The media is on fire with news about hot yoga’s benefits for mental health. It turns out that hot yoga is potentially one of the best holistic treatments for alleviating symptoms of depression. While those of us who can’t live without sweat-pouring, glisten-inducing sessions are already very familiar with the mental health benefits of hot yoga, newly published research on the mood-boosting, stress-reducing perks of this steamy practice may inspire you to try a class right here in Dayton, Ohio. Take a look at what research says about hot yoga’s role in well-being.
How Does Hot Yoga Reduce Depression Symptoms?
Let’s talk about what researchers found when they conducted a randomized control trial looking at the effects of heated yoga on 80 people with moderate-to-severe depression. During an eight-week trial consisting of a yoga group and a control group, participants in the yoga group were asked to attend yoga sessions at community studios at least twice weekly. Yoga participants had significantly greater reductions in Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology—Clinician Rated (IDS-CR) scores compared to non-yoga participants.
At the conclusion of the trial, researchers found that one heated yoga session per week was associated with significantly greater reductions in depression symptoms compared to being on a control-group waitlist. Doing hot yoga twice weekly could reduce depressive symptoms by nearly 60 percent. What’s more, yoga participants rated heated yoga positively.
This study really shows that a little yoga goes a long way. In fact, more than half of the yoga participants saw a 50% or greater decrease in depression symptoms. What is really incredible is that 44 percent of yoga participants had such dramatic decreases in depression symptoms that they were classified as being in remission from depression. Other studies have shown that hot yoga can lead to greater well-being in six weeks.
What Should You Do With This Information?
For most people, any form of yoga is enough to provide a mood boost and unlock emotions. However, hot yoga may be something to consider if you’re looking for ways to boost mental health naturally. Of course, that’s not to say that it’s time to toss away therapy appointments or medications that are currently helping you in your journey. What it does mean is that hot yoga may be something you can put in your mental health toolkit to manage symptoms of depression.
Hot yoga can also help you even if you’re feeling pretty good in the mental health department. In addition to increasing flexibility and joint range of motion, hot yoga is also associated with better lung capacity, bone density, and cardiovascular health. For someone looking for a low-intensity workout that makes you walk away feeling like you just conquered the world, there’s nothing like hot yoga. There’s also something about the sweat that leaves your skin glowing!
If you’re ready to finally see what all the fuss is about with hot yoga, register for a Power class with Ignite Yoga and feel the difference for yourself!
