Training for the Ironman obviously involved a lot of swimming, biking, and running. But can you guess our secret weapon? We believe we owe a piece of our success to hot yoga. Besides acclimating our bodies to working hard and staying calm in extreme heat (~100°), hot yoga relaxed and stretched our overworked muscles.
Yoga comes in many forms—Ashtanga, Hatha, and Bikram (the hot kind) are just a few. (A great explanation of different forms can be found at womenshealthmag.com) But Bikram’s been making a surge as the new, hot (literally and figuratively) type of yoga. So just why would anyone subject themselves to challenging pretzel poses in a 100 degree plus room?
We’ve done it. We like it. We’ll tell you why.
For one, you will never know how much your body can actually sweat until you experience hot yoga. In everyday life this kind of sweat would be horrifying. But in hot yoga class (which is 90 minutes long) sweat like this expels all the toxins from your body, so afterward (when you finally shower and gulp a gallon of water) you feel rejuvenated and peaceful.
To actually perform the set poses correctly during class takes 110% focus. Having the mental strength to separate the body and mind from the overwhelming heat is a workout by itself. Achieving the mental state necessary during class renders you focused solely on inhaling and exhaling with the movement, even though your physical body is in distress. This aspect of hot yoga was indispensable piece of our Ironman training.
Bottom line—it’s a phenomenal physical and mental workout. Our friends at Sayville Hot Yoga also list all the amazing health benefits. Don’t be afraid…give it a try! Yoga studios are welcoming of newcomers and you will never be singled out. Sayville Hot Yoga is where you can find us as we continue to use hot yoga as part of our Ironman recovery!
