Setting Up A Hot Yoga Studio - 5 Points To Consider

Fully insulate the room

Hot Yoga Design - 5 Points To Consider

 Whether you are looking to build a brand new, purpose built hot yoga studio, or add heating to an existing yoga centre to provide an additional offering to your customers / clients / yogis, there are 5 things to consider:

 Read Original Article Here

 Or Go To Our New Hot Yoga Studio Design Website

Insulation: 

Make sure the building or the room you intend on heating will be very well insulated. Making a good investment into double glazed windows, and adding additional insulating fibre to the ceiling and the walls will 1) keep the heat in the room once the infra red heaters have done their job in bringing the ambient temperature up to 30-42 C, and 2) you will save money in the long run.

Heat Recovery: 

A heat recovery system works by simply adding a small percentage of fresh air to the room through duct work. The heat recovery unit will retain up to 80% of the heat of the room, while at the same time introducing fresh air into the room, and exhausting stale air. Traditionally, you would have used a ventilation system that wouldn't have heated the airbut instead just brought in fresh air, however, you would have lost all of that valuable heat during extraction, and on a cold day you would have to reheat the air that enters through the inlet.

 

Within the heat recovery unit, there is a wheel that turns very slowly. The hot air that is in the room is piped (ducted) to the wheel, and the wheel captures the hot air. As the wheel turns, the hot air is moved over to the pipework where the fresh air is entering the inlet duct. The mix of fresh air and the heated air is pulled into the room giving the room warm and fresh air at the same time, so you only really lose a very small percentage of the air you have spent money on heating. The heat recovery system is refrigerant free, very economical and will help keep the room fresh and will reduce the amount of money you will have to spend on reheating the room.

Heating: We recommend using infra red heating panels for the heating of the studio for these main reasons -

Infra red waves are the same type of waves that are emitted from the sun, which means the warmth you experience is natural and comfortable

FRICO EZ200 - Hot Yoga Heater

1. They are easy to install - no pipework, no moving parts, they come with brackets
2. They are easy to control - one thermostat rigged up to one circuit
3. You can move them if you want to change the design of the room
4. They blend in with the design of the room - they are designed to be discreet
5. The heat is instant - you can feel the infra red heat when you stand directly under the heater
6. There energy efficient and green - no harmful gases or emissions, perfectly safe
7. The infra red waves emitted from the heaters will be absorbed by the surfaces and the people within the room. It has been stated that the human body can absorb 98% of the infra red waves that are emitted from the heaters, meaning you can literally feel the heat from within and the heat will not go to waste.

In addition to using the infra red heaters, we also recommend using a high quality industrial fan heater to increase the ambient air temperature so that when people are walking in and out of the room, the air that has been heated can be maintained at the optimal temperature. The fan heater can be wall mounted or portable making it easy for you to control the temperature as the class is in full swing.







 The yogis will experience an all round feeling of wellbeing as their body warms under the infra red waves. The muscles will warm up and feel more supple allowing the client to move into deeper stretches earlier in the class. For those wishing to take their yoga practice further, performing yoga moves under the influence of infra heat can be very beneficial. Likewise for those just starting out, hot yoga can be a great introduction to the practice and may prove to reduce the chance of injury due to the muscles being warmer and more pliable at the beginning of the class.

Humidity: 

As the colder months get closer, it will be important to monitor the level of rH (relative humidity) in the room. In a nutshell, for humans the comfort level of rH is 40-60%. In countries where there is a lot of rainfall (like good old Blighty) there is less need to add humidity to achieve the above levels of rH. However, when the winter does strike and there is little rainfall, the rH of the air can drop to below 40% - without the humidity in the air, it can mean your clients may feel the dryness in their airways and complain of breathing problems.

Steam Humidifier

They may also complain of not sweating enough, or that it doesn't feel hot enough - the temperature may be high enough, but the added humidity is not there, making it feel cooler than it actually is. So, to combat this problem, simply add a steam humidifier that is capable of bringing the humidity back up to around 50% on the coldest and driest day of the year. In addition to the health benefits of using a humidifier for the room, it will also get people sweating sooner. The added humidity to the room means the sweat will not evaporate as quickly off the skin, and the body will be working even harder to push the sweat out from the limbs, through the skin.

The Room: 

The best and most effective type of room to use would be a room with no external walls, in order to keep the heat in. However, this would a be rare find, so we need to have a look at the shape of the room itself to maximise the performance of the hot yoga studio. Ideally, the room will be shaped like a box, have a ceiling height of betweem 2.1 and 3 metres with a hard floor to reflect the infra red waves from the heating panels. Any nooks and crannys should be covered up, sealed and boxed in if possible to allow for the heat to travel through the room, and heat all of the surfaces. Having windows can affect heat loss, unless they are triple glazed.

Sunrise Yoga - Ideal Room

Finding a suitable room to use for hot yoga can be difficult. The most important things to consider are the following:

1. Three Phase power supply is available
2. A D2 Planning Licence is in place
3. The Landlord has agreed to using it as a hot yoga studio

There are many calculations that are involved in specifying the type of heat recovery, heating and humidification needed for a successful installation. We have experience in providing tailored packages for hot yoga operators, so feel free to get in touch for a professional and accurate quotation.



Or, read this blog post outlining The House of Yoga and their new project: Read article

A few of our customers:

 

Can Athletes Use Hot Yoga As Preparation For Sports?

Opening up your studio to local athletes looking to get the edge

Ryan Giggs.  Source: Topnews.in

With hot yoga becoming more and more popular in the UK, more studios are rising to the demand and installing infra red heating and humidification systems for yogis to sweat it out.  Hot yoga attracts athletes of all kinds (Andy Murray, Ryan Giggs to name just a couple) to increase flexibility, tolerance and strength.



Hot yoga studios, or health clubs with the facility to heat a studio to 40⁰C could also benefit by offering heat acclimation training for local athletes, thus boosting revenue and profile in the area.

What is heat acclimation training?

Heat acclimation training is widely known in the sports performance arena as training under controlled hot and humid conditions, usually within a purpose built chamber where the athlete is rigged up to all sorts of apparatus to test heart rate, VO2 Max, etc, where test can be monitored to record the change in physiology that takes place.

Athletes Training in Heated Room.  Source: 80percentmental.com

Dr Christopher Minson and various other sports scientists have proven how training in the heat (heat acclimation) builds tolerance and triggers a response in the musculature of the athlete that boosts performance.

How do I set up heat acclimation training in my studio?

Simple.  Heat the room as normal, and add either a spinning bike, some aerobics equipment or simply hold a movement based exercise class that requires the athletes (pro or amateur) to perform at around 50% of their max.  You wouldn't want the participant to work out to the maximum, but enough to create a stress response within the body and to increase heart rate, breathing rate etc.  You could request the participants bring their own heart rate monitor to check on the level of intensity of the training, and to avoid any possible problems.  Hydration will be of great importance pre, during and post exercise.

Stay Hydrated When Training In The Heat.  Source: Juveleblog.com

It is not only yoga that can be practiced in the hot and humid conditions we find in hot yoga studios.  Athletes can take advantage of this training protocol to prepare for upcoming competitions and events.

Health club owners, and hot yoga studio owners can use the space for training athletes when there is a gap in the timetable, allowing for greater return on the investment on the heating system and creating a buzz around the brand.

What do you think?  If you are a hot yoga studio owner, would you entertain having athletes train in your hot environment?  How would you charge?

Problems Heating Your Offices??

Infrared Heating Could Be The Solution!! 

 

Cold working environments
Open-plan office environments are mixed with closed offices and make it difficult to achieve well functioning ventilation, which affects heating. By using Infrared Heaters you are able to heat individual stations and desks in an office environment and in a reception it is possible to create different temperatures in different zones, despite the room temperature being the same throughout the entire premises.

Chill factor from windows
Chill factor is a phenomenon that occurs near most windows. In most buildings the chill factor is relieved using a convector placed under the window. Today, it is becoming more popular to fit windows all the way down to the floor and the convectors must be recessed in the floor to protrude up into the window.
Using a Thermoplus Infrared Heater located on the wall above the windows can make a big difference to the experienced temperature. A smart control system means that the Infrared Heater can be controlled so that it switches on as necessary.

Total heating
Office environments are places where many people need a pleasant working environment. Work is stationary, which places great demands on an even and comfortable indoor temperature meaning creating energy efficient heating becomes even more important.
Today there are good solutions for overall heating using Infrared Heaters. Installing Infrared Heating Cassettes in a suspended ceiling gives almost invisible heating. As Infrared does not have any moving parts it's silent and there's no air movement. The Cassettes can also be easily moved around the suspended ceiling if the premises are redesigned.

Expensive to keep warm all day
Premises used as offices are usually only populated at certain times during the day and not every day of the week. Having the heating on all day and all year can be expensive.
By installing Infrared Heaters and a programmable heating control different temperatures in different zones can be maintained. For example, areas where stationary work is not carried out can maintain a lower temperature, whilst a slightly higher temperature can be maintained in the office environment. A programmable control can also reduce the temperature during the nights, weekends and holidays.

Draught at the entrance
When an unprotected door is opened, cold air flows in at floor level and hot air flows out through the upper section of the door. Before cold air is heated, staff are exposed to drafts and low temperatures.
By installing an Air Curtain inside the entry the indoor climate can be significantly improved. Air curtains must always be equipped with heating if there are staff who work close to the entry so by combining an air curtain with Infrared Heaters you can create a pleasant working and welcoming environment.

Infra Red Saunas - Risky Business?

The Benefits vs The Risks Of Using Infra Red Saunas

The Infra Red Sauna Effect have written a couple of juicy articles on the effects of using infra red technology for use in a sauna.

Picture: Celestial Health Centre

 It is worth a read if you are thinking of installing an infra red sauna at home: http://www.the-infrared-sauna-effect.com/dangers-of-the-infrared-sauna.html

Secondly, have a look through the benefits of using infra heating for a home sauna:  http://www.the-infrared-sauna-effect.com/benefits-of-the-infrared-sauna.html



 So, do check with your doctor before installing an infrared sauna in to your home, and be clear on the potential health risks.

Once you get the all clear, enjoy the detoxing, cleansing feeling of stepping into a beautifully made sauna for you and the family.

The Benefits Of Hot Yoga

We stick to what we do best - that is supplying infra red heaters!

So let us tell what the professionals think about infra red heating for hot yoga......
 

 Here's why Infrared Yoga, in Vancouver love providing hot yoga:

Infrared Yoga - Vancouver - Sarah Webster

At Infrared Yoga, we have married the ancient science of yoga, with all of it’s miraculous benefits, with the modern technology of far infrared heat.

Unlike regular hot yoga studios, far infrared heat actually has numerous therapeutic benefits. The room is not oppressively hot when you enter, as far infrared heat works by using your body’s own energy to heat the room as you move through your practice. The room only gets hot when you do.

Far infrared heat removes toxins that are stored in the body, improves flexibility & joint mobility, promotes healing, reduces muscle stiffness and pain, decreases soreness & inflammation, increases circulation, improves skin tone (it will even heal sunburn), promotes weight loss, enhances heart function, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and speeds cancer recovery.

And here is what the team at Hot Yoga Experience have to say:

Detox  with  Far  Infrared

When you are in a traditional Hot Yoga studio or Sauna, you are in a room with very hot air. In our studio and saunas, the Far Infrared heaters warm your body primarily and not the air. The warming effect on your body stimulates your cardiovascular system, your immune system, and your lymphatic system. The body responds by sweating. In addition to the Infrared heat triggering a profuse sweat, the water in our bodies also resonates with Far Infrared heat and this also helps with the detoxification process.

Benefits  of  Far  Infrared

• Burns hundreds of calories in 20-30 minutes
• Reduces stress and fatigue
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system
• Heals injuries faster and more efficiently
• Relieves pain and migraine headaches
• Ease joint pain and stiffness 
• Relaxes muscles and increases flexibility
• Deep cleanse skin naturally
• Remove toxins and mineral waste
• Improves the immune system

 

Here is what the LIVESTRONG website says about the benefits of using infra red heating:

 
The invisible waves of heat energy provided by infrared rays have the ability to permeate all layers of the body, penetrating into tissues, muscles and bone. When used as a part of medical treatment, far infrared therapy elevates the surface temperature of the body, which is believed to enhance body functioning on multiple levels. Far infrared heat lamps are often used in saunas and in hot yoga studios.

An Ancient Tradition

In 1922, a Japanese Buddhist Monk named Mikao Usui developed a technique called palm healing or reiki, as a form of complementary oriental medicine. Reiki practitioners believe that they can use internal infrared heat to transfer healing energy from one person to another. However, in 2008, a systematic review of randomized clinical trials failed to come up with sufficient evidence to prove claims of benefit from Reiki for conditions such as depression, pain or anxiety.

Melting Away Chronic Illness

Modern day use of infrared heat includes the use of far infrared heat lamps. These lamps provide all the healing components of natural infrared light without any of the negative effects of sun exposure. The subtle heating of far infrared rays has been shown to offer support to the immune system by increasing white blood cells and killer T-cells. Penetrating into the body, these healing rays have been shown to provide optimal conditioning to the cardiovascular system and provide an energy boost to the metabolic system. Boosting metabolism breaks down fat, cellulite, waste and other toxic substances. One hour of far infrared therapy has been shown to burn up to 900 metabolic calories while the sweating induced from its heat is believed to help the excretion of modern pollution levels in the body. "The Journal of the American College of Cardiology" has done studies that indicate that infrared sauna therapy improves blood vessel functioning significantly in high-cholesterol, smoking and diabetes patients because of lowered blood pressure, increased circulation, reduced blood sugars and weight loss.

Benefits to the Blood

Through expansion of capillaries that carry life giving blood, far infrared therapy increases oxygenation and regeneration of blood for improved functioning of the body's major organs. This deep detoxification may allow hidden toxins in the body's tissues to be immobilized or dissolved; heavy metals, poisons and carcinogenic material is thereby believed to be released from the body to enable optimal health.

Theories and Benefits for Mental Health

 

The availability of far infrared heat in saunas, clubs and hot yoga studios allows people to access the benefits of infrared heat easily. Along with the physical and physiological benefits of infrared heat are claims that far infrared heat may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Advocates believe that the reduction in mental health symptoms may be related to increased vitamin D production caused by regular exposure to far infrared heat which is beneficial in elevating and stabilizing the emotions, limbic and nervous system.

Considerations

Though infrared heat is being shown to have documented health benefits for many, caution should always be exercised when exposing the body to excessive heat during pregnancy, infancy, childhood and in the senior years to avoid dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and heat stroke. Contact your health care provider before beginning a regime of infrared exposure to assess if it is right for you.

 

And from one of our very own clients, The House of Yoga, Putney:

 

Some Benefits to practicing in the infrared environment:

·         Helps to improve your health from the inside out

·         Warming effect on your body that stimulates your immune, cardiovascular and lymphatic system

·         Effective healing towards old and existing injuries

·         Helps to flush toxins from the body, a cleanse from the inside out

·         Loosens muscles and stiff joints

·         Invigorates your mind and body and develops strength, focus, flexibility and balance

·         Boost levels of serotonin, the happy hormone

Infra Red Saunas - Imagine Having One Of These At Home!

Hot yoga is becoming increasingly popular among the yogi community, and it is always useful to know what other applications infra heating fits into - I'm taking a look at infra red saunas....

Red Saunas use infra red heating for saunas - what a fantastic concept. We are not affiliated in any way to Red Saunas, but I was browsing through other keywords for where / how to house infra red or radiant heating systems and came across these guys.

I'd seen infra red heated saunas advertised on the internet a while ago, but I can remember using one of those conventional saunas years ago at the local health club, and thinking - how on earth is that going to be better than having a normal sauna, and is it going to be as effective in getting the temperature up to 40 - 60⁰C?

Mind you, I haven't actually tried using an infra red sauna as yet, but knowing how hot the panels get in the office I can see it working (and I would guess Red Saunas wouldn't have much of a business if it didn't!).

Red Saunas

• No having to throw water over hot coals
• No having to wait ages for the sauna to heat up
• No hot spots
• Cost effective (much cheaper than a standard sauna)
• Clean
• Quick to set up
• Space saving......

You get total heating within the sauna to sweat those toxins out leaving you feeling refreshed and cleansed.

So along with infra red heating for the ceiling, underfloor heating, outdoor heating for the patio using infra red heating - you can now have your very own infra red sauna in the house / shed / garage / office???

Seriously, check this website out for more information: Red Saunas