If you’ve ever felt a little puzzled by the idea of “hot yoga”, you’re not alone. After all, it’s not often you do “room temperature squats” or “chilly cycling”, but yoga has its reasons for being, well, hot.
The increase in temperature has a whole host of benefits, including increased flexibility and greater energy burn, but it can also make things a little awkward. After all, yoga is all about holding certain positions, and that can be challenging if you’re not wearing the correct attire or not using one of the best yoga mats.
I spoke to some hot yoga experts about this topic, so you know what to look out for when you’re picking your outfit.
Michelle Thielen is an a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), and the founder of YogaFaith, an internationally-accredited Christian yoga school since 2013. Michelle is a former professional dancer and has trained thousands of students and instructors from around the world through classes, workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings.
Timothy Burgin is a seasoned yoga instructor and the founder of Yogabasics.com, a beginner's guide to the practice that brings together his decades of yoga training and teaching, an education in studio arts and photography.
Key considerations for your Hot Yoga outfit
If you were planning to throw on the outfit you wear to the gym or out for a run and head out of the door, then hold your horses.
"I've found that the right equipment and proper outfits is essential to enhance both performance and comfort in these classes," Timothy Burgin, an experienced yoga instructor told me.
"Men tend to sweat more than women, so they are more challenged with adapting to heated classes," he explains. "While some men prefer to go topless in hot classes, some studios require shirts for all genders.
"Men should choose athletic tee shirts or tank tops made from a moisture-wicking fabric with a blend of Polyester, Spandex and Modal. There are a lot of options for performance-style tops at most major retailers. Avoid loose or baggy shirts--they could gather up during inversions and will just create a heavier and wetter top you'll be stuck wearing."
So that’s shirts, but what about shorts? "Finding a good pair of shorts to wear in hot yoga will be more challenging for men. I've found good options by looking for running type shorts that have some amount of stretch in the material. Again, an athletic type moisture-wicking fabric would be preferred."
Michelle Thielen, an yoga therapist and instructor with over a thousand hours of experience, says you should avoid wearing fewer clothes, even though that seems like the obvious answer.
"Many think the less clothes the better in hot yoga, and that can work for some because of the temperature. However, when practicing hot yoga you sweat...a lot. Because the body becomes slick the practice will suffer as you cannot grip or clasp limbs, fingers or toes.
"Breathable pants, capris or long shorts that come below the knee will aid in the ability in clasping for the body in postures. If you're wearing hot shorts the hands will continue to slip and clasps become frustrating, defeating the goal of yoga. Our minds should not be focused on wardrobe distractions, but the practice itself."
Then there’s the mat and a towel, which Burgin says is particularly important to choose wisely. "A full length microfiber yoga mat topper is highly recommended for all genders, but especially for men", he explains.
"If I don't use one of these, my mat turns into a ‘slip and slide’ and I can't properly hold the poses. For a warm class I will bring a microfiber yoga towel or just a cotton hand towel to mop up excess sweat. For a hot class I will bring two or three hand towels."
What to wear for hot yoga, according to experts
As both our experts have covered, your outfit can make or break a session when it comes to hot yoga. Here are some recommendations from both Timothy and Michelle, as well as some other experts we surveyed.
Sports bras and tops
Women's leggings
Men's shirts and shorts
Yoga mat
Hot yoga accessories
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