I want to preface this article by stating that I am not a health and wellness expert: I simply practice and preach what has worked best for me and led me to experiencing more happiness and balance within my lifestyle. I should not be the determining factor in whether or not you decide to completely eradicate your old routines and create new ones. In this article, I will explain a major workout trend and the reasons why I, as an individual, choose not to follow it.
Heated workouts are all the rage right now. Open your phone and trust me, you’ll likely see a few videos highlighting heated pilates, yoga, or core workouts. Influencers rave about how great these classes are for “detoxing” and really sweating your skin off. Believe me, the first time I watched someone power through heated pilates, I thought “Wow, what an amazing experience that must’ve been.” I determined, without actually trying the workout myself, that it would be highly beneficial for me.
And then I tried a heated workout. I reevaluated the notion that it would change my life.
Now, I won’t argue that heated workouts boast a number of excellent benefits, many of which I had researched beforehand in order to make sure this was something I really wanted to try. Despite this, I was skeptical as to how valuable my experience would be.
Here are a few potential risks to hot workouts that lead me to conclude that the program just isn’t for me:
Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
Excessive sweating during the workout can lead to dehydration and a loss of essential minerals like salt and potassium. The result of this can also look like dizziness or heat exhaustion. While I was well aware of the need for hydration before my workout, there were no designated water breaks during the 45-minute workout, something that I had expected due to the warnings we were shown prior to beginning the workout. If a company is willing to emphasize hydration through cautionary warnings, removing them from liability, then I would expect there to be sections in the workout to adequately hydrate.Â
Overstretching and potential injury
The sauna effect of a heated workout can lead some to believe that their muscles are sufficiently warmed up. Because this creates a false sense of flexibility, participants can run the risk of overstretching or significantly straining their ligaments.Â
As someone who experiences high blood pressure, I was well aware of the potential stress I would place on my heart during the exercises. The combination of severe heat and exercise can force the heart into a sort of frenzy where it will work harder to pump blood into the body, leading to increased heart rate, even if you aren’t moving your body a significant amount.Â
Without proper hydration opportunities and cooling down methods, participants can risk experiencing heat stroke or heat exhaustion. You can imagine my surprise when the company I took the class with told us that when we were done in our heated workout, we could go into their regular saunas to “cool down.”Â
In addition to these terrifying health risks, I also want to highlight the comfortable nature of saunas, primarily from a Danish perspective.
Saunas, in Denmark, are used as an opportunity for community connection and are seen as a meditative experience, leaving you feeling relaxed and regulated. With historic connections to practical wellness and sheltering from the harsh Scandinavian winters, saunas boost cardiovascular health and release endorphins, all without placing the body under significant stress. I love the idea that, even if you don’t work out, you can still enjoy the sauna and its benefits.Â
Erica Sloan from SELF Magazine said it best: a sweaty workout class does not equal a successful one. While yes, heated workouts can be a great way to relieve stress and feel that you’re getting quality exercise, for me, it just feels like American hustle culture trapping us into yet another health trend. Heated workouts and the companies that run them often promote the idea that because we feel extra exhausted afterwards, it must be working. Western cultures, primarily America, are often quick to market something out of the ordinary, and a sauna workout feels like a way to boost your status and heart rate all at once.
Once again, I encourage you to try out any and all workouts that you feel could be beneficial to your health. But please, make sure you’re doing your research first, and always remember that just because you see thousands of influencers doing the workout, it doesn’t mean you have to. There’s something truly intimate about curating a personal wellness routine that aligns with you, your health, your wealth, and your long-term goals.