UK Edition
The sweaty secret behind Owen Farrell's recovery method
When packing for their World Cup campaign in Japan there was one surprising item that made England Captain Owen Farrell’s list: a Hotpod Yoga studio.
The England Rugby team are apparently hooked on Hotpod Yoga, where yoga classes take place at 37 degrees – the body's natural temperature – in an inflated structure that's heated by Dyson-esque fans. Hot yoga classes are said to have been a key tool for their post-match muscle recovery. Yoga's focus on mobility and flexibility has also helped with injury prevention.
Max Henderson, Co-Founder of Hotpod Yoga, has worked with the England team for the last year in the build-up to, and then during the World Cup. "We’ve been working week-in-week-out with the squad for over a year now, helping them recover physically and mentally after every game and prepare for the intensity of their training and matches ahead," he says.
Farrell's love of Hotpod yoga even led the company to create the England captain a bespoke private pod for him to take to the World Cup.
So, what's the appeal? Because of the temperature in the Hotpod, the players don’t need to spend as long warming up, as their muscles are more limber in the heat, allowing you to melt into every move with ease – classes can be shorter and get you right into the action.
“Using Hotpod Yoga has had a big impact on my recovery post-game, in particular,” Farrell has said. “The pod’s are uniquely well suited to take me away from what’s going on outside. It gives me a perfect space to just breathe and the yoga combined with the warmth of the pod helps me get my body moving again.”
Yoga isn't simply a physical practice and Farrell has praised the mental benefits as well. When Farrell steps inside the pod and zips up the doors, he says the darkened, cocoon-like environment quickly helps quieten his busy mind.
Farrell says: “The mental impact has been an important as the physical for me – but the two compliment each other.
“Hotpod classes really help me take my mind off what’s going on outside, which helps me recover mentally. That in turn has a big impact on me physically - helping my body recover quicker and better after training and games.”
Rugby players aren’t the only elite sportspeople to recognise the mind and body benefits of yoga. “We’ve been lucky enough to work with top tier athletes across the sporting world for a number of years – and rugby’s always been our sweet spot," says Henderson. "It’s a tough sport and the players face real physical impact and strain on their bodies as well as the natural mental stresses of any professional sport. So, what we do is the perfect antidote to that.”
What to expect from a Hotpod yoga session
If you're familiar with Bikram yoga, the well-known US-based hot yoga franchise, then Hotpod is a less prescriptive option. Bikram is a strict practice, made up of 26 postures, practiced for 90 minutes, whereas Hotpod sequences are an hour (or 45 min) long with more of an emphasis on flowing movements. This also leaves room for the teacher's creativity, so that not every class or teacher will be exactly the same.
Be prepared for a slightly more intense yoga class than one that takes place in a non-heated studio. The heat makes the heart and lungs work a little harder – helping you burn more calories, and giving you a great cardio workout. And as Farrell has discovered, the warmth also increases flexibility – easing joints and muscles and helping prevent injury.
While Hotpod classes aren't as hot as Bikram yoga (typically between 40 and 42 degrees), you're still going to leave feeling pretty sweaty. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after class so you don't get dehydrated. Fortunately showers and towels are available at Hotpod studios. All that sweating though will leave you feeling refreshed and rebalanced.