Saturday, January 22, 2011

Week 2 - Hot Yoga Classes

I am a germaphobe. At least, I am a germaphobe when it comes to other people's germs (though I am generally okay with my own). So be forewarned - if you're coughing, sneezing, picking your nose or otherwise emitting bodily matter around me, I will likely be frantically heading for the other side of the room.

Naturally, this aversion to other people's germs does not bode well for my enjoyment of any sort of workout activity where I am sharing equipment or space with random strangers who sweat profusely and don't take the time to disinfect our shared weights or exercise mats when they are finished with them.

As a result, in recent years, a shift in my physical activity has occurred - I have chosen to focus on running outdoors at the expense of gym time. I can lace up my runners, crank up my Ipod, shut off my brain, enjoy the beauty of the great Winnipeg outdoors, and get a great workout while avoiding other sweaty, sticky, smelly folks.

Having said that, one group workout that I do enjoy is yoga. I find the stretching helps combat my tension headaches, and the meditation helps keep me sane. And yoga too is a largely solitary activity - I use my own mat, I stay in my own space, and I focus on physical and spiritual serenity.

So when a friend recently approached me to try hot yoga, I was at once intrigued and disgusted. On the one hand, hot yoga helps relax the muscles to achieve even better results. On the other hand, the thought of working out with other people's sweat dripping all around me, or knowing that my yoga mat is covering a sweat-soaked floor makes me want to gag.

Before making a decision, I weighed the pros and cons multiple times. But I will confess that the tipping point (shallow though it may be) was that I need to lose about 20 pounds, and I'm hoping that hot yoga will help me sweat some of that extra weight right off. So for now, at least, the pros have won out. New Activity #2 = hot yoga classes.

I bought a month-long pass for Moksha Yoga, and start this week. Wish me luck, and join me in fervently hoping that the other hot yoga participants don't sweat on my parade.

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