What do hip-hop music and hot yoga have in common? Absolutely nothing.
This past week I attended my first Y7 class — a workout class that combines the above polar opposites — and let me say, it was pretty darn fun.
I've heard about this workout before, but was certainly unsure what to expect. Yes, I'm the first to bust a move to any dance music and I've always enjoyed hot yoga, still, the two together were hard to picture. Willing and excited (with an extra push from a trendy friend), I registered.
After walking up about four flights of stairs, we arrived at the kingdom itself, Y7. The studio was outlined with lit candles and exposed brick walls. Immediately, I was obsessed. We claimed our spots with our mats and chatted about life until the instructor arrived. Soon, Drake was blasting through the candlelit, 90 degree studio. Ahh, here we go.
The class consisted of three vinyasa flows. After we learned one flow, we went through it three times at different paces: slow, quick and to the music, and freestyle (at whatever pace we wanted). A few downward dogs in, I was drenched. Still, I managed to be that girl singing along to the music. Shockingly, I even laughed a few times — Drake songs are funny, y'all.
All in all, it was an awesome class. Even after a long day of work, when I didn't think I had anything energy left, the class was able to wake me up. 10 out of 10, highly recommend.
Benefits of Hot Yoga + Music:
1. Hot yoga & strength/flexibility. Holding challenging poses in a heated room increases your body's heart rate, making you work harder. This results in increased muscle strength. The heated class room temps also loosen muscle fascia, thin tissue encompassing the muscles, allowing the body to enter a deeper stretch and increase overall flexibility.
2. Hot yoga & detox. Something I learned from a previous instructor is that full-body twists not only increase blood flow (once you detangle), but allow your body to detox. What is "detoxing?" Detoxing means to cleanse the blood - expelling impurities from blood present in the liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and even the skin.
3. Hot yoga & clear skin. A hot yoga class makes you sweat. A lot. But! As you sweat, you're getting rid of unwanted toxins from the pores of your face. This leaves your skin feeling refreshed and crystal clear.
3. Hot yoga & clear skin. A hot yoga class makes you sweat. A lot. But! As you sweat, you're getting rid of unwanted toxins from the pores of your face. This leaves your skin feeling refreshed and crystal clear.
4. Music & dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates your emotional responses. Also known as the "feel good" transmitter. As music starts to play, dopamine is triggered and released. The result? A happier you (who is ready to break it down).
5. Music & cortisol. While dopamine levels rise, cortisol levels lower — both are great results. Cortisol is commonly associated with stress. Boo. So, no, you don't want it increased. Luckily, it's been found that music helps to lower this hormone. Turn on some tunes and get ready to relax.
6. Music & workout endurance. I'm sure you and your iPhone have figured this one out already. Music boosts your overall workout endurance. Vibrations from sound waves flow through your ears and into your brain's nerves, turning pulses into movement. Because of this, your body naturally changes pace based on a song's BPM. To maximize your workout, pick songs with the appropriate BPM — check out this chart for reference.
6. Music & workout endurance. I'm sure you and your iPhone have figured this one out already. Music boosts your overall workout endurance. Vibrations from sound waves flow through your ears and into your brain's nerves, turning pulses into movement. Because of this, your body naturally changes pace based on a song's BPM. To maximize your workout, pick songs with the appropriate BPM — check out this chart for reference.
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