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3 Reasons I’m adding Hot Yoga to my Workout Routine

18 May, 2015 by Giselle Rochford 33 Comments

A couple weeks ago, I was invited to attend an event at my gym, GoodLife Fitness, for the opening of their new Hot Yoga studio. I’ve done hot yoga before so I sort of knew what to expect going in. But I was still a bit apprehensive because the first few times I tried hot yoga weren’t exactly the best. However, this time, I actually enjoyed the session. 

3 reasons I'm adding hot yoga to my workout routine via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

The first time I went to hot yoga, I was still really new to yoga. Combining my inexperience, the fact that it was power yoga and the overly oppressive heat made for a not so enjoyable experience. But, my yoga practice has grown a lot since then, and I was able to hold my own a lot better this time around. Plus, coming off an insanely long winter, there was no way I was going to complain about the heat. 

After the hour long hot yoga class, we were given light refreshments and a chance to mingle with other students and yoga instructors. It was a fun event and I wish I was able to get pictures, but I didn’t have permission from everyone attending. Luckily, I can do you one better than pictures of infused water, Kind bars and sweaty yogis.

My friends at GoodLife Fitness were kind enough to provide me with a free one month membership, to any of their 300+ locations, to giveaway to one lucky reader. You can enter the giveaway at the very bottom of the post, but first I wanted to share a little bit about why I’m hoping to attend more hot yoga sessions in the future.

[Tweet “3 Reasons I’m adding hot yoga to my #yoga practice “]

1. It’s different

I’ve made no secret of the fact that my workouts have been boring me for the last few months. I fell into a rut sometime around February and wasn’t able to crawl out for a long time. One of my best cures for workout ruts is switching it up, so having hot yoga sessions on my fitness class rotation will go a long way to staving off future boredom.

2. It’s outside my comfort zone

I’m still not terribly confident in my yoga skills. I’m constantly trying new things, and usually failing. Downward dog and child’s pose are my best friends and inversions are so beyond me it’s not funny. To say I find yoga challenging would be an understatement. And hot yoga is even more so. But, I know that my biggest accomplishments happen when I step outside of my comfort zone, so that’s what I’m hoping to do.

3. It’s relaxing

Lifting and cardio help me to destress, but I wouldn’t say they’re relaxing. When I come home from the gym after a workout, I’m exhausted and energized at the same time. I have tension is whatever body part I worked out that day. Then I wake up the next day feeling just a little bit sore. And it’s glorious. Yoga on the other hand, is challenging and requires extreme feats of strength, but it’s a lot more restful. And sometimes I just need to do something a bit more relaxing to help me figure out the mess in my brain; especially now when I have so much uncertainty in my life around graduation, potentially moving and finding a full time job.

The Giveaway:

giveaway

What about you?

Do you remember your first yoga/hot yoga experience? Are you a fan of hot yoga? Why do/don’t you enjoy it? 

Share in the comments below!
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5 Tips to help you actually achieve your fitness goals this year

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Linking up with: #FFavorites, Friday Favourites, Friday Five, Fitness Friday, FYI Friday, #didyouknowlink, #dishthefit

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however all opinions expressed are my own.

Image: By Наталья Видович (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Fitness, Fitness Tips

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Comments

  1. Cat says

    18 May, 2015 at 1:24 am

    I made the same decision not too long ago – I never thought I’d like hot yoga (love yoga, not so much the hot part!) but for so many reasons I’ve decided to make it a regular part of my routine. Love the point about lifting and cardio helping to destress, but not necessarily relax or calm the mind. So true!
    Cat recently posted…How Hot Yoga Surprised Me

    Reply
  2. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    18 May, 2015 at 10:57 am

    I’ve never done yoga is an actual heated room, but I have done it in rooms that were…super hot, hahahaha!
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Top Product Picks From Gluten-Free Bloggers

    Reply
  3. Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says

    18 May, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    I do love hot yoga and I get really into it for a while then kind of fall off the wagon. I like it a lot more in the winter time.
    Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Southwestern Pasta Salad w Cilantro Lime Vinegarette

    Reply
  4. Jenn says

    18 May, 2015 at 5:07 pm

    I’m glad you found something great that works for you. I can handle regular yoga, but I don’t do well with “hot” anything. It always makes me dizzy, nauseous and lightheaded. So that’s out for me 🙁
    Jenn recently posted…weekly report: 5/10 – 5/16

    Reply
  5. Elle says

    18 May, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    I love yoga but have yet to try HOT yoga. I am kind of intimidated by it.
    Elle recently posted…Home From Spring Vacation

    Reply
  6. Kathryn @ Dancing to Running says

    18 May, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    I’ve been to hot yoga once, and really liked the experience. I don’t know why I haven’t been back!
    Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon Training Log – Week 2

    Reply
  7. Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says

    18 May, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    I don’t do hot yoga. I sweat so much when I run, and I do yoga to destress and stretch! I’ve heard great things about hot yoga, tho, and I’m glad you liked it!
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Weekend randoms

    Reply
  8. Mar @ Mar on the Run says

    18 May, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    huge, HUGE fan of hot yoga!! it’s the only way I tend to even practice yoga! I love Core Power Yoga and their hot yoga with weights class.
    Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Weekend Update: Learning the Fundamentals

    Reply
  9. Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

    18 May, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    i’m really terrible at yoga but have enjoyed the hot yoga class i took. good luck to folks entering your giveaway!
    Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC recently posted…Run.Eat.Drink. The Fit Foodie 5K is here!

    Reply
  10. Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes says

    18 May, 2015 at 9:14 pm

    I love yoga! I haven’t tried out hot yoga yet though, it’s on my to do list 🙂

    Reply
  11. Marcia says

    18 May, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    I’ve done plenty of yoga where they heat up the room but it’s not official Bikram. I need more yoga in my life!
    Marcia recently posted…Race Report: 5k For the Dogs

    Reply
  12. Gis Elle says

    18 May, 2015 at 11:37 pm

    Hot yoga is cool! Makes me all red though!

    Reply
  13. jill conyers says

    19 May, 2015 at 6:14 am

    Love love hot yoga! The feeling before during and after is beyond compare. Enjoy Giselle!
    jill conyers recently posted…I Am Enough

    Reply
  14. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

    19 May, 2015 at 9:04 am

    I tried hot yoga once. I enjoyed the flow and the sweating but it was 90 minutes! Too long for me.
    Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Blend Retreat Recap – Day 2

    Reply
  15. Coach Henness says

    19 May, 2015 at 9:44 am

    I’ve only done Corepower’s heated yoga. It was a challenge for sure. If I were to keep doing it I’d want to invest in one of those microfiber towels that everyone seems to put over their mat. I was slipping all over the place! Extra core points for me.
    Coach Henness recently posted…Book Talk: Daughters Of Distance

    Reply
  16. Ange @ Cowgirl Runs says

    19 May, 2015 at 10:27 am

    I love hot yoga, but attend very sporadically. I wish my GoodLife location had a hot yoga studio, that would be amazing!
    Ange @ Cowgirl Runs recently posted…I Am Enough

    Reply
  17. Carmy says

    19 May, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    I LOVE hot yoga but I HATE having to pack for it! Haha. Towel for the mat, towel for the shower, towel for my hair because it’s long as hell, then a change of clothes haha.
    Carmy recently posted…Monday on the Run #23

    Reply
  18. MCM Mama Runs says

    19 May, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    I’m not a fan of hot yoga. I don’t love yoga in general, but I hate being hot even more. So choosing to do something I wasn’t loving in unbearable heat totally didn’t work for me LOL.
    MCM Mama Runs recently posted…TOTR: What You Can When You Can #wycwyc

    Reply
  19. Patty @ Reach Your Peak says

    19 May, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    I’ve only done hot yoga once and would love to do it again! Sadly there are no hot yoga studios near me though but I should do more yoga in general!
    Patty @ Reach Your Peak recently posted…Week 20/52 of Training – 2015

    Reply
  20. Emily says

    19 May, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try hot yoga and a studio just opened up near my house. I’ll definitely have to try it soon. I think it will be really interesting to see how it’s different from vinyasa yoga, the kind I usually do.
    Emily recently posted…College Series: A Student’s Guide to Saving Money

    Reply
  21. RIFAT says

    3 August, 2021 at 2:46 am

    Probably one of the most useful and informative blog posts Ive come across in a while!

    Reply
  22. John says

    17 November, 2021 at 7:11 am

    Nice information provided. i also love yoga but yet i hadn’t try hot yoga.

    Reply
  23. William Callahan says

    11 February, 2022 at 8:01 am

    Am I the only one with one leg more flexible than the other? 😹😹I just started your exercises, I almost died but I will continue until I achieve them without stopping
    William Callahan recently posted…The 7 best punching bags for beginners for boxing workout

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  24. John Gatesby says

    1 March, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    After every new workout I have experienced pains of varying intensities and it used to be very uncomfortable but then once I read an interview of a fitness expert who gave a very nice perspective about the post workout pain, he said “you experience pain because that particular body part is weak, it is paining because you are strengthening it through this workout”. This was so inspiring, after that I actually started celebrating post workout pain.
    John Gatesby recently posted…Is Joint Hypermobility Syndrome Ehlers Danlos?

    Reply
  25. Acerola flavor says

    26 April, 2022 at 4:56 am

    I always like to go to hot yoga training i love to watch them haha
    Acerola flavor recently posted…Terrible Habits You Should Avoid

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  29. richardgrote28 says

    29 April, 2023 at 4:11 am

    By incorporating self-myofascial release techniques, Myofascial Yoga offers a deeper level of release and relaxation that can help you take your practice to the next level.

    Adding pressure to your practice through the use of foam rollers, balls, and other tools can help release tension in your muscles and fascia, leading to increased flexibility, improved posture, and reduced pain. Myofascial Yoga also helps to release emotional tension stored in the body, allowing you to experience a greater sense of calm and well-being.

    Whether you are a seasoned yogi or just starting out, Myofascial Yoga can be a valuable addition to your practice. By incorporating these techniques, you can deepen your mind-body connection and experience the many benefits that come with a regular yoga practice.

    So, if you’re looking to take your yoga practice to the next level, give Myofascial Yoga a try and discover the many benefits that come with adding pressure to your practice.

    Reply
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    17 October, 2023 at 8:51 am

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    mdfaro recently posted…10 Best Lower Abdominal Exercises for Women: Tone Your Core with These Powerful Moves

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