New York, NY. There are benefits to practicing hot yoga during the winter months. Not only do you get a break from the chilly weather, but performing yoga in such a warm space makes the exercise extra challenging, so you feel like you get an especially good workout.

However, hot yoga also presents its own set of risks and may not be appropriate for everyone. Diana Zotos, physical therapist and certified yoga instructor with the Hospital for Special Surgery Rehabilitation Department, gives her best tips to follow when you’re thinking of giving hot yoga a try in the colder winter months:

  • Get your physician’s okay. Practicing yoga in a hot room poses greater demands of your body than practicing in moderate temperatures, so it’s important to check with your physician and see whether or not it’s appropriate for you. This is especially true for people who are sensitive to heat, have rheumatologic arthritis, pain in their muscles or joints, osteoarthritis, or previous injuries of any kind. Consult a cardiologist if you have high blood pressure, low blood pressure or heart disease.
  • Eat light in the two to three hours before class. Keep your intake at or below 200 calories.
  • Get to class early. This will allow your body to adjust to the temperature.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked number one in orthopedics, number three in rheumatology, number five in geriatrics and number 10 in neurology by U.S. News & World Report (2012-13). HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital’s research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

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