Is the studio I go to over-heating the room?

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#979

I have just started Hot Yoga. At my Yoga center they heat the room between 102 & 105 degrees. I feel this is too hot because mid way through the class the room gets so hot that I can’t get a good breath. Most of the reading I have done says the room should be 90 to 100 degrees. Is this extreme heat too hot? What can I do to get my breath? Should I ask my center not to let the room get so hot? Many people have to leave and go out for a few minutes. It’s not just me.
Posted by Judy on 01/23 at 04:25 AM

Hello Judy

I would firstly like to start out talking about your ability to breathe in the class. Please remember that my answer may or may not be your truth but I invite you to consider this. Just about everyone who starts Hot Yoga has to acclimatize to exercising in the hot room. This can take between 10-14 days. There are certain physiological processes that evolve in that time that help you.

When we first get to the room, most of us mere mortals have under-developed breathing ability or capacity and use only a very small percentage of our lung capacity. We start the Hot Yoga, and embark on ‘breathing lessons’. For me this was the BIGGEST learning curve. As an aside it took me 5 months and almost 150 lessons to get through Pranayama breathing without taking an extra breath.

So here you are, learning to breathe. The room is heated and somehow you find you can breathe down into the recesses of your previously smaller capacity lungs.

Here comes the humdinger… I believe that sometimes the sensations that are associated with opening up this previous unused lung space can bring on feelings of anxiety that are very much like not being able to breathe properly. But I think, having watched many, many students over the years that it is that they are actually unconsciously fearful of (or simply unfamiliar with) their newer larger breath capacity. This may or may not be the case with you, but certainly, most students will ‘blame’ it on the heat.

So let’s get down to the conditions in the room…

It is my personal belief that a studio only needs to be heated to about body temperature. In my opinion if a room gets heated to above 100 degrees (38.5) then it is simply unnecessary. I have noticed that some studios almost brag at how high their temperatures are.

So 2 things, because we need to approach this in a balanced way, and I don’t want ANYONE to think I am being critical…

1) Most studios don’t actually have accurate and relevant temperature readings in the room. They may quote a particular temperature but it could be something totally different. Firstly, go and see someone at your studio and ask them to show you how their heating system works and how they know what temperature their studio is at at any moment. Thermometers would need to be at middle height. We have 2 sensors at opposite ends of the room, that average their readings. One sensor/thermometer on the floor or right up high, or near a door, wall (depends on wall material) or window, could give false readings. AND the thermostat has to be positioned INSIDE THE ROOM.

2) Your perception of temperature is always going to relate to the humidity in the room. The higher the moisture content (or even, the fuller the class) the hotter you think the temperature is. It may not actually be hotter. The converse is true. The lower the humidity the lower your perception of the temperature. Sometimes you could get to very high temps in a dry room and hardly break a sweat. When it is dry many ask to hike up the temperatures. I am putting in a link to our other website that talks further about the temp/humidity relationship.

Notes on heat and humidity

In a studio, it is best to keep the temp at a safe level and try to play with moisture levels to give the optimal experience. Don’t play with the temperature!

Last point on moisture. If the room is very crowded, or has high moisture PLUS the temperature seems high AND it seems hard to breathe, maybe the studio is not well enough ventilated (and may need an extraction fan and vent for fresh air or at least a window cracked open).

It is dangerous physiologically for the temperature to be too high. I have included the reference to an article that we have express permission to reproduce. It is on my other website. Please go and read what Lesley has to say about exercising in the heat.

Lesley Funk’s article on exercising in the heat

With the right conditions you will find most people stay in the room. If they need air they should be able to simply stop and breathe, and maybe only have to sit on the floor or lie down.

Leaving the room is not necessary. You are right to bring these things up. Be wary of judgment though. If a student leaves the room and the teachers allow it, it often encourages others to leave the room. I don’t condone militancy in the room and don’t force people to stay in, but I do encourage them. Besides I can keep an eye on them and make sure they are safe. It could either be that students find it easy to walk out, OR it really is too hot in there. I cannot make the final call on that one.

I hope that gives you something to work with. You need facts on both sides of the equation here. Go and make your investigations.

Kind regards
Gabrielle 🙂

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#2760

Posted by Dilbert

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I have been a hot yoga nut for about 8 years. I have always loved the heat but I am very sensitive to it and I sweat profusely. It is rarely a proplem but about a year ago, the studio owner where I was a faithful practioner got on a new kick and decided she need to super-heat the studio. She has a poor knowledge of physics and has her thermostat at floor level heating the room to Bikram’s recommended “105” degrees. It was too much for me. I couldn’t make it through a class without cramping and often felt sick all day after class. I am very careful to hydrate properly and even add Celtic mineral salts to my water. There was no reasoning with her. I brought in a small thermometer to show her how at head level, the temp was really 118! She didn’t get it. SHe is losing students other than myself but I think is still on her mission to broil her students. I have found another studio now which is 20 miles from my house but I make the drive daily. This studio is just as uninformed about their heating as they have the thermostat in the bathroom of all places and it is set at 105 but of course it gets much hotter in the studio. The thermometer there shows a max usually of 111 – 112 degrees. I can handle that better as their classes are only one hour. I love the heat but come on. I lose 10 – 12 pounds in a typical class. I weigh 220 so that’s about 5% of my body weight. I am 6’5” and have no body fat to speak of. I am very athletic, pretty advanced in my practice and can endure a lot of pain but I can’t endure 118 degrees for 90 minutes! My performance also declines greatly on humid days when the heat index shoots through the roof. Not just my endurance but my flexibility as well. I have learned to just shut up now and deal with it. Perhaps I can triumph over the heat one day.

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#2761

Posted by Dilbert

Oh, by the way. Great forum and wonder information you are sharing.

THanks…

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#2762

Hello Dino

Oh, that is a frightening message. I am seriously concerned and not just for you, for the other students. Being sick or cramping is usually a sign of a new yoga practice, certainly not someone who has been practicing for 8 years. And you are definitely losing too much every class. I know you are good with your hydration and I do hope you are supplementing your electrolytes… however, common sense has to prevail…

You have a great awareness about what is going on and I applaud you for doing your homework. I am alarmed by your last comment “I can triumph over the heat one day”. Maybe you will find it easier over time, but these thermo-regulation systems aren’t consciously controlled. Here is a direct quote from Lesley Funk’s article (reproduced with permission):

At core temperatures greater than 103–104º F (39–40º C) the central nervous system becomes severely impaired, rendering the body helpless in lowering core temperature. Basically the nerve impulses are decreased, leading to an inability of the brain to send a message to the blood vessels and sweat glands to increase heat loss. If the core temperature reaches 106º F (41º C), medical intervention is needed immediately or death will ensue.

This is not a gladiatorial sport. This is yoga! I love it in the heat. What must be understood is how to provide the heated environment in a safe way. The above conditions would seem quite possible in the studio that you no longer attend. I cannot give you an opinion about your current situation.

The studio you go to does the classic heating stunt. They place the thermostat outside of the room so that the thermostat is tricked into believing that the room just isn’t reaching the temperature. The problem with this approach is that the conditions are never stable. And the heat is usually dangerously high (as you have already worked out).

Your studio appears not to have a CONTROLLED HEATING SYSTEM. This has been the case in many studios I have visited. Rather than exploring genuine thermostatically controlled options which are set to not exceed a certain temperature, the room gets hotter and hotter, rather than cutting out and cooling. It doesn’t take into account the rising temperature due to the number of working bodies in the room.

I will sign off for now
I am sure many others will want to add their comments
I look forward to that

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

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#2763

Posted by Kayzee

Studios in my area all seem to have exterior doors on either end of the practice room–the instructor usually opens theses doors for a few seconds at a time two or three times during the session in let in oxygen and some cooler air. Students tend to choose their place in class based on whether they do or do not want to get that “cool” breeze. (“Cool” is a relative term–studios seldom need to use heaters here in the summer at all, since temps hover around 100 degrees for months. It is, however, very dry outside most of the time, so there is nearly always a percieved temp difference. I can see how the exterior-door trick would not work in a cold-weather climate.)

I have never been to a studio that let people leave the room….except when someone actually fainted. This is not particularly uncommon–I’ve seen it a couple of times and it’s not that big a deal. Is that normal? We’re more acclimated to hot temps here, so the studios are pretty hot. Could that be it?

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#2764

Hi Kayzee

I was wondering how it affects you and your practice to have the doors opened or to have to choose your mat position.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the studio was heated so that
a) nobody (teacher) had to act as the thermostat or heat monitor themselves? And
b) you didn’t have to consider ad hoc temperature ‘regulation’ when setting yourself up in the room?

I once went on holidays and the studio I went to had a similar system to the one you describe. I can’t tell you how distracting it was to have doors opened and closed, fans switched on and off, windows opened and closed and even the lights switched on and off.

I really did not like one bit having cold air rushing in over my body several times per class. One of the wonderful things about the class is the way you can have total focus on yourself (or at least try wink ):
@ and the way that the conditions are the same every class
@ and in effect the only thing that changes from class to class is YOU.
@ In that way you really get a sense of how your body and mind and senses are responding or reacting at the time.
To me it just seems that introducing the differences in an uncontrolled manner robs you of so many of the meditative benefits. Anyway I think you know where I am headed with that one.

These activities have nothing to do with running a yoga class and provide a distraction for the teacher and potentially to the yoga students (as you have already indicated).

Can a teacher really monitor the students to the best of their ability when they have to constantly work out if and when they should open a door to change the temperature? What a shame that there are not fully automated systems to provide the safest conditions plus the best outcomes (including providing fresh air – or make up air) for everyone involved.

Re fainting: No I don’t think it is very common at all. And I couldn’t even say whether it happened due to the heat. Are you aware of the temps that your studio heats the room? Would you say it is too high? Would you think that it warrants having the doors opened or do you really think that the room lacks oxygen? (btw I have been in a room where there REALLY was not enough oxygen but that is another story! and not a funny one [involving ambulances too.]).

I would love to know your thoughts!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

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#2765

Posted by Kayzee

I always feel that the room is getting low on oxygen when the class is full–of course, a full class means it’s hotter, but I also don’t like crowded places, so it could be my imagination. I don’t like the cool air coming in at all, but sometimes is as hot or hotter outside than in the studio and the oxygen does seem really helpful. Is there a creative (and non-distracting) way to combat low oxygen levels? It’s definitely a hassle for the teachers.

The studios here are always over 100 degrees. About 105 is probably average. This is probably in part because it’s much harder to maintain humidity and keep the sweat going here since the air is so dry here in the desert–come to think of it, that’s also probably why the heating systems are never hooked up to central heating system incorporating an outside air source….but perhaps also because we are so acclimated to high heat that even 100 degrees really doesn’t feel that hot or provide that much of a temperature change to our bodies. We start bundling up in sweaters and coats when it gets below 70 degrees.

What I have heard, and can certainly believe, is that the fainting is usually due to not being properly hydrated during class. The teachers always follow a fainting with a plea to please drink plenty of fluid and eat something before class. It’s really hard to stay properly hydrated here in the desert. You almost never see anyone who lives here who isn’t carrying a bottle of water with them. I have been sick in class when I failed to keep up a minimum fluid intake of five or six liters a day. It’s easy to forget, and drinking heavily during class is definitely not the answer. Anybody ever done camel with a liter of water in your stomach? Ouch.

[Bricks]

#6852

I must say, this is a wonderful site! I’m new to hot yoga; started about three months ago, and absolutly love it! I’ve never been good with heat, but I’ve finally come to cope and finally enjoy it. In the last month my adaption to the heat has allowed me to go through the entire classes without sitting down at all. The past two weeks, we have had very warm weather ( in the 70’s on average), and now I feel like I have taken a major leap back! Over this time I find myself needing to sit for at least 15 minutes. I even had to walk out for a few minutes on Thursday, which I have never done. I am almost about my water consumption, so I don’t think dehydration is a factor here. The thing is I love my practice and do not want to give it up, but the warmer weather is here to stay 🙂 Does anyone have any advice on coping with the hotter hot room in the summer?

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#6857

Hi Bricks

It’s great to hear of your enjoyment that has come with your practice.

If you are having a reaction to the heat and finding it difficult then it is either as a result of your internal or external environment. It is highly possible that with the warmer weather your studio’s environment is losing less heat to the environment.

If it’s because of your own bodily systems then it’s important to know where you are at with some kind of test and take it from there.

If it’s because your studio does indeed overheat the room then you need to know exactly what the conditions are to even be in a position to take action. As you have no doubt read, your perception of the heat can change due to ambient conditions and even your own physical, mental and emotional resilience.

Sometimes *stuff* happens and we simply feel hotter and less able to get through class. This happens to everyone. However, the effects of going to a room where the temps are consistently too high can sneak up on people and they get physiological symptoms of heat exhaustion. This is literally dangerous and even life threatening. Some people have stronger constitutions and can withstand the higher temperatures for longer so you can’t really compare Peta with Paula! 😉

Studios that have controlled heat systems create safety for their students. No prizes to someone because they can practice at 115-130F (45-55C) (and there are studios who have heated this high). There are no EXTRA benefits although it is often seen as some kind of great human feat.

So bottom line, know what you’re dealing with first!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Bricks]

#6867

Thank you for your response! I went to class yesterday, and it felt soo much easier than last week. I was hydrating hours before the class, as opposed to during the class. Also I think I was much more focused in this class. So I guess for me its about still adjusting to the heat, mind over matter, and hydrating at the right times. While I’m here I have one other question. I am going to yoga 3 times a week. How often should I be going to benefit most from my classes?

[dbhyser]

#8324

Isnt the purpose of “Hot” Yoga to help loosen you muscles, therefore increase flexibility? As compared to starting “cold” or at room temp? As well as releasing toxins through your pores (and lungs), and to some extent, challenge yourself mentally? That is my understanding as a year old Hot Yoga addict! I fell in love with it because the heat of warm classes made me so much more flexible (to my delight), and my progress obvious in a much shorter time than without the heat! Who isnt excited to see their stiff body open up! Blissful! Sooo, Please someone tell me why some people feel the need to go past the point of therapeutic!!! I have left class to cool off to keep from vomiting after being well acclimated to the heat. I dont understand why greater than 100 degrees is ever necessary! Can somebody please tell me the physiological advantage of heating the room further ?

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#8329

Yes Deb, I would like to know too!!! 😆

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#8330

Hi Deb,

Quite seriously, the physiological effects may be not benefits but more likely to be detrimental: The hotter the room, the more one becomes at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion (or hyponatremia). It depends on one’s attention to electrolyte supplementation (or ingestion) and the effects of exercising in the heat. Both these conditions have many symptoms quite a number overlapping, yet the problems are very different. People can suffer mild and chronic effects of constantly overheating or taking too much water not balanced by enough electrolytes. I recommend everyone knows what the signs of these conditions are so that they don’t subject themselves to risky situations.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[dbhyser]

#8333

Thanks Gabrielle! I am beginning to understand that this is just a topic of controversy that has no correct answer. It seems we are at our instructors mercy !! I wish bikram spelled it out better.!!!
We just have to use our common sense, and find a compatible studio, and look out for one another.

[tumlintr]

#8702

I too have a troubling story, one about the studio in a neighboring community 10 minutes from my home in Darien, IL. I was very devoted to this practice, attending 4-5 times per week and deeply enjoyed the experience. The facility was very nice and the instructors were positive and helpful.

The trouble began when I noticed that although I was acclimating to the heat and the workouts, my experience varied a great deal. For one class it struck me immediately me that the studio’s humidity was very high. I noticed I was sweating much more, became very dehydrated, and at one point 10 out of 20-25 students were lying out postures. Three people left the room, and the instructor left to get more water for two people who were otherwise about to leave. Afterward, one man was lying on the floor outside the studio needing extra help.

I wrote to the owner of the studio, whom I knew somewhat and liked, wondering if the humidity might have been high. She said the heat was the same and ignored my question about humidity. She dismissed all those students’ reactions as simply psychological. I then learned that the heat and humidity gauges in the room are always covered. Friends in other studios said the gauges in them could be seen by students.

I felt that there may be an issue about the humidity, one that was important, but I wanted to be more certain. I bought a small thermometer with a hygrometer (the size of a half dollar) that I calibrated to scientific/industrial standards. For three weeks I brought it in during my workouts. It confirmed my concerns. I found that the temperature was almost always spot-on at 105. But the relative humidity was far from the 40 percent advertised for Bikram Yoga. On the better days it was 54 to 60 percent, never lower. On the worse days it was 60 to 66 percent.

The Weather Service calculates that 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity results in a heat index of 121 degrees, while at 105 degrees and 66 percent humidity it is 159 degrees. The weather service warns that when the heat index is above 130, heatstroke is highly likely even without strenuous activity.

When the humidity was lower at 54-60 percent I could I could give the yoga my strongest effort and at the end I could walk out of the studio with energy and feeling relaxed. On the higher-humidity days I was exhausted, and had to sit down to recover after the class. On the bad days I was significantly more dehydrated and was very thirsty during the last third of the class (thirst is a late indicator of dehydration). Also, I simply couldn’t give the postures my best effort. On the “bad” days others also told me they too were pulling back. However, if I could really feel the difference at 55-60 percent, what on earth would it be like if the humidity really were at 40 percent? Probably great.

With this information, I wrote to the owner of the studio. I was careful to be respectful, friendly and positive. I shared with her the information I had gathered in detail with the attitude that she would probably find it interesting and helpful, and that she may want to check it out. I noted that bringing the humidity down to 40 percent would not only be healthier, but better for business since many people may be avoiding her studio because it was unnecessarily uncomfortable.

The owner’s response was stunning. Her reply was filled with rage and fury. She said my message was insulting and she was indignant that I should write such a thing. She denied that her studio was anything other than within the Bikram specifications, and yet she also defended a room that was much hotter and more challenging than 105/40, saying Bikram had said if people complain about the heat, make it hotter. She told me to never bring the instrument into her studio again and made it quite clear she didn’t want me to return either. She referred to a Bikram studio as a “torture chamber”, and did so with apparent pride.

My stunned response was to say I was sorry that she reacted in this way as it was not intended, but instead was meant to be helpful. I also quoted from the Bikram website that if the heat is higher than 105, the humidity should be lower, and vice versa. Clearly, Bikram does not intend for a studio to be as high as 105/66. She did not respond. I have not returned.

While it was troubling that this studio was routinely exposing its students to very high heat-index levels during lengthy and strenuous exercise, I can understand a heat/humidifying system slipping off from its settings, although one would expect this to be monitored. I found it especially disturbing, however, that this reliable data was summarily dismissed by the owner, who kept the heat and humidity gauges in her studio covered so students could not see them.

As a post-script, I wrote to the Bikram organization if they thought this was acceptable, and I received no response. I would not return to this studio even if the owner had not made it clear I was unwelcome, because I cannot know if it is safe. I do feel a great deal of concern for those who do attend it, unaware of the actual conditions and the risk they may pose.

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