During my foray into Bikram Yoga, I googled "Bikram Yoga health benefits" repeatedly (remember the definition of insanity, anyone?) in a vain attempt to find something specific. I found things like "reduced anxiety" (a tad subjective, I think) and "body detoxification" (so is pooping) and "blood thinning" (scary, quite scary...and nebulous).
These intangibilities bother me no end!
In my yoga stint, I didn't feel particularly thin of blood (or thin at all, really) but I did sleep better. Nothing is as comforting as evidence so I did a literature search and found one salient article by some great neuromuscular scientists, Brian Tracey and Cady Hart, out of Colorado State. I love that these guys admit in their abstract that there really hasn't been much in the way of high-grade yoga research. Hence their study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research!
After 8 weeks of 3x weekly 90 minute Bikram yoga classes (and for anyone just joining us on our yogavestigation, that means hot hot hot hot yoga), the study group of 32 young and healthy but mostly sedentary adults had stronger and more flexible hamstrings, stronger glutes, and increased shoulder flexibility as compared to their non-yogi counterparts. Of course, these are not facts and science, merely "facts" and "science" dusted with the stink of statistical magic.
Feel free to read the study, but be aware of the limitations--we already could surmise that physical activity of any variety is a boon to anyone who is mostly sedentary. This study did not dwell on blood thinning or inner peace, but still demonstrated that Bikram Yoga has a positive impact on flexibility and strength, two key components of physical fitness.
So what is my takeaway? Yoga is fun to do with a friend. It's a nice break. It's nice to relax in a hot room in the evening. But it's not going to increase my VO2 max or transform me into a skinny mini any time soon. So I'd better keep running.
Good thing the Pub Run is for (TOMORROW)...more on that in a bit!
Who wants to argue with me about the benefits of yoga? I liked it, I really did, I promise...but I'm not sure I'm a Bikram devotee...
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Bikram yoga...are ya with me?
I picked up a new hobby a few days ago- Bikram yoga! The neat thing about being temporarily assigned away from home is that I get to try out activities that aren't otherwise available. And this hot yoga seemed the perfect thing, now that our 3 weeks in the field had rather acclimated us to the heat!
My friend Jenny and I attend hot yoga classes with The Union Bikram yoga franchise here in San Antonio. We tried the introductory class and liked it so much that we bought passes for 10 more days of classes. And then we convinced more friends to join us!
Here are some benefits I've noticed over the past 3 days already:
I like that these classes, for 90 minutes at a time, enable others to experience my everyday level of sweatiness. I should probably wear floaties or a lifevest to class, but the instructors are so tolerant! And that's what yoga at The Union is all about.
The class consists of a 26 + 2 regimen: 26 postures or "asanas" and 2 breathing exercises, each repeated twice. I love that the instructor follows a Bikram script and speaks for the duration of the class without performing the postures themselves. This allows me to focus on the words and directions as opposed to craning my neck to watch a demonstrated pose. They do circle the students and provide very helpful feedback. I found them to be encouraging without the sycophantism that plagues other types of group exercise.
It's amazing how fast the 90 minutes in the "torture chamber" fly by! I spend the whole time focused on surviving the 105F heat and so the physical challenge of the postures pales in comparison.
I find that I am somewhat sore the day after, less than if I'd been lifting heavily. It's a soreness that's well-dispersed over my body. After just a few classes, though, I have less SI joint pain and I feel my posture has improved in my thoracic spine. Or maybe I just now have an increased body awareness?
I paid for a special offer of $20 for 10 days of consecutive classes. I'm on day 3. I may skip a few sessions over Labor Day weekend but I'll after-action the 10 days for you for sure :)
The classes are about 50/50 male/female. I wear a sports bra and spandex shorts like most of the other female participants. Other gals wear tank tops, yoga pants, etc. The men in class wear spandex or swim-type shorts. I think a few even are there in their boxers, hey, whatever, it's yoga, no room for judgie jerks there and no one's focused on anyone else.
Yes, it's hot in there. But it's safe. It's challenging. It's fun. And you can do it!
I don't know that this is going to improve my running but I do appreciate any activity that mitigates pain and purportedly improves flexibility. Any thoughts on yoga as an adjunct to other forms of exercise?
My friend Jenny and I attend hot yoga classes with The Union Bikram yoga franchise here in San Antonio. We tried the introductory class and liked it so much that we bought passes for 10 more days of classes. And then we convinced more friends to join us!
Here are some benefits I've noticed over the past 3 days already:
- Sleep, that is far more restorative than usual (this is HUGE with me!)
- Less anxiety
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved skin clarity
I like that these classes, for 90 minutes at a time, enable others to experience my everyday level of sweatiness. I should probably wear floaties or a lifevest to class, but the instructors are so tolerant! And that's what yoga at The Union is all about.
The class consists of a 26 + 2 regimen: 26 postures or "asanas" and 2 breathing exercises, each repeated twice. I love that the instructor follows a Bikram script and speaks for the duration of the class without performing the postures themselves. This allows me to focus on the words and directions as opposed to craning my neck to watch a demonstrated pose. They do circle the students and provide very helpful feedback. I found them to be encouraging without the sycophantism that plagues other types of group exercise.
It's amazing how fast the 90 minutes in the "torture chamber" fly by! I spend the whole time focused on surviving the 105F heat and so the physical challenge of the postures pales in comparison.
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| healthxwellness.com The Bikram Asanas! |
I find that I am somewhat sore the day after, less than if I'd been lifting heavily. It's a soreness that's well-dispersed over my body. After just a few classes, though, I have less SI joint pain and I feel my posture has improved in my thoracic spine. Or maybe I just now have an increased body awareness?
I paid for a special offer of $20 for 10 days of consecutive classes. I'm on day 3. I may skip a few sessions over Labor Day weekend but I'll after-action the 10 days for you for sure :)
The classes are about 50/50 male/female. I wear a sports bra and spandex shorts like most of the other female participants. Other gals wear tank tops, yoga pants, etc. The men in class wear spandex or swim-type shorts. I think a few even are there in their boxers, hey, whatever, it's yoga, no room for judgie jerks there and no one's focused on anyone else.
Yes, it's hot in there. But it's safe. It's challenging. It's fun. And you can do it!
I don't know that this is going to improve my running but I do appreciate any activity that mitigates pain and purportedly improves flexibility. Any thoughts on yoga as an adjunct to other forms of exercise?
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