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The sweltering temperatures throughout the recent and relentless heat wave—not to say the health advisory alerts inundating your phone and urging you to take caution–could have prompted you to ponder whether it’s still secure to practice hot yoga.

It’s not only the temperature that’s cause for concern. The warmth warnings are typically in response to the warmth index, which is the combined measure of temperature and humidity. Not everyone experiences adversarial effects from exercising in the warmth. But at a certain critical point, the flexibility of a body to manage its temperature diminishes. A heat index reading above roughly 95 degrees Farenheit is often considered dangerous for anyone undergoing prolonged exposure or strenuous exercise. It’s not unusual for the warmth index at a hot yoga studio—where temperatures vary from the 90s to the low 100s and humidity levels are likely to be 40 to 60 percent—to surpass that danger threshold.

Nobody is saying you shouldn’t practice hot yoga. But in case you decide to take class in a heated studio, you want to take certain precautions and concentrate to your body’s response during your practice. The next guidelines can aid you understand your limits and know the best way to handle it in case you overtax your body.

6 ways to remain secure while practicing hot yoga

1. Modify your practice
If you happen to’re feeling fatigued, are returning to hot yoga after a break, or are recent to it, allow your body time to regulate. “Your initial exposure to heat must be without exercise,” says exercise physiologist and yoga instructor Leslie Funk. It’s possible you’ll want to sit down still during portions of sophistication. Start by holding poses for a fraction of the time the teacher suggests. You’ll step by step construct your endurance with each class.

2. Water, water, and more water
The excessive sweating that is an element of a hot yoga practice could, in certain situations, end in dehydration, heat exhaustion, even heatstroke. Funk recommends drinking at the least 16 ounces of water throughout the two hours before class, drinking continuously during your practice, and continuing to absorb water for several hours after class. 

It could be tempting to chug cold water during and particularly after your hot yoga practice. Resist. As an alternative, take frequent sips. Cool water is high quality, but avoid anything containing caffeine.

3. Show some skin
Sweating is your body’s primary defense against overheating. Baring some skin allows your body to release heat more efficiently. This has the whole lot to do with safety and nothing to do with immodesty.

4. Recognize the warning signs
The primary symptom of warmth exhaustion is a pulse rate that rockets and stays elevated. Other causes for immediate concern include dizziness, confusion, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal or muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, and vision disturbances. Also, concentrate in case you experience a decrease or cessation of sweating, which is an indication of significant dehydration.

5. Play it secure
If you happen to experience any of the above symptoms, immediately leave the heated portion of the studio or find the good area you’ll be able to and lie down. If you happen to feel like you would possibly pass out before you’ll be able to exit the space, simply lower yourself onto your mat. Elevate your legs above your heart by resting them on a chair or a box. Drape a towel soaked in cool water in your skin and slowly drink water. In case your symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

6. Get your doctor’s OK
Medical conditions resembling diabetes, heart problems, respiratory disease, sleep deprivation, pregnancy, eating disorders, a history of heat-related illness, and being obese may increase the chance of developing a heat-related illness, says Randell Wexler, M.D., a professor of family medicine at Ohio State University.

Also, some medications can interfere with the body’s heat regulation system and shouldn’t be combined with a hot yoga practice. Check along with your primary care physician before starting or continuing with hot yoga so you’ll be able to take any needed precautions and forestall a situation fairly than work out the best way to get well from it.

This text has been updated. Originally published August 28, 2007.