Infrared vs traditional hot yoga: what is actually different?

Traditional hot yoga: heating the air

Many traditional hot yoga studios use forced-air heating systems that warm the air in the room, which in turn warms you. Some also add humidity. Bikram yoga, one of the best-known heated styles, is typically practised at about 40°C with around 40 per cent humidity, according to both Mayo Clinic and a published review of Bikram research.

Humidity matters because sweat cools you by evaporating from your skin. In humid air, sweat evaporates less easily, so the body has a harder time cooling. Mayo Clinic notes that heat illness is more likely when high temperatures are combined with high humidity and strenuous activity. Many people describe humid hot rooms as heavy or enveloping. Others love that feeling.

Infrared: radiant heat

Infrared heating works differently. Infrared is a form of radiant energy, and Mayo Clinic explains that infrared heaters warm your body directly rather than relying mainly on warming the air around you. A familiar comparison is sunshine on a cool day: you feel the warmth on your skin even when the air is not especially hot. Infrared is not ultraviolet light, so it is not the UV exposure associated with sunburn.

At Sora, infrared panels create the warmth. Our Hot classes reach up to 40°C and our Mild classes up to 30°C, with heat adjusted at the instructor’s discretion. Some people find radiant warmth feels less stuffy than a humid room. That is a personal impression, not a measured health benefit.

What the research does and does not say

We are not aware of good-quality studies directly comparing infrared-heated yoga or Pilates with forced-air hot yoga. Most research on infrared focuses on saunas, where you sit still, and Mayo Clinic notes that larger, more rigorous studies are still needed to confirm proposed infrared sauna benefits. Those findings cannot simply be transferred to an active class.

Research on traditional hot yoga is limited too. A 2015 critical review of Bikram yoga found some evidence for improvements in strength, range of motion, and balance in healthy adults, but called for larger, better-designed trials. It also could not separate the effects of the heat from the effects of the practice itself.

So any studio that claims one type of heat detoxes you, burns more fat, or heals a condition is going beyond the evidence. That includes infrared studios like ours.

Safety applies to both

Whichever way a room is heated, exercising in warmth asks more of your body. Mayo Clinic notes that the intensity and temperatures of hot yoga have the potential to cause heat-related illness, and recommends drinking plenty of water before, during, and after class and stopping if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or unwell.

If you are pregnant, have heart disease, have had heat-related illness, or take medications that affect heat tolerance, talk to your doctor before trying any heated class, infrared or traditional.

It is also worth remembering that a room that feels less stuffy is still a hot room. Radiant warmth can feel gentle at first and build as you move. Pace yourself in the same way you would anywhere else, take breaks when you need them, and do not treat feeling comfortable early in class as a reason to skip water.

How to choose

If you have tried humid hot yoga and found it overwhelming, an infrared studio may feel different enough to be worth a try. If you love the deep, humid heat of a traditional room, that is a perfectly good choice too. The style of practice, the instructors, the class length, and the community often matter more than the heating system. If you can, try a class or two in each and notice how you feel during and afterward.

Sora is Streetsville’s only heated studio, offering infrared-heated mat Pilates and hot yoga in 50-minute classes. Learn more at /classes/hot-yoga, start gently with a Mild class at /classes/mild-heat, or book at /book.