachers from
all styles in how to teach in a hot room, how to deal with medical
conditions, modify poses and how to set up a heated studio. Find
out more at: fiercegrace.com