Is hotter better? There has been little published research on the health benefits and risks of hot yoga and none comparing it to other forms of yoga ...SkiptomaincontentPrintYoga:IsHotterBetter?byBerkeleyWellness  PrintYogahasgottenhotter.AnincreasingnumberofyogastudiosandgymsofferclassesinBikramyoga,developedbyBikramChoudhury(“gurutothestars”)inthe1970s,orotherversionsof“hotyoga,”suchasCorePowerYogaandEvolation.Hotyogaisdoneatroomtemperaturesbetween90°and105°F(sometimesevenhigher),withhumiditybetween40and60percent.Duringatypicalclass,whichcanlastupto90minutes,youmovethroughaseriesoflinkedflowingposes.Evenforfityoungpeople,hotyogaisagruelingpractice,famedforleavingpuddlesofsweatbehind.Practitionerssaythathotyogawillimprovebothmentalandphysicalhealth—thatitwillenhancementalclarityandconcentration,increaseflexibility,buildstrength,promoteweightloss,flushtoxins,makeskinlookbetter,easebackproblems,andevencureasthma,heartdisease,andotherailments.Butdoesitreallyhavesuchbenefitsand,moreimportant,isitasafewaytopracticeyoga?Willitleaveyoufeelingenergizedandinvigorated—orlightheadedandirritable?Ishotterbetter?Therehasbeenlittlepublishedresearchonthehealthbenefitsandrisksofhotyogaandnonecomparingittootherformsofyoga.A2011studyintheJournalofExerciseScienceandFitnessfoundthatBikramyoga(atleast20sessionsovereightweeks)increasedmindfulness,loweredperceivedstress,andimprovedbalanceandflexibility.Andasmallstudyin2013intheJournalofBodywork&MovementTherapiesfoundthatmiddle-agedobesepeoplewhodidBikramyogaforeightweekshadimprovementsinglucosetolerance,withnoadverseeffects.Ontheotherhand,astudyintheJournalofExercisePhysiologyin2012concludedthat“Bikramyogatraininghasnoeffectonpulmonaryfunctionormaximalaerobiccapacity”—notsurprising,actually,sinceyogaisnottypicallydoneasacardioworkout.Whataboutclaimsthathotyogaimprovesflexibilitymorethanothertypesofyoga?Sure,heatwarmsyouup,soyoumaybeabletogetabetterstretchcomparedtostretchinginthecold.Butthiscouldalsomakeiteasiertooverstretchandinjureyours