Are Heated Workouts Good For You?
Every new and emerging fitness studio is leaning into the heated workout trend. From pilates to yoga and heated sculpt classes, it’s becoming hard to find a studio that does not do heated workouts. These classes stand anywhere from 80-110 degrees fahrenheit, making them hot and steamy! The aim of these heated classes are to get our bodies moving and to produce more sweat as well as provide a warmer environment for our bodies to loosen up for a deeper range of motion. Besides being the biggest trend in exercise right now, do these heated workouts actually offer any real benefits, or are they harmful to your health?
Benefits of Heated Workouts
The claims for the rise of heated workouts include improved flexibility, increased calorie burn, detox, improved cardiovascular health, and improved focus. CorePower Yoga claims that their classes over time will “train your sweat system”, increase heart health, boost the immune system, and provide a “yoga glow”. People all over the United States have started to flock to these workouts to enhance their movement routine. While some of this is just personal studio bias and marketing terms, there are real benefits to moving your body and working out a sweat. Heat can increase joint flexibility by reducing stiffness in the body. Heat can also prevent injury by warming up your muscles and joints prior to use, loosening the muscles and soft tissue, and again, reducing stiffness which can cause injury. Some people also love to sweat- dictating how good their workout was based on how much they sweat.
What is Sweat?
Sweat is produced in the body via water, which provides the bulk of sweat. Sweat helps regulate body temperature by redistributing heat from the tissues in the body to the skin as well as cooling the body off through perspiration. Sweat is a crucial process in the body that helps to regulate body temperature. In order for the body to remain in a constant normal temperature, excess heat from organs and exercising muscle has to get dissipated by either a method of conduction, convection, radiation, or evaporation. The evaporation of sweat occurs continuously all throughout the day and increases during periods of exercise. A person can generate one liter of water evaporation in a day, which can remove 580 kcal of heat. Sweating is an autonomic response, which means it happens without us trying. Our bodies sweat for various reasons, but its primary function is to regulate body temperature. The body sweats to release excessive heat, especially during periods of exercise. As a thermoregulator, water will disperse into sweat if the body is too hot, which then cools the body down. This is how the body prevents itself from overheating.
Heat Illness
In some cases, people are not as comfortable in a heated environment. When the body gets too hot and cannot regulate its own temperature, heat illness may arise. Heat illness can involve various illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, rhabdomyolysis, heat syncope, heat cramps, and heat rash. These issues can often occur in athletes and those who are participating in elective exercise. Through a process called thermoregulation, the body aims to keep core temperature at a normal level. When the body begins to heat up, sweat occurs in an effort to expel the unwanted heat in the body. Heat illness begins to occur when the body cannot keep up with the rate of eliminating the heat as it is coming in. Factors that can increase the chance of getting heat illness include things like dehydration, other underlying illnesses, obesity, younger age, and gender. Signs to look out for are dizziness, seizures, confusion, and gait abnormalities, as well as more.
A way to avoid heat illness in class is through heat acclimatization. Heat acclimatization is when a person is gradually exposed to higher heat exposure so their body has time to adjust to this change. This prevents heat stress on the body by increases in plasma volume, sweat, and aldosterone production. Heat acclimatization also allows the body to not sweat as much, maintain electrolytes, decrease heart rate, and decrease urinary sodium output. Other tips are frequent water intake- around 16-32 oz of water per hour and ensuring to take rest breaks when necessary.
Are Heated Workouts the Right Fit For You?
If you feel good in a warmer temperature and you like to sweat then these classes are definitely for you. While there is some risk of heat illness at hand if you are going in unprepared, these classes are generally safe. As long as you are properly hydrated and don’t struggle in the heat then these classes can be a great way to get your body moving in a group environment. Those who suffer from autoimmune conditions such as Lupus, POTS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Sjogrens may have a harder time in the heat. It mostly comes down to personal preference. Would I say that you are getting a better workout in hot yoga vs non heated yoga? No. Whatever helps you move your body in the best way and feels good to you is the best workout for you. Many people enjoy the feeling of sweating everything out as a way to start fresh in their day. Some things to consider are your laundry routine, hair wash schedule, and shower routine. Taking heated classes creates a higher demand for workout clothes, mat towels, and personal hygiene.