“We tried infrared fitness, the new trend taking over the fitness world – here’s what we found”

I’m writing this 24 hours after taking part in my first infrared fitness class. The DOMS is real. I’ve had to load up on electrolytes, and my body feels tired – but I also feel incredibly satisfied, and I’m already looking forward to my next fix.

Infrared workouts are similar to a ‘hot’ class, such as hot yoga, except they take place in front of an infrared light, either in an infrared studio or at home in a sauna pod. The infrared technology heats your body up, rather than the room, and it has a whole host of health benefits, including aiding flexibility and circulation, and boosting mental health and wellbeing.

In a bid to put this trend to the test, the Strong Women team took on two different types of infrared classes to see what all the fuss is about. And despite a lot of sweat (and learning some important lessons about hydration), it was definitely worth it. 

I’ve tried regular hot yoga in the past and really enjoyed it, so when I came across Psycle’s ‘infrared sculpt’ classes, I immediately thought it was for me. Its website describes the class as a “fusion of barre and strength – designed to work deeper, burn harder and recover smarter”. And this is exactly what the class delivers (with an emphasis on ‘burn harder’).

I arrived at the studio in a rush and had four minutes to get changed and into the class (understandably, there’s a hard closed-door policy once the class starts). This led to my first mistake: forgetting to refill my water bottle. If there’s one thing you need to know about infrared classes, it’s that you’re going to sweat, and you’re going to need to replenish those fluids.

Before the class started, we also needed to grab equipment – ankle weights, dumbbells, power rings and a small ball – along with the other essential: a sweat towel.

We began with some leg work before moving on to arm movement (which was when I realised I have no upper body strength). Like a great pilates class, the exercises flowed into each other nicely, like a dance. I used ankle weights for most of the workout, which felt light enough until, suddenly, they did not, and I had to persist to keep both leg exercises even. Only five minutes into the workout, during some exercises in the plank position, I saw a big droplet of sweat fall onto the floor in front of me.

By the end of the class, I was dripping, and as I stood up to do some stretches, I started to feel a little faint (bear in mind that I ran out of water 40 minutes earlier), but I only have myself to blame for not hydrating properly.

As the dim lights were brought up at the end of the class, I discovered my pink cycling shorts had turned maroon from the sweat. I also wore a cropped T-shirt, which in hindsight was another mistake: a sports bra or a strappy top is absolutely the way to go in these classes.

The class was hard, and I felt like the infrared was doing its job at deepening the workout – but not in a bad way. And considering my minimal strength training of late, my DOMS could have been so much worse if it had been a regular class; I definitely think the infrared aided my recovery.

Book the Psycle infrared class, £27.

I am not good with heat. I’m the first person to move into the shade on a hot summer’s day, and I’m always a sweaty mess by the time I get off the Tube. I don’t find heat relaxing; in fact, I find it claustrophobic. All of this is to say that the idea of a hot yoga class has never really appealed to me.

But when I first heard about infrared yoga, I was intrigued. It promised the benefits of hot yoga – cardiovascular conditioning and increased flexibility – without the need to spend an hour in a hot, humid room. Instead, infrared light heats the body directly, leaving you sweaty but not overheated.

Luckily, a new yoga studio in my neighbourhood – GoodGood Yoga in Balham – offers most of its classes with infrared heat, so I recently headed down to one of its signature flow classes to give it a go. The studio itself is such a calming, warm space, and the infrared studio – which is upstairs – has a secluded, peaceful atmosphere to it. I got there 10 minutes early, dropped my coat and shoes off in the storage areas provided, and made my way upstairs to wait for the class to begin.

Infrared heat doesn’t hit you in the face; it’s a gradual process. Before the class began, I could feel my body warming, but it was only once we’d gone through the first couple of flows and upped the pace that I felt myself starting to sweat. The class focused on inner groin and thigh muscles, so there was a lot of hip opening and rocking, and the heat really helped me get deeper into the moves and feel the stretch. The savasana at the end also felt more relaxing (lying still at the end of a yoga class can sometimes get a little chilly), but the warmth from the infrared light made me feel totally comfortable lying there in my sports bra and shorts.

By the end of the class, I was pretty sweaty, so I’d recommend taking a towel with you if you’re a sweatier girl like me. Having a water bottle on hand was also helpful. But whether or not you’re a fan of heat, I’d definitely recommend giving infrared yoga a go – it was one of the best yoga classes I’ve been to. 

Book infrared yoga at GoodGood Yoga, £26.

Image credits: Psycle