Photo by Matthew Kane on Unsplash
I admit it. Working out is not really a priority of mine. I get busy. I just don’t really love working out. I’m also an introvert, which makes wanting to go work out with others sound pretty terrible.
A friend of mine had told me about a local yoga and barre studio on Main street called “Balance.Yoga.Barre” and I decided to give it a shot. The studio offers a few different classes: Barre, Hot Yoga Flow, and Barre Frenzy. These workouts are meant to strengthen your body without being too intensive.
I went to Hot Yoga Flow on a Tuesday night. The studio was pretty warm and pretty cute. The woman at the desk was really helpful and got me all set up.
The class runs for an hour. They start with a warm up and then go into the flow followed by a cool down and relaxation.
When I first put my mat down and got settled, I was worried that everyone would know that I was new. I was so worried people would judge me for not getting it right. Once we started, all those worries went away. I was so focused on the class that I forgot about everything else. I was putting energy into working my body and making sure my posture was correct.
The studio temperature ranged around 95 degrees. It got warm pretty quickly. I was pretty warm and got sweaty quickly. But I pushed through. Hot yoga is intense. But hot yoga is intended for you to build muscle tone, increase your pulse rate and metabolism, flush out toxins, relieve stress, build confidence, and develop your yoga practice.
At the end of the class, I felt really good. I was surprised. I thought I would want to die by the end of the class. I was surprised how great my body felt, even though I was so sweaty. I thought my whole body would ache and I would be in so much pain. I’ll definitely go back to a class again soon!
Here are my best tips for surviving and thriving in a hot yoga class.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink water before you go and take water in with you to the studio. Sip throughout the class. Don’t be afraid to drink water. You’re going to need it. Maybe drink some coconut water or Gatorade to replenish your electrolytes after the class.
- Go at your own pace: Don’t be afraid to go at your own pace. The class might go at a quicker pace. Don’t force your body to go at a pace that might not work for you.
- Don’t eat right before class: Don’t eat right before class. You won’t want to do that. For obvious reasons.
- Bring a towel: You will want a towel to cover your mat. There’s nothing worse than sliding around on the mat when you’re sweating. Bring one for your face too.
- Be patient and practice: Some of the poses might be tricky at first but be patient with your body. You’ll get the pose eventually. Just breathe through your pose and do your best.
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