Craze of hot yoga offers a new twist to sessions in the gym

Published on Monday 12 October 2009 10:01

IT IS only natural to get a bit hot and sweaty during a work-out down the gym.

But a new craze to hit the Capital will put fire in the belly of even the most hardened sports fan.

A favourite of tennis ace Andy Murray, hot yoga – where participants perform hard-core yoga moves in temperatures of up to 40 degrees and humidity of at least 40 per cent – is due to heat up exercise sessions for the city's sports fans.

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The home-grown star even credits hot yoga – also known as Bikram yoga – as being the force behind his win against world champion Roger Federer at the Barclays Dubai Open in 2008.

Personal trainer and health specialist Barry Wallace, from Slateford, said he decided to set up Edinburgh's first hot yoga training studio after seeing the benefits of the training when he visited America last year.

It is already a craze among celebrities such as Madonna, George Clooney, Elle Macpherson and Julia Roberts.

The 32-year-old said: "Yoga is often associated with women and concepts of Zen, chanting and relaxation, but this type doesn't fit the stereotype.

"It's a difficult, intense workout that increases your body temperature, making the muscles become a lot more activated and you get the benefits from lots of difficult poses. It improves fitness and mental strength.

"What you also find is that different hot yoga trainers add their own touches to the session, so you create a completely unique work-out."

Mr Wallace, who used to own a health and fitness club in the Channel Islands, warned that the sport is not for the faint-hearted.

Sessions last around 90 minutes in the highly charged atmosphere and perspiration levels get very high.

The training studios are heated by a series of radiators embedded in the walls, making a session the equivalent to working out in a sauna.

He said: "People like Andy Murray and several Scottish footballers are using this method to train. It certainly isn't the stereotypical relaxation technique.

"While I wouldn't exactly call it aggressive, it is certainly a demanding work out. The benefits become evident very quickly. It increases flexibility, works the core abdominal muscles and increases blood circulation."

Bikram yoga was devised by Bikram Choudhury. It offers a twist on the 5,000-year-old Indian practice of yoga, of which Choudhury was four times the Indian champion.

It involves 26 postures and two breathing exercises, which must be performed in a specific order.

Because conditions for the steamy activity must be very specific – the room needs to stay hot and humid for the duration of the class and there should be mirrored walls so that participants can perfect the specific moves involved – Mr Wallace has spent his time choosing a suitable venue for his training sessions.

He has now whittled it down to two locations – Leith or the city centre – and expects to start classes within two months. Up to 15 people can attend a session, at 10 per person, or there are one-to-one training opportunities.