Hot yoga could help treat symptoms of depression, study suggests

Hot yoga could help treat symptoms of depression, study suggests

Heated or “hot” yoga may help relieve symptoms of moderate to severe depression in adults. New research shows that some people who took 90-minute yoga classes at least once a week have seen a 50% or more reduction in depressive symptoms. Although it is not yet an approved treatment, people who are physically able to practice yoga can benefit psychologically from the practice.

Heated yoga may help ease depressive symptoms in adults — so much so that researchers are suggesting combining heat and yoga as a possible treatment for moderate to severe depression.

The news comes from a study published on Monday in theJournal of Clinical Psychiatry. Although it was a small, randomized clinical trial with only 80 participants, the results showed serious promise for the effects of Bikram yoga (a type of heated or hot yoga) on symptoms of depression.

“Yoga and heat-based interventions could potentially change the course of treatment for patients with depression by providing a non-drug approach with additional physical benefits as a bonus,” lead study author Maren Nyer, PhD, director of yoga studies at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a press release from the Depression Clinical and Research Program.

Here's what you need to know about the new research, how heat and yoga can work together to ease depressive symptoms, and who might benefit most from trying a heated yoga practice.

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Heated yoga has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression

For the study, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital recruited 80 patients with depression and divided them into two groups: One group received 90-minute sessions of Bikram yoga practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees, while one group was placed on a waiting list and was not allowed to participate in yoga practice during the trial.

The researchers followed the groups for eight weeks. The Bikram yoga group was instructed to attend at least two yoga classes each week - overall, these participants attended an average of 10.3 classes over the eight-week period.

“People who received the heated yoga intervention experienced significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms compared to patients who were on the waitlist,” lead study author David Mischoulon, MD, PhD, director of the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, toldHealth. “They received these benefits by only attending about one class per week.”

At the end of the study, researchers found that more than half of yoga participants experienced a 50% or more reduction in depressive symptoms, compared to just 6.3% of waitlist participants. Additionally, 44% of yoga participants experienced such a significant reduction in their depressive symptoms that they were considered to be in remission.

“We were surprised that it was so effective at a once-weekly dose,” said Nyer, who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical SchoolHealth.

Although the study shows promising results for heated yoga as a potential treatment for depression, researchers say the current results may not be applicable to everyone and that additional studies need to be conducted.

“The study primarily recruited college-educated women, so the results may have limited generalizability,” Mishoulon said. “We recruited a larger proportion of minority women compared to other studies of ours, which was encouraging and suggested interest in this intervention in minority communities.”

Additionally, the study only examined one specific type of heated yoga, although there are numerous types and temperatures of heated yoga practice.

"There are many different types of heated yoga, however [Bikram] is the hottest form of heated yoga that we know of," Mishoulon said.

“Studies need to be done to compare the different temperatures of heated yoga for depression,” Nyer added. "For example, would some people benefit from a 'gentler' temperature, or is the full heat of 105 degrees Fahrenheit necessary to combat depression? We just don't know in terms of evidence. This is a relatively new area of ​​research."

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Why might heated yoga relieve depression symptoms?

Although regular yoga without heat has been studied as a potential treatment for depression for many years, authors have several theories as to why yoga specifically without heat may also help with depressive symptoms.

"Heat exposure interacts with inflammatory mechanisms in [humans]. Inflammation is thought to be a possible cause of depression," Mischoulon said. “We believe that exposure to heat may cause some chemical changes in the body that may counteract inflammation and in turn reduce depressive symptoms.”

Nyer says there is also evidence that people with depression may have a harder time regulating their body temperature - called thermoregulation - and may have a higher temperature and not sweat as easily.

"The idea behind heat or whole-body hyperthermia treatment for depression is that it resets the thermoregulatory system and can actually lower core body temperature from the slight increase seen in depression," Nyer said.

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What to consider before trying heated yoga

As with any form of exercise, Mischoulon says it's a good idea to check with your doctor before starting heated yoga.

“Some people find the heat of the procedure very uncomfortable,” Mishoulon said. In fact, for the present study, researchers prepared participants for the discomfort that can often accompany heated yoga and how to deal with it.

“We prepared people to get into hot yoga with a 45-minute training session held by the organization [principal investigator] “We conducted the study to make sure they knew fluid needs, knew not to eat a large meal, what to expect, how to manage their first visit to the studio, what to wear, etc.,” Nyer said.

There are also some people who may want to skip the heated aspect of hot yoga and instead try regular yoga for height gain.

“People with certain medical conditions, such as heart or kidney disease or diabetes, should check with their doctor about participating in heated yoga,” Mischoulon said. “Non-heated yoga may be a good alternative for these individuals because the experience is less physically demanding.”

It's also important to note that heated yoga is not yet a "treatment" that can be prescribed for depression — but researchers say it probably won't hurt to try it if you work with a healthcare team.

“Typically, we caution people against self-treating depression without the supervision of a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist,” Mischoulon said. "Certainly people who are interested in trying hot yoga and are in good general health should do so and would likely experience overall health benefits, but if the goal is to treat a specific medical condition, it is best to pursue this under supervision and consultation." from a doctor.”

And when you're in practice, it's wise to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard - and realize that showing up to class is half the challenge.

"This form of yoga is challenging, and depression comes with motivational and energetic challenges, so getting into that hot space takes a lot. Just taking a hot yoga class is truly a radical act of self-care," Nyer said. “Showing up is a great start and something to be proud of.”