If you love fitness and trying out new trends, you’ve likely heard of hot yoga. Hot yoga takes traditional concepts of a yoga practice and then adds to the equation and extremely hot, humid room. The concept is that first, the heat helps your body loosen up and you can go into the poses more deeply for a better stretch and workout.
Also, the sweat you work up is meant to detox you from the inside out, and if you make it through the class, you’ll feel great afterward.
The following are some tips to keep in mind if you’re getting ready for your first hot yoga class, regarding what to wear and everything else you need to know.
Keep Your Hair Off Your Face
If you think you’re going to leave hot yoga with good looking hair, think again. The more you can have it off your face and neck, the better. If it’s long, try putting it into a tight bun or ponytail with hair wax or a product that will keep frizzy pieces from falling into your eyes.
The less focus you can put on your hair while you’re in class, the better.
Along with the general comfort factor, if you have oil on your hair and it mingles with the sweat on your face it can lead to breakouts.
Don’t Wear Makeup
If you’ve ever gone to hot yoga wearing makeup, you likely know it doesn’t turn out well. It will run into your eyes which burn and is painful, and it can also contribute to breakouts as well.
If you are going to wear any makeup, try just to stick with a good waterproof mascara.
Also, don’t wear self-tanner, because it will streak by the end of the class, and it will also stain your towel and mat.
Bring Face Wipes
When you’re packing your hot yoga bag, along with your own towel and a bottle of water, add some cleansing face wipes.
When you leave class, you’ll want to get all of the sweat off to avoid breakouts, and if you have any other errands to run it can be helpful as well.
Wear Layers
With hot yoga, you will ultimately end up undressing, but you might want to do it gradually. What tends to work best is wearing a pair of shorts under sweatpants, and then a tank top with a bra underneath that you feel comfortable wearing on its own.
That way, you can go to class fully clothed, and you have the option to undress or not, depending on your preferences.
You don’t want to wear baggy clothes because they’ll interfere with your movement, and you definitely want to choose items that are breathable.
If you choose shorts, ensure they’re not too loose around the leg openings—otherwise, you could be giving more of a view than you want when you’re in certain poses.
So those are a few of the basic tips to get you started with hot yoga, which is a great workout if you like a challenge.