Bikram yoga, often referred to as "hot yoga," is a strenuous form of yoga that involves a 26-pose sequence performed in a heated room. Founder Bikram Choudhury claims that these poses are designed to cure ailments, alleviate chronic health problems and promote weight loss while improving flexibility and muscle strength. The Bikram yoga sequence is considered a full-body workout and burns a significant number of calories due to the cardiovascular work it entails.
History
Designed by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s, the Bikram yoga sequence is made up of 26 poses, half of which are performed in the upright position. The intense form of yoga is performed in a room heated to a temperature between 90 and 105 degrees. The poses that make up the sequence are derived from hatha yoga and are always performed in the same order. According to Bikram Yoga Tenleytown, the poses were tailored to suit the stressful lifestyle practitioners may experience in Western culture.
Calories Burned
The rate at which you burn calories depends on a number of factors, including weight, sex and fitness level. According to the QuickFit Yoga website, an individual who weighs 150 lbs. burns more than 1,000 calories during a 90-minute Bikram yoga class. Although these are general numbers and do not factor in sex or fitness level, students who weigh between 120 and 160 lbs. can burn 350 to 700 calories during an hour of Bikram yoga.
Additional Benefits
In addition to promoting weight loss, the regulated temperature of Bikram yoga provides other benefits. Since your muscles and joints are warm, they have an easier time stretching while glands, tissues and organs receive more oxygen. The heat makes you sweat, which removes toxins and waste products through your skin. The hot room may also help your body fight illness or infections, similar to the way your body reacts when you have a fever. According to Bikram Choudhury's website, the yoga sequence burns calories and improves your health by increasing circulation to each of the organs and muscles that are extended and compressed during the yoga poses.
Considerations
As with any intense aerobic workout, nausea or dizziness is a possibility when performing Bikram yoga. Exercising in temperatures higher than 100 degrees increases your chance of becoming overheated, so it is imperative that participants stay hydrated and aware of their body's abilities. Due to the heat of the room, participants are able to perform deeper poses than they would in a regular exercise class. This may cause beginners to accidentally overexert themselves. If you are pregnant, talk to your physician before participating in Bikram yoga.
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