What is hot yoga?
Hot yoga is a form of yoga practiced in a room with higher temperatures and humidity than traditional yoga classes. In these classes, the room is heated to temperatures of 35°C - 40°C or even higher, along with increased humidity to help practitioners sweat.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that hot yoga (or Bikram yoga) can help improve the body's flexibility.
Another study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that Bikram yoga can help burn more calories than regular exercise. Hot yoga also helps build bone density, reduce stress, depression, heart disease, and nourish the skin.
However, people who practice hot yoga need to pay attention to drinking enough water and the high temperature during hot yoga practice may not be good for some people.
Why can hot yoga help reduce the risk of depression?
Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of pleasure or interest in daily activities. It can affect a person's thoughts, feelings, and physical health.
Yoga is considered an effective way to treat depression. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that hot yoga is an effective treatment for people with depression. In the study, 80 participants were asked to take hot yoga classes twice a week. After eight weeks, researchers found that most participants had a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms.
While participating in hot yoga twice a week was shown to be an effective way to reduce depressive symptoms in an eight-week randomized trial, researchers found that practicing just once a week can also help reduce depressive symptoms.
