Yoga is undoubtedly a huge trend in recent years. And so is hardening up. Have you ever thought of combining these two activities that help the human body together? It may sound a bit drastic for some. However, we believe that ice yoga will also appeal to heat lovers. At the very least, this type of yoga deserves your attention and a try.

Yoga is one of the most popular exercises, so it is no wonder that more and more varieties are being created over time. Apart from classical yoga, there are acroyoga, power yoga, hot yoga and others. The great thing about yoga is that it is actually quite simple but totally effective. And most practitioners feel the effects on their body after just a few hours of this ancient exercise.

What is ice yoga

Ice yoga follows the trend of hardening according to Wim Hof. It brings similar benefits. The advantage for many, however, is that with ice yoga you do not have to enter icy water. It is definitely not an exercise in ice water, but an exercise on ice. Ice yoga was invented by Swedish yogi Rebecca Björk. She often practised yoga outdoors and had the idea to include outdoor exercises in her programme, which included, among other things, walking on snow.

The cold air and movement boosts circulation. This stimulates more alertness and one feels like one has much more energy. Normally ice yoga is practiced on a really frozen ice surface, but it is certainly not impossible to practice an hour just in a cold garden. Not in summer, of course, but in autumn or winter when the air outside is cold.

Burning calories

You probably understand that in classical yoga, calories are burned by warming up the body. In cold yoga, things change a little bit. In ice yoga, the focus is not only on burning calories but also on maintaining a good body temperature. Technically, you’ll burn a lot more calories after the workout and your fat expenditure will be higher than usual.

━━ ( Source: mihtiander /  iStockphoto )

Hot yoga or ice yoga?

In yoga, it’s not the weather that matters, it’s how you practice. It is very important to perfect the technical positions. However, if we compare the calorie burning rate of hot and cold yoga, we are almost on the same level. It is good to remember that the angle of movement and movement patterns are important for burning more calories. So it doesn’t matter if you choose hot yoga or ice yoga, the important thing is to focus on proper technique.

Are extremes safe?

Some people are very doubtful about these exercises. Whether it’s exercising in the cold or in the heat. However, experts think that it cannot be harmful. However, it is definitely better to warm up sufficiently during ice yoga. The aim is to concentrate on warming up, it is certainly not good to rely on layers of clothing. Too many layers of clothing will reduce the impact of cold yoga on the body. Are you still worried? Then practice this kind of yoga only in the company of a professional.

Temperature has an effect on sports performance

Various researches have confirmed that temperature has an effect on sports performance. For example, experts have studied the slowing down of marathon performance as the temperature rises. In general, it is observed that racing performance deteriorates with warming. However, there is no data quantifying the extent of the performance reduction. Moreover, the available studies rely only on data from elite runners. Thus, it is speculative how warmer temperatures affect slower runners and other athletes.

Adipose tissue modulates sensitivity

As well as reacting to high heat, the human body understandably reacts to cold. Some animal studies show that cold affects insulin sensitivity. The insulin sensitivity and resistance index showed significant reciprocal changes during acclimatization to cold. The results suggest regulatory links between thermal plasticity of brown adipose tissue and glucose metabolism in humans.