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Bikram yoga helping people fight injuries and serious illness

Posted at 8:49 AM, Mar 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-03 08:49:22-05

Virginia Beach, Va. - You could call it one of the hottest workouts sweeping the nation. Hottest --both figuratively, and physically. It's called Bikram Yoga. The exercise mixes both stretching and an intensive cardiovascular workout in a 105 degree heated room.

Some may ask what exactly are the benefits of being in what feels like a torture chamber, but according to instructors there are endless benefits.

Becca Davidson owns the Bikram Yoga studio in the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach. She says the heat is probably one of the most important factors of the practice.

"It really helps with inflammation, helps out with the pain, the circulation throughout the joints, flushing things out, flushing toxins out," said Davidson.

Among the obvious weight loss benefit from sweating out nearly 1,000 calories, many who take the class point to affects much deeper.

Nancy Miller was diagnosed with breast cancer just last year. For the last eight months she says chemotherapy has made her weak and fearful of exercise.

"It makes your body feel exhausted and very fatigued. I'm afraid I may go in and pass out."

In addition to feeling weak, Nancy says she didn't want to face anyone inside of a gym after losing all of her hair.

"You go in there with no hair and that makes you feel hesitant to go to the gym because there's so many people in there," said Miller.

When Nancy came to Bikram yoga, those fears disappeared.

"You focus on your body, who cares what anybody else thinks."

Many say they also reap the benefits it brings to injuries they've suffered from an injured Achilles tendon, to bad knees.