Hot yoga is performed in a warm and humid studio. The heated room, approximately 105 F with a humidity of 40 percent, is thought to assist in raising your heart rate. This raise causes you to work harder at keeping the poses and it exercises your muscles more hence a more intense workout. It is considered therapeutic and consists of 26 postures and two breathing exercises.
There are several things you can do to keep your skin healthy after Hot Yoga some of which involve cleansing your skin and clothes as well as hydrating and eating foods high in magnesium. Hot Yoga is also good for your skin and details on how to care for it after a workout.
Is Hot Yoga Good for Your Skin?
Hot Yoga is thought to also be especially beneficial for those with acne and oily skin as it opens pores and allows them to release oils and toxins. It also increases blood flow which allows oxygen to be carried to your skin cells. This gives you a healthy glow.
So after you get that healthy glow, what should you do for your skin to keep it? How can you protect your skin from damage done by the heat itself? Read on to find out.
What Should I Do After Hot Yoga?
The first thing you will want to do after hot yoga is hydrate as the humidity causes you to sweat quite a bit. The next thing you’ll want to do is take a shower to not only cool your body down a bit but to remove the toxins your sweat has brought to the top of your skin and keep your skin from reabsorbing them. Below is a list of 7 things to do to keep your skin as healthy as the rest of your body after yoga.
7 Tips For Taking Care of Your Skin After Hot Yoga
There are several tips for keeping your skin healthy after Hot Yoga. I’ve listed several below to help you to maintain the healthy glow yoga gives you anyway.
Cleaning Your Face
Cleaning your face with a cool towel will remove some of the grime and toxins right away. Your pores will close back up once your body cools and it will retrap the oils under the skin. It will also help to cool your skin down gently. Try to stay away from harsh face wipes as your skin will be red and inflamed already. Afterward, be sure to cleanse your face with a gentle cleanser.
Shower
Shower as quickly as possible to remove the oils from the rest of your body. Your sweat carries them out of your body and deposits them onto your skin as well as your clothing. Using gentle soap and lukewarm water is best for your skin. You don’t want to take a hot shower for a number of reasons.
First, it will dehydrate you and your skin even more than it already is which can leave you feeling weak, nauseous and give you headaches. Second, your skin has begun to cool. The heat from a hot shower will reopen your pores which can allow them to reabsorb the toxins you’ve already released in your workout.
Clean clothes
Be sure to bring fresh clothing with you as well. The released oils will remain on your workout clothing and can then work their way back onto your skin. Make sure the clothing you change into is loose fitting and cool to allow your skin to continue to breathe. Cotton clothing is your best bet as it is one of the most breathable fabrics for clothing.
Hydrate
Be sure to hydrate. This should be done before, and 30 minutes after a yoga session to allow time for your organs to cool down a bit. Dehydration can cause both headaches and muscle aches. Hydrating with coconut water or water with a squeeze of lemon added can replenish your lost electrolytes faster than plain water. A hydrated body keeps the skin hydrated as well. Also, avoid caffeinated drinks as the caffeine in them will actually dehydrate you more.
Moisturize
Be sure to moisturize. Heat can not only make your skin red and flushed but can also dry it out. Make sure you moisturize after using your cleanser to keep your skin young, supple, and healthy.
Eat
Eating foods high in magnesium and potassium is great for not only aiding in making your muscles less sore post-workout but can also help with hydration as well. Both of these minerals are essential in having healthy muscles and repairing any damage to them from overuse. Potassium also helps regulate blood pressure, water content in your cells, and helps regulate heart rhythm. All necessary for recovery after a good workout. My go-to’s are bananas, avocados, and cashews but you can also eat almonds and kale.
Clean Your Mat
Make sure to clean your mat! Some people completely forget about this little bacteria collector. Your sweat carries the bacteria and toxins out of your skin and just like when it gets deposited on your clothing, it does the same to your mat. Wiping it down with an antibacterial wipe will work just fine in removing the unwanted particles and not allowing them a chance to reabsorb into your skin.
A Bit of History
Traditional Hot Yoga is a philosophy technically originated in India centuries ago. The Indian climate is intensely hot as a norm with summers getting as hot as 122F and winters rarely getting below 80F. One man by the name of Bikram taught yoga in the states. He raised the temperature in the studio to mirror the temperature in India. He noticed it increased levels of sweat in his students whose feedback was that it gave them a better workout. Hence the term ‘Hot Yoga’.
Conclusion
Hot Yoga is a great way to up the intensity level and removes toxins from your body. It works your muscles extra and allows you to become more flexible and fluid. It also reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which helps your skin repair itself from damage done by the sun. It doesn’t, however, incorporates mudras, but there are a lot of resources to learn mudras online.
Taking care of your skin afterward is a very important part of maintaining your overall health. Take special care if you have any cuts, bruises, skin lesions or other even rashes as the heat and sweat may cause these to become dirty and potentially infected. By following the steps outlined above you can enjoy the benefits of yoga both before, during, and after and keep your body and skin healthy.
