Hot Yoga Advice

March 16, 2009 8:46 AM

How can I not feel light-headed in Hot Yoga class?

I went to my first Hot Yoga class last week, and will be going to my second tonight. Last week, I had to leave to get some air (I thought I was going to get sick, but didn't) for about 10 minutes half way through the 90 minute session.

I was fine on the floor, but every time I had to lift my arms above my head in a standing pose, I felt light-headed. No one else seemed to have a problem. What can I do to improve my chances of making it through the whole class tonight?

I've read conflicting articles online.... some say eat beforehand and others say don't. I know I should be drinking more water, and I'm doing that today. Anything else? Is this class dangerous for me?

Thanks for any tips and advice.

posted by roxie5 to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Agree with you on the water. Also, don't feel compelled to do what the rest of the class is doing at any given moment if you feel it's too much. Go at your own pace, don't be afraid to rest for a moment in a restorative pose if needed. Your body will acclimate to the heat over time.
posted by Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific at 9:03 AM on March 16

Do you have low blood pressure? I do, and I know I couldn't get through a hot yoga class without getting sick or passing out.

I don't know of a solution. I had a cadiologist tell me to "eat more salt" but YMMV.
posted by JoanArkham at 9:04 AM on March 16

Try talking to the instructor. At classes I have attended, the instructors will sometimes advise new students to pick a spot in a slightly cooler part of the room. And yes, water will definitely help. Is it possible you are slightly anemic? That will sometimes contribute to light-headedness in general. Do you have a doctor you trust? He/she is the best to judge whether the class is safe for you.
posted by messica at 9:06 AM on March 16

My blood pressure is always on the low side of normal. That could be a factor.
posted by roxie5 at 9:08 AM on March 16

I have always found that water is the key. Make sure to be hydrated and not too caffeinated when you arrive. I sweat a lot, so I bring an entire liter, and drink the whole thing by about halfway through the class. Like another poster said, salt is helpful too, if I did too many hot yoga classes in a week i'd crave salt, eating one packet a day seemed to do the trick.
posted by jester69 at 9:09 AM on March 16

Yoga like any exercise, can be a lot of stress on the body (in a good way) and high temperatures add in more stress. Drinking more water a day or two in advance is not enough. Drink more water every day for the rest of your life. For the first week you'll need to relieve yourself more often, then you'll adapt, feel better and see real changes in your activities. Ask your instructors about how to adapt to the stress and heat, if they're experienced they've seen this before. If they blow you off you need to find a different class.

How much yoga or other exercise have you done before this specific class? Are you starting from being inactive, or are you fit, had you already been doing yoga? A lot of people think yoga is just long periods of calm stretching, but it's actually quite intense, if you haven't taken yoga classes before transfer to a more normal class and get used to it.

Is the class dangerous? If you're not ready for it it will take you much longer to not only adapt to the class, but then to begin to benefit from it. So you'd be better off and see more improvement in a different class for a while. I say get physically ready for the moves in another class, and then move to the hot class. There are also health issues like family history, personal fitness, underlying related illnesses or conditions that may be affected by physical stress and heat. You need a doctor to address these.
posted by Science! at 9:14 AM on March 16

It takes time to adjust. It took me about two months before I could go through an entire 90 minute routine. For some reason triangle would make me dizzy enough I'd have to sit it out.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sitting out a few moves to catch your breath. Try not to leave the class. The shock from hot to room temp to hot again is so much worse than just taking a fifteen minute breather in the middle of class.

There are hot spots and cool spots. Try and figure out where they are.

Drink copious amounts of water before class. Drinking too much during class can upset your stomach. So it's important to overhydrate during the day before class. I've always hated morning classes precisely because it was so much harder to show up to class well hydrated.

Of all the classes at my studio, hot yoga has the most devoted students. Beginners are somewhat uncommon, so it's easy to make unfair comparisons against more experienced students. Don't beat yourself up about being unable to keep up with the Jones'. I have never seen someone show up to class for the first time and excel. It's a challenging class, and it's different enough from other practices that even an extremely fit person has to deal with a learning curve.
posted by politikitty at 9:29 AM on March 16

Your blood pressure is the key. Mine is on the low side of normal and even in regular aerobics classes I sometimes need to take a break if I sweat too much and get too hot.

I wouldn't go near hot yoga because my blood pressure makes it so when I take hot showers, I can occasionally feel lightheaded from the steam if the bathroom isn't well-ventilated.

You might want to switch to a different type of yoga class. Or try drinking Gatorade before and during.
posted by cmgonzalez at 9:32 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

I have low blood pressure, and thus, I hate hot yoga.

I would let the teacher know, and take whatever time you need to get up to speed. It also helps me sometimes to watch the first stance of a pose, and then to attempt it in the repeat (but not to do both of each set). This gives me a moment to regroup and catch my breath. Yoga is about being where you are, not where everyone else is, so just be where you are.

I found that my feeling faint did fade after about 4-6 classes, but if you got sick in your last class, you'll approach feeling that badly again this time too. Stick with it. Or don't as cmgonzalez says....

I am personally much happier in ashtanga yoga. I'm happy to work hard and sweat and push, I just don't like Mr. Bikram and his yoga. I find his (trademarked, seriously, look it up) poses weird and the hot room more unhelpful than helpful. This is also because I don't believe in bullshit like "cleansing your body of toxins" via heat. Which many yoga teachers profess to believe.
posted by zpousman at 11:02 AM on March 16

How's your overall level of fitness?

I have low blood pressure (normal 102/60; readings as low as 90/60) and I've never had a problem in a hot yoga class.

Definitely hydrate; maybe a half water/half gatorade mix would be helpful. If they have a scale or you can do so at home, weigh yourself before and after class. Adjust your fluid intake next time, if necessary.
posted by peep at 11:08 AM on March 16 [1 favorite]

I've sprinkled salt on my lunch and am drinking tons of water today, and I'll see how it goes tonight. Since there's very few "regular" yoga classes taught at the Y during my non-working hours, I'd like to give this another shot.

I've done yoga before a year or so ago, but am still at beginner level since I didn't stick with it for long. I'm technically at an ideal weight for my height but have put on a few pounds over the last year, and am not "in shape," as I've just joined this gym. So I know that I have a ways to go!
posted by roxie5 at 11:24 AM on March 16

I've had the same problem at hot yoga before (and I suspect I have orthostatic hypotension, which is probably a factor). For me, I can't tilt my head back while in a standing position -- it just triggers the feeling of wanting to faint and I had to leave the room the last time I attempted it (should have known better). So: don't attempt back bends or anything that causes you to elevate your arms over your head. If you're feeling faint or slightly off, lie down -- the instructors would really rather you lie down than faint on them. When you are on the floor, you can turn your head to the side so that your mouth is close to the floor and get a pocket of cool air there, or as someone mentioned above, set up your mat closer to the door to get some of the fresher air.

I have done hot yoga successfully, even when I haven't been in great shape, but I just have to be careful and know my limits.
posted by pised at 11:51 AM on March 16

It takes time to adjust.

I agree totally with politikitty. Newbies always go through an adjustment period. Go twice a week for a few weeks and you'll be fine.
posted by coolguymichael at 12:02 PM on March 16

Take things at your own speed. If you need to rest during certain poses and try again, rest. Yoga is about listening to YOUR body. If you're struggling with lightheadeness, think about what your body could be trying to tell you. Drink water. Stand up slowly without raising your arms. Sit down if you need to.

I wouldn't recommend eating directly before class, but I would definitely be sure you're not in for a blood sugar crash. Maybe some nuts or other protein rich snack 20-30 min before might help. Also, if you're into that sort of thing, perhaps you'd benefit from substituting Gatorade for water. Blasphemy, I know. And anytime I bring my windshield-washer fluid colored Gatorade into class (I eventually bought a Sigg bottle just to camouflage it), I would get the dirtiest looks in the world, but it HELPED. A LOT. A few electrolytes can go a long way.

Enjoy your class and don't worry too much. It might just take your body a few classes to adjust. You'll figure it out!

Re-reading the thread: Since you are a beginner level yogi, it will take time to get used to this. The more experience you have with the poses themselves, the easier it will be to do them in a heated setting. If you can't make it to regular *classes*, there are tons of good classes on DVD. My absolute favorite is Yoga Mind & Body taught by master teacher Erich Schiffmann (geez, this is my second time recommending this on Ask today! You'd think I'd get a commission!). It's challenging, but none of the poses are particularly difficult in and of themselves. Try to create as much of a "home practice" as you can, even if it's just one additional session per week and it will help you build up the familiarity with the poses that you need to be able to navigate a heated class without overworking/getting dizzy.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:05 PM on March 16