What Does Hot Yoga Actually Do Though

Let's address the elephant in the room: Yes, hot yoga is exactly what it sounds like. You're doing yoga in a room heated to Sahara-desert temperatures while sweating like you've never sweated before.

And before you close this email thinking "that sounds like voluntary torture," hear us out. Because the science behind cranking up the heat is more interesting than you might think.

The Heat Makes Everything Work Better

Here's what happens when you practice yoga at 105°F instead of room temperature. Research shows warmer muscles are more flexible, reducing the risk of injury and allowing for an enhanced range of motion.

Translation: That pose you've been struggling with for months? The heat literally makes your muscles more pliable, allowing you to stretch deeper and safer than in a regular class.

But it's not just about becoming a human pretzel. A study found that hot yoga participants can experience increased shoulder, lower back, and hamstring flexibility after just eight weeks. Eight weeks. Not years of practice - just two months of showing up and sweating.

Your Brain on Heat (Spoiler: It Loves It)

This is where things get really interesting. Hot yoga isn't just changing your body - it's literally rewiring your brain.

 A groundbreaking 2023 study from Harvard found that people with depression who attended at least one hot yoga session per week for eight weeks had significantly reduced depression symptoms. Even more impressive? Symptoms eased by 50% or more for about 60% of the yoga participants, compared with 6% of the wait-listed people.

That's a 10X improvement over doing nothing. And we're not talking about mild blues here - these were people with moderate to severe depression.

The results were so striking that researchers noted something remarkable: 44 percent in the yoga arm achieved such low scores that their depression was considered in remission, compared with 6.3 percent in the waitlist arm. Nearly half of participants essentially reversed their depression through hot yoga.

 The Science of Sweat

You're going to sweat. A lot. Like, bring-two-towels-and-still-need-more kind of sweating. But that's actually the point.

A six-week study found that hot yoga participants showed improvements included life satisfaction, general health, mindfulness, peace of mind, and eudaimonic well-being. The researchers discovered that the heat wasn't just a gimmick - it fundamentally changed how participants experienced the practice.

Here's the kicker: Research comparing hot yoga to regular yoga found that only the hot yoga session was observed to produce a significant increase in IL-6 concentration. IL-6 is a protein that, when released during exercise, acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps with metabolism. Regular yoga? Didn't trigger the same response.

It's Not Just Fancy Stretching

Let's bust a myth: hot yoga burns calories. Real calories. Not "I walked to the mailbox" calories.

A study found that women burned an average of 333 calories, and men 378 calories, in a single 90-minute Bikram hot yoga session. That's equivalent to a brisk 3.5mph walk, except you're also improving flexibility, balance, and mental health at the same time.

And unlike that treadmill gathering dust in your basement, hot yoga gives you something regular cardio doesn't: A study comparing hot yoga to normal temperature yoga found that a short duration (4 weeks, ×3/week) hot yoga intervention may provide a sufficient physiological stimulus to improve VO2 max.

Your cardiovascular fitness improves even though you're "just" holding poses. Try getting that from your foam roller.

But Can You Handle the Heat?

Look, we're not going to sugarcoat it. Your first hot yoga class will be intense. You'll wonder why anyone would voluntarily do this. You might feel like you're melting. That's normal.

Here's what's also normal: feeling absolutely incredible afterward. Like you've sweated out every bad decision, stressful thought, and toxic emotion from the past week.

The heat forces you to be present. You can't worry about your to-do list when you're focused on not falling over in warrior pose while dripping sweat. It's forced meditation for people who think meditation is boring.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

We live in a world of quick fixes and magic pills. Hot yoga is neither. It's challenging, uncomfortable, and requires you to show up even when you don't want to.

But that's exactly why it works. Research found that the benefits of hot yoga were more notable in individuals with lower levels of baseline eudaimonic well-being, flourishing, and mental well-being. Translation: The people who needed it most got the most benefit.

Unlike antidepressants that come with side effects or therapy that can cost hundreds per session, hot yoga offers a different path. One where you're actively participating in your own healing, one sweaty pose at a time.

The Bottom Line

Hot yoga isn't for everyone. If you have heart conditions, are pregnant, or have heat sensitivity, stick to regular temperature classes.

But if you're looking for something that challenges your body AND mind, that pushes you out of your comfort zone while making you stronger and more flexible, that might even help with that anxiety or depression you've been struggling with... maybe 105 degrees is exactly what you need.

We offer hot yoga classes throughout the week. You can try a class before you upgrade your membership to include hot yoga and barre. But we know once you experience that post-class high, you'll understand why people voluntarily turn themselves into human waterfalls.

Just remember: bring a towel (or two) and plenty of water.

You make us sweat,
Your West Coast Fitness Family

PS: There's evidence to suggest that in addition to all of these other benefits, it can benefit sleep and even improve digestion. Which makes sense because you're basically putting your entire body in a slow cooker.