Bikram and getting older

Tagged: older students

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

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realpro53
Participant

October 26, 2016 at 1:25 am

Post count: 2

#21556

I am 63 years old and have always worked out a lot. I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga for 4 years and go 2-3 times per week. I’ve been noticing lately that the classes are getting harder for me. I’m breathing much more heavily and have had to skip the first balancing stick sequence because I’m so winded from standing bow. All of a sudden, the class is a struggle and I’m wondering if you think that just plain getting old has something to do with it.
Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

November 1, 2016 at 9:58 pm

Post count: 3048
#21567
Hello realpro53

I am reluctant to blame your age! It’s possible that other things are at play. Here is a list of possibilities where one or more factors maybe involved or indeed others I don’t include:
1. An underlying condition
2. Breathing is not smooth
3. Trying too hard
4. Emotional upheaval
5. Plus now the worry that something is wrong has you focused on a potential problem or even just the struggle and not on the practice
6. The studio is heating the room too high all of a sudden (even though that may be imperceptible to you)
7. The studio is heating the room too high and even though it’s been going on a long time, you have developed low grade chronic heat exhaustion
8. The conditions are now more humid (for whatever reason) and combined with the heat (even if it is not considered too high) is creating a high heat index that is making it hard for your body to cool down (again causing heat exhaustion)
9. An issue with electrolytes in your body
That’s a little laundry list of possibilities. Something has changed to alter your ability to cope and it’s physical or emotional or a result of ambient conditions or a combination of these factors. Without more information it’s hard to say.

I do know though that tens of thousands of hot yogis do have mild to moderate conditions of heat exhaustion. It’s worth googling heat exhaustion and hyponatremia to see if you have any of those things lists happening.

Get back to me and fill me in on more specifics as I would love to help you get to the bottom of this

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
Henry
Participant

January 19, 2018 at 9:00 pm

Post count: 29

#22163

I turned 65, Nov 2017 retired from working construction. It has been 9 months since going to Hot Yoga, did some regular Yoga during last summer but not much. My apartment has a workout room so have been doing some weights/multi station but did get back to Hot Yoga.

After my 1st class I felt it the next day and have been 3 times since, doing quite well and have big goals set. I have been Vegan for 6 months+ but recently have added a small amount of occasional cheese, some foods that have egg such as mayo. Just this week added some fish, at first some sardines and today had fish and chips. Plan to include yogurt to the shopping list.

I just plan to work at it and see if my diet helps. I use to do the crow with ease but seems like that’s gonna need much work, I can do the pose but get shaky.

2015 I was doing Yoga steady for 8 months almost daily, my tree was getting worse, took a Tai Chi break from Yoga and my tree greatly improved. I plan to blend both Yoga and Tai Chi and Calisthenics, one goal is to do one leg squatting again, I use to do 3 each leg.
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