London - Most of us try to remedy the pounding head caused by one too many glasses of Chardonnay with an Alka-Seltzer, a large glass of orange juice and a nice long lie-in.
But there is an alternative: yoga — the painfully holier- than-thou exercise for the internally cleansed and the emotionally balanced.
That’s right, yoga has a growing reputation as a hangover remedy. But how does it work? The first step is sweat. A style of yoga called Hot Flow, a new variation of traditional Bikram yoga, is performed in a humid room heated to 37c.
“Sweating is great for eliminating toxins that come out through the skin and for boosting the metabolism,” says yoga instructor Krystal Nash. She also says 37c is the perfect temperature to warm up the body so your muscles are loose and you can stretch comfortably.
Despite Nash’s positive attitude, I feel decidedly uncomfortable in the stifling room. I’m not great in heat, and I feel below par after a few too many the night before (all in the name of research, of course).
I’m sweating before we’ve even started moving, but as I get into the downward dog position — making a triangle shape with my hands and feet on the floor and my bottom in the air — I’m dripping onto my mat.
Midway through the session, I feel ready for a lie down. I’d envisaged a light yoga routine, with emphasis on meditation and breathing, not getting uncomfortably hot and sweaty. I hear the words of sports scientist Greg Whyte ringing in my ears: “Alcohol adversely affects the way your body uses energy. Exercising hard the day after drinking is dangerous as it can trigger heart arrhythmia which, in rare cases, can be fatal.”
Nash says she is well aware of the safety issues and advises against people going to classes if they haven’t drunk enough water or eaten a substantial breakfast two hours beforehand. The ideal “hangover yoga” session is at 3pm.
I leave the room sweating buckets, but feeling oddly refreshed. The fuzzy-headedness of my hangover is gone. I have boiled and flexed my way back to normality. I urge sceptics to try a class for themselves. - Daily Mail