Hot yoga loosens aging limbs

It's bitter cold outside, but inside the Yoga Long Beach studio one recent morning, it is hot, hot, hot.

Rhythmic music, soft and meditative, is playing in a dimly lit room where the heat's been cranked up to 90 degrees. Incense permeates the air. Class is about to start and a dozen students are on their backs, eyes closed, getting into "the zone." Like limber acrobats, they start in unison with a series of contortions, push-ups, downward dogs (think upside down V), stretching and engaging every inch of their bodies to the gentle commands of an instructor. Holding extreme postures makes some quiver a bit. Faces tighten - as if grimacing will help them hold the pose longer.

Sweating is encouraged. Welcome to hot yoga.

Nearly 16 million Americans practice yoga, according to a 2008 "Yoga in America" study published in the Yoga Journal. Of those, 41 percent are 35 and older and 18 percent - more than 2 million - are over 55. In this centuries-old practice, hot yoga is providing the latest buzz.

Eileen Kramer of Long Beach says she's hooked on hot yoga and believes the benefits are physical and spiritual. During this session at Yoga Long Beach, instructor Hana Anat Hershko encourages her to lift her leg. Hershko adjusts Kramer's body so it's perfectly aligned. The student nails the position and smiles.

Such victories keep the practice of yoga enticing for Kramer. "I'm not 20, I'm 56," she says. "Sure, I get frustrated when I see others doing a headstand and I can't . . . . Eventually, I will."

Many who practice hot yoga - where classic moves are performed in sweltering rooms heated from 90 and 105 degrees - say it is life-changing. They enjoy it for all of its varied elements - cardio, strength training, stretching, isometrics and core work, a good sweat and a good dose of philosophy - not to mention burning 700 to 1,000 calories an hour.

Most hot yoga classes are modeled after Bikram Yoga, a set series of 26 poses and some breathing exercises, done twice in a 90-minute class. Hot yoga promotes profuse sweating to rid the body of toxins, explains Dina SantaMaria, a certified yoga instructor with Fitness Incentive in Babylon. Most studios charge $15-$20 a class.

"The benefits are immense. One student lost 28 pounds in five months. Hot yoga, particularly using infrared heat, can improve arthritis and bursitis," says Greg Fine, owner of Fuel the Soul, an infrared detox hot yoga studio in Merrick. "Circulation is improved and metabolism is increased due to the heart having to work faster and harder to keep the body cool," he says. "This can counteract the slowing down of the body's metabolic rate for people in their 40s."

With yoga's long-standing, meditative history, hot yoga may sound like a craze or phase. However, "If something works, it gets recognized," says Laura Duffy, who teaches at Harbor Lights Yoga in Huntington. [The studio is owned by Danielle Campbell, an anchor for News 12 Long Island, which, like Newsday, is owned by Cablevision.]

"Instantly you benefit," says Diana Piccola, 48, of Huntington, who does hot yoga three times a week. "My flexibility and concentration improved. Tension, stiffness in my legs and back are relieved . . . .I am entering my menopausal stage and feel very lucky that I am not experiencing sleepless nights and concentration loss."

Karen Taylor Bass, 43, of Rockville Centre was stressed, tired and had digestive issues. "I wanted a change and to try something new to re-energize my being," says Taylor Bass who started hot yoga classes last summer at Bikram Yoga in Rockville Centre. "I haven't had acid reflux for four months, am sleeping better and staying in the moment."

Hot yoga can be challenging, "It's about balance, symmetry and listening to your body. Learning positions and moves is more akin to karate than body building, which I used to do," says David Pennetta, 48, of Huntington. "I fight the tendency to force a stretch instead of allowing my muscles and tendons to stretch."

But like any exercise, it's not for everyone. Jennifer Tallini, 43, of Greenlawn, practiced other types of yoga and then tried hot yoga. "My first impression - it was suffocating when you first walked into the heated room," she says. She also didn't like the repetitive routine of Bikram yoga. "It was about 'getting through' the class and was less enjoyable." Tallini says hot yoga classes also triggered her migraines.

Hot yoga can pose a danger because creating artificial/external heat in the body inhibits the body's natural warning system to back off a muscle stretch that's too deep. Without the sensation of pain that says "stop," tendons, ligaments, and muscles can go way beyond their natural and capable boundaries, says Cora Wen, a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, who leads yoga workshops and retreats around the world. Wen, of Cupertino, Calif., adds that newer students sometimes don't get a lot of instruction to do poses correctly, with proper alignment, putting the joints at serious risk and resulting in unnecessary injury.

But hot yoga has garnered loyal fans. "With the heated yoga, you sweat intensely, which makes your body looser and allows you to go deeper into the posture," say Janice Poole, 45, of Lawrence. "You concentrate and focus on breathing. I love it for what it creates afterward: peacefulness. It takes your mind and body to another level."

Before you start

Go slow.

That's the advice from experts to anyone who wants to try yoga - hot or otherwise.

Many studios offer heated and non-heated classes. Newbies should try hot yoga only after they've learned the positions in non-heated sessions. Consult your doctor before starting, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition, such as high blood pressure, heart, or breathing problems.

"Get a special exercise plan set up with your doctor and ask your yoga instructor which exercises to modify or refrain from entirely, based on your specific situation," cautions Dr. Lone Thanning, a former yoga instructor and president of Forensic Medical Consulting of New York in Huntington.

Drink plenty of water. Watch for dizziness, nausea and excessive fatigue. Be sure your instructor is certified through an organization such as Yoga Alliance. Mostly, listen to your body. "There is no goal in yoga, no finish line," says Thanning. "It is a daily practice."