Have you ever heard of hot yoga sculpt? Hot yoga sculpt is a practice of yoga that involves heat, cardio, and weights all in one class. The sculpt practice is the best of all worlds, in each class you workout all of your muscles and incorporate cardio. Let’s take a deeper look into this type of workout and explore the amazing benefits of this practice!
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Yoga sculpt is a form of hot yoga. It is practiced in a room that is around 90+ degrees, classes usually range from 45 minutes to an hour. No class is ever the same, which I believe makes it extra unique. You start class by setting an intention and stretching, it’s important to warm up your muscles and let your body adjust to the heat of the room. After stretching the sequences begin. Sequences involve light weights and yoga flows, an example of this would be going from a down dog to high plank back to down dog then to a crescent lunge were you may do various arm workouts such as an “Arnold press” while holding your lunge. These sequences are used throughout the class but changed slightly to target different muscles. Each class also has a dedicated cardio section, usually during the middle of class. The cardio section may include jumping jacks, burpees, or jumping lunges. Although most of the class involves cardio, the cardio section is extra intense. The music has a fast beat to it, your instructor may be extra energetic, and the bursts of cardio will really challenge you. To end the class you go back to stretching, this time holding the stretches for longer periods to slow down your heart rate before going into savasana. Savasana signifies the end of your practice, and it a meditative pose used to clear your mind and rejuvenate your body. Personally my favorite part of the sculpt practice is the constant movement, you only take quick stops to take a sip of water or towel off your sweat.
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Hot yoga sculpt has many benefits. You burn 500+ calories per class which is significantly more than the 200-300 that you burn lifting weights at the gym. On top of the calories you burn you also sweat a lot. Sweating boosts your immunity, helps detoxify, and is good for your skin. During a hot sculpt class you will be drenched in sweat, and often times I sweat through my workout set. Also, each class feels so rewarding afterwards; this is because endorphins are released into the bloodstream. The release of endorphins can help reduce stress, pain, and discomfort. There is also a study currently being done on if practicing hot yoga, including sculpt, reduces chances of chronic illness.
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If you are looking for a new way to workout, give some thought to trying a sculpt class, but make sure to not jump right into it as it is a intense practice. In a heated room, it can be very challenging on your body so make sure to have some experience with heated workouts before trying sculpt. Many places in the area offer sculpts classes. Personally my favorite studio is KPower. KPower has a Sartell and St. Joe location, and just recently opened a studio in Rogers. KPower also offers many other heated yoga classes, such as build, flow, and restore. Another studio I would recommend in the area is Crave.
