The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › The Heat › adrenal fatigue
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I recently started seeing a naturopath who told me I am exhibiting symptoms of adrenal fatigue and low thyroid. She said I need to eliminate as much stress as possible. I have been practicing Bikram Hot Yoga for over a year, and I began to wonder if the excessive heat could be a contributing factor. Should I be concerned about this?
Thanks,
Mary Beth
Hi Mary Beth
I think a few bits of information would help! How many times per week are you practising? What temperature/s in the room? Is that a guess? Or do you know that for sure? Do you ever have to sit out of poses? Do others? What are your symptoms that have you believing it could be the heat? Have you tried not going for a few days to see if those signs disappear? Have you checked online for the signs of heat exhaustion, hyponatremia, adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism? You said your naturopath said you are exhibiting signs of 2 conditions but have you had any tests done?
So MB I look forward to seeing you back here soonish! Great if you can answer each question with detail, separately!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂From the beginning of August through November, I was practicing 1-2 times a week. My stressful job prevented me from doing more, and I just didn’t have the energy. At the beginning of December, after starting supplements for thyroid/adrenal function, I started going 3 times a week and generally felt pretty good. I recently started a 30-day challenge and have been going 4-5 times a week.
I estimate that the temperature is pretty consistently around 100 (I live in Alabama, so I’m pretty familiar with what that feels like). But I notice that when the humidity is higher, I have difficulty. The air is thick and I find it hard to breathe (I also have asthma). Also, I feel dizzy and nauseated and have to sit out some of the poses. I’m careful about hydrating and making sure I have plenty of electrolytes prior to and after class.
The naturopath based her diagnosis on symptoms of fatigue, dry skin/hair, hair falling out, brittle nails, chronic constipation, irregular periods, insomnia, and the fact that I have a very stressful job. But lab work showed that my adrenals were a little low and thyroid T3 was low within the “normal” range.
I started taking supplements she prescribed at the beginning of December and began to feel better within days. However, since starting the 30 day challenge, I notice that I am feeling more fatigued. I will also say that I generally have better classes in the mornings when I haven’t been at work all day. This has led me to think that working out in a very hot room for 1.5 hours might be more stress than I can handle right now while my body is trying to recover.
Hi MB
I have the feeling you are suffering from heat exhaustion. You have already recognised that the heat affects you more when the humidity is high. This is because of something called the ‘heat index’. You also mention you are less affected in the morning classes rather than the evening ones.
When you research heat index you will discover that you can adjust heat down when the humidity is up. And vice versa. And still have the same feeling. This dynamic makes it difficult for one to accurately guess temp levels. So it’s highly possible that the energy expenditure, the natural stresses of the class in the heat, along with the high heat conditions, the loss of water and electrolytes are contributing factors.
May I ask you which classes have more people in them? Morning or evening? And which classes feel hotter?
Try only going to morning classes for a while. Drink well. When you are in class try my little life-saving elixir: A pinch of sea salt, a few drops of lemon juice in your water. It will make you feel much better. Ignore any possible insistence that you avoid drinking water in class. Drink when you need to.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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