From yoga studios to boutique gyms, workouts performed beneath infrared heating panels have become a visible fitness trend. Studios often claim that infrared heat improves circulation, flexibility and recovery, reduces inflammation and helps the body to “detoxify”.
It is an appealing idea. Exercise already provides substantial health benefits, so could infrared heat make a workout more effective? At present, direct evidence is scarce. But a recent review of hot-yoga research found no clear evidence that exercising in heat provides greater health benefits than comparable exercise at ordinary temperatures.
