6 Ways to Keep Your Cool While Practicing Yoga During a Heat Wave

Published July 29, 2022 03:53PM

It’s hot outside. Ferociously hot. So if a strenuous yoga class is part of your routine and you haven’t strayed from that, it’s essential to understand the effect a sweltering summer has not only on your practice but on your system.

Your body has a built-in thermoregulation system to keep your core internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. “If the heat increases inside your body, the body tries to get rid of as much heat as it can,” explains Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, a sports cardiologist at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, N.J. This happens primarily from vasodilation, or the widening of your blood vessels which releases heat through radiation, and by sweating, which cools your skin as the moisture evaporates.

But exercising when your body is already taxed from extreme and prolonged heat can throw that process out of whack—even if you’re practicing indoors. “Under heat stress, endurance capacity and performance are going to be impaired as the heat gain exceeds the heat loss,” says Dr. Martinez.

If you take seasonal allergy medications, be extra cautious. “Antihistamines and decongestants decrease our ability to sweat,” explains Randell Wexler, M.D., a professor of family medicine at Ohio State University.

There are, however, several approaches you can take to help your body mitigate a sweltering summer.

6 ways to (safely) practice yoga during a heat wave

1. Choose your attire wisely

You’re going to sweat. So you want to help that sweat evaporate as quickly as possible so it can cool you, fashion be damned. To help your body thermoregulate:

2. Hydrate (before you hit the mat)

All that sweating can lead to dehydration, which happens when you lose more water than you take in. In addition to placing you at an increased risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke, dehydration causes your muscles, which are more than 70 percent water, to perform less efficiently than usual.

But don’t wait until midway through class or even until you’re thirsty to reach for your water bottle. “You want to hydrate pre-exercise,” says Dr. Martinez. “It’s hard to make up the difference once you get behind.”

Exactly how much to hydrate can be tricky. The American Council on Exercise recommends 17 to 20 ounces of water two hours before you work out and 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes while you’re exercising. You also need to continue to replenish your fluids after your practice.

And you’ll need to drink even more if you were already operating at a deficit before you began sweating, which can easily happen during an especially sweltering summer. If you lose track of ounces or think you might need more, there’s an easy solution. Wexler says “you can tell for yourself if you’re dehydrated or not.” The color of your urine indicates whether you need to increase your water intake. The darker the hue, the more water you need to drink.

3. Dial down the intensity

The practice of yoga has always been about cultivating “a skillful engagement with the world around you,” says yoga teacher Kelly Turner. “That means recognizing that now may not be the time for a super heating, challenging flow.”

When temperatures are extreme and your body temperature increases (hyperthermia), your body uses its energy stores more quickly. This means your muscles will become fatigued more quickly. This might be time to dial down on the intensity of your practice or shortening the duration of time you practice.

Turner also recommends listening to your body and exploring more cooling styles of yoga, such as restorative and Yin. At YogaSix, where Turner is vice president of training and experience, class options range from “hot and powerful to slow and mindful.” Most studios offer an array of styles of yoga you can explore.

4. Practice in a cool(ish) environment

Opening a door for ventilation or turning on a fan to help with air circulation can help your sweat evaporate and cool you down more quickly. That’s if you’re practicing indoors. Think twice about practicing outside, especially in humid conditions.

If you insist on being outdoors, find someplace shady and not too remote. You want sites where“if you get yourself in trouble, you’ve got the ability to get yourself out of trouble — places where you can obtain a bottle of water or find a water fountain,” says Dr. Martinez. Also, practice with someone else or, if you’re alone, let someone you trust know when and where you’ll be working out and that you’ll text them when you’re done. If they don’t hear from you by a certain time, they’ll know to reach out or come looking for you.

5. Find your fix elsewhere

Remember, yoga doesn’t occur exclusively on your mat. “This could be a great time to explore one of the other incredible limbs of yoga, such as meditation,” says Turner. “I love focusing on a moving meditation while swimming laps in a pool on hot days. Listening to my breath, staying connected to the water and the movement of my body—it certainly helps me stay present and grounded.”

Or try walking early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures dip.

6. Reframe taking a break from yoga

You’re probably already aware, perhaps from personal experience, that yoga has been shown to lessen an array of psychological stressors including depression, anxiety, and sleep issues. And you may also feel a little lost when your practice isn’t accessible to you. So when dangerously hot weather curtails your practice, it can be frustrating.

Reframing can help. “Remind yourself that the break is temporary and you will return to it when you are able,” says Dr. Beth Pausic, a licensed psychologist and the director of behavioral health at Hims & Hers. She notes the numerous benefits from taking a break, including the physically and psychologically restorative aspects of downtime. “Even if it isn’t something we choose,” she says.

About our contributor
Holly Burns is a writer in the San Francisco Bay area whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.