Fitness fads come and go – there’s a reason Prancercise never took off – but tried and tested workouts will always have a place in our exercise routines. Take Bikram yoga: the ancient body conditioning practice has endured for centuries for one good reason: it works.
But a few factors have always put off even the most Zen yoga devotee from trying the extreme heat version: either the idea of breathing deeply in a room teeming with other people’s sweat has been less than desirable, or they’ve baulked at the cost. Still others don’t like the idea of being trapped in a hot room with no control over the soaring temperature.
Enter: Bikram yoga, DIY-style. An at-home session does away with all those cons, plus you can do it anytime you like. Even better if you use the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link purifier, which not only intelligently purifies the air in your home but is a fan and heater too – making it a perfect addition all year-round.
Why is this great for Bikram yoga devotees? In heating mode, you can set your target temperature to the exact degree and an intelligent thermostat will keep it there, while also purifying the air. There’s also a diffused mode designed to heat and purify the room, fast.
Before you start your session, set your heater to 37 degrees: the optimum temperature for a heated workout. “As well as torching up to 2500 kilojoules in a session, practicing yoga in a heated room is like sitting in a sauna,” a Women’s Health expert tells us. “It increases your pulse rate and metabolism, helping you sweat more.”
You don’t have to limit your heated workout to yoga: try an at-home barre tutorial (there’s plenty to be found on YouTube) with a cranked-up temperature setting, or a gentle pilates session.
Women’s Health recommends easing yourself into any heated workout, as the higher-than-usual temperatures make any exercise instantly more intense. Start with 10-minute sessions and gradually work your way up. It’s also vital to drink plenty of water before and after.
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