Benefits of Hot Yoga for Climbing
People have been using hot yoga to increase flexibility, reduce stress, and improve their cardiovascular system. While yoga is a great activity, are there benefits of hot yoga for climbing? Compared to other cross-training activities like weightlifting or running, hot yoga offers unique benefits that can complement your climbing training. Let's explore them in more detail.
Hot yoga, sometimes called "Bikram yoga," performs yoga in a heated environment. However, the two are not interchangeable. Bikram yoga is a specifically designed routine consisting of 26 poses and two breathing exercises in the same order in each class.
Hot yoga is simply in a heated room, usually between 80°F and 100°F. These classes are more relaxed than Bikram yoga and include whatever flow the instructor offers. Unlike Bikram yoga, which follows a specific sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises, hot yoga allows for more variety and flexibility in the poses and flow, making it easier to tailor your practice to your climbing needs.
The Benefits of Hot Yoga for Climbing
● Flexibility
Stretching before climbing is always recommended because you want to be warmed up before moving your body. Hot yoga helps to improve your flexibility because it can make stretching easier in a heated environment with an already warm body.
The heat can help you stretch further and improve your range of motion. This increased flexibility can improve your climbing because you will use less strength to make more challenging moves. Instead of deadpointing, you may be able to static your way up the wall, which is safer on your joints!
● Improved Cardiovascular Health
Endurance is your ability to stay on the wall when all you want to do is let go. When pumped, blood rushes to your forearms and fills your veins, reducing the oxygen flow. Having a strengthened cardiovascular system will improve your endurance!
Hot yoga can give your heart and lungs a more challenging workout than performing the same exercises at a lower temperature. This is because the heat increases your heart rate and dilates your blood vessels, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles. The increased cardiovascular demand during hot yoga can help strengthen your heart and lungs, improving your endurance for climbing.
● Core Strength!
When climbing, whether on an overhang, a vertical wall, or a slab, you want to be close to the wall to use the least amount of energy possible.
Bringing your feet back on the wall on an overhang requires a strong core, and many yoga poses build core strength!
Following a simple routine is good practice to improve these muscles. You can distribute your weight more evenly to your limbs and use less energy when climbing.
● Injury Prevention
When your body is in harmony, and each muscle supports the other, you're less likely to get injured. This sense of control and safety can help you hold on longer when in precarious or compromising positions, reducing the risk of pulling a muscle or falling uncontrollably.
Staying injury-free is essential not only to keep climbing but also for your mental health. Without being able to do the things you enjoy, it's easy to fall into a depressive pattern.
Have a low-impact hobby ready in case injury occurs. However, the best option is staying healthy; hot yoga will help you stay injury-free!
● Body Awareness
Body awareness, also known as proprioception, is knowing where you are in space and time. Much like a cat always knows how to land on its feet!
Yoga requires you to be present during every pose. Getting distracted can be the difference between falling over on the mat or falling off the wall.
Awareness of your body will help you climb because you will understand how to move efficiently on the wall. When you improve your body awareness, you can intentionally bring your foot to the perfect place or subtly move your hips closer and make more challenging moves.
Things to Consider of a Hot Yoga Class
Before you sign up for a class, make sure the yoga routine is what you're looking for. Hot yoga takes traditional yoga up a level, so jumping into a more challenging routine than you're used to could be too intense.
You're going to sweat a lot. To replenish your body, ensure you drink plenty of water and electrolytes after a hot yoga session. You may even want to bring a change of clothes!
If the routine is too complicated and you're overheating, don't push it! Take a break, enter the hallway, or end your session early. Remember to take care of your body! It's also important to note that hot yoga can be intense, especially for beginners or those with certain health conditions. If you have any concerns or health issues, it's best to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a hot yoga practice.
Yoga has already been proven to be tremendously helpful with climbing. Just imagine the sense of achievement you'll feel when you see your climbing performance and overall fitness improve with the addition of hot yoga to your routine!