Getting Hot: Optimal Health Benefits

The benefits of using heat to improve overall health of the body, mind and emotions has been continually researched and medical doctors are finding  more and more positive results.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick has been documenting and discovering that when adding heat during exercise and the effects on the body by doing so, the results have been phenomenal and encouraging.

One of the main questions that students ask before taking a hot yoga or Pilates class is “why is it done in a heated room?” The general answer is that the heat increases flexibility, circulation, and releases toxins in the body. But there is much more to elaborate and understand with the help of research and science.

Exercising in heat has been proven to enhance overall body performance and endurance. The heat activates “heat shock proteins” that protect neurons from cell death. Also dymorphins are released, which makes you feel better after exercising in a heated class, decreasing anxiety and depression. (Dr. Rhonda Patrick on Hot Yoga: Joe Rogan Experience, Episode 672)

To  share scientifically and biochemically, the heat stress on the body improves cardiac function, lowers risk of hypertension, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. It turns on the longevity pathways that slows aging, promotes cellular repair, reduces inflammation, improves immune system, and improves lifespan. Heat stress also activates the FOXO3 gene which enhances cellular resilience and safeguards against DNA damage, ultimately promoting longevity.

So when you are in class: sweating, smelling and annoyed just bask in the heat knowing you will benefit more than suffer in the long run. Just stay in the room with your smiling happy face 🙂

About Dr. Rhonda Patrick

She did her graduate research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she investigated the link between mitochondrial metabolism, apoptosis, and cancer. Her groundbreaking work discovered that a protein that is critical for cell survival has two distinct mitochondrial localizations with disparate functions, linking its anti-apoptotic role to a previously unrecognized role in mitochondrial respiration and maintenance of mitochondrial structure. Her dissertation findings were published in the 2012 issue of Nature Cell Biology. She frequently engages the public on topics including the role micronutrient deficiencies play in diseases of aging, the role of genetics in determining the effects of nutrients on a person’s health status, benefits of exposing the body to hormetic stressors, such as through exercise, fasting, sauna use or heat stress, or various forms of cold exposure, and the importance of mindfulness, stress reduction, and sleep. It is Dr. Patrick’s goal to challenge the status quo and encourage the wider public to think about health and longevity using a proactive, preventative approach.

Information on Rhonda Patrick; Resource: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/