10:17 PM CST on Wednesday, February 23, 2005
One current trend in weight loss might just be too hot to handle.
People are discouraged from exercising outside in scorching
temperatures, but it's precisely that type of sweltering environment
that some people claim gives them better health and thinner bodies.
The practice called Bikram "hot yoga" is slow, deliberate and generates
so much body heat that the pounds pour off.
"I lost 30 pounds when I initially started after 60 days of doing it,"
said client Israel Vargas.
Bikram yoga is a mind-body exercise performed in mind-numbing 105-degree
heat. Despite what it may look like, instructors said yoga practiced in
extreme warmth makes sense.
"It warms your body and it relaxes your muscles, preparing them to
stretch deeply and safely," said instructor Karen Buchner.
And, hot muscles burn calories more efficiently than cold ones.
"I was skeptical when I first came and my first class was horrible,"
said client Dr. Jeanne Joglar. "I thought I was going to die."
But clients said once they got past the initial misery, the heat
provides healing far beyond weight loss.
"What led me here is a three-year path of infertility," said client Lori
Weiner, adding that her healthy baby just turned two.
"All my ailments pretty much went away," said client Israel Vargas.
Christy Hunter has scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.
"The heat and the movement ... consistently, it really helps," said
Hunter.
However, Baylor Plano internal medicine specialist Joan Donley said hot
yoga can be very bad for some people with health problems, because it
impairs the body's ability to cool.
"I know of one incident where a gentleman about my age had a heart
attack during the exercise," Donley said. "My concern is that it would
be a little bit dangerous if someone had a heart or hypertensive problem
that could potentially be worsened by sudden dehydration, elevation of
body heat or electrolyte imbalance."
Clients are required to sign a waiver before practicing the sweltering
exercise, and everyone is encouraged to stay well-hydrated during the
90-minute stretch and twist session.
Students at the Dallas Bikram Yoga Center are also encouraged to have a
physical before trying hot yoga, because overweight people often have
accompanying health conditions.
Those who sweat it out, though, said they feel better and healthier than
before.