I love hot yoga classes but its really the flow aspect that gets my heart rate up. FWIW I hated Bikram, the heat aspect was fine but holy smokes was it boring. it mainly got my heart rate up from the heat but the "flow" aspect of it was non existent.

Getting your heart rate elevated due to heat is different than getting your heart rate elevated due to exertion. I think the best kind of exercise is the kind that you love and will stick too. Yoga is great for building strength and flexibility. I would recommend adding 3 x a week 30-40 minutes of a more true cardio to lose weight and keep your heart healthy.

I love CorePower. If you want to drop weight you should check out the yoga sculpt classes.

Well, my heart rate goes up during power vinyasa flow classes, not as much as when I run, but it's not just stretching. I love hot power yoga as a balance with running, and I do think it helps me build muscle. The latter might help you lose weight, but I wouldn't do it solely for that reason. I do love a good hot power class, though, I just feel so great and stretched and strong after.

I've been to Extend Yoga in Rockville and Down Dog in Bethesda, and love both. Have no interest in bikram, since I prefer vinayasa style.

I like Ashtanga--aerobic, but not intentionally "hot" yoga where they keep the temperature up to make you sweat--gross.

OP, consider that you may be losing more water weight than weight. Also any exercise program is a rather long term investment to see and maintain weight loss. Do what you enjoy first and foremost vs. focusing on the weight loss. It won't seem so much like exercise.

I do Bikram yoga, but not for weight loss. I do it for stress relief, flexibility and helping maintain tone.

I also can't run due to joint issues. Swimming is a low-impact, great cardio workout.

Since you are interested in hot yoga, I assume you aren't looking for something that you can do at home or on your own. There's lot of low impact cardio options at a gym - biking/spinning, elliptical (if used properly), stairmaster (ditto), and low impact gym classes. Many gyms also have yoga classes (but usually not hot yoga) so you could do that as well.

If OP is considering Core Power, Vinyasa classes typically burn 445 calories per hour, or the same amount as jogging at a slow pace for 60 minutes. Just food for thought from someone who thinks that yoga can be more than just stretching. I agree that strength training and cardio are best for weightloss. However, diet is most important. Though I couldn't lose weight to save my life until I weaned.

Do it if it works for you for stress relief and to stretch muscles, but yoga (hot or otherwise) isn't going to make you lose weight.
Why isn't running working for you?
Have you considered strength training?

There's no way I'd lose weight just doing hot power yoga (assuming my diet didn't change). My heart rate doesn't get up high enough.

how does it help you burn fat? I ask this in a positive way. to make you think about how your body works.

fat burns most efficiently when your hr is 80% of it's max for a min if 30 minutes. in hot yoga you are justt pouring out water weight and dehydrating yourself.

it is tough but put in the miles and hours you will get their

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/The-Hidden-Dangers-of-Hot-Yoga.html

Any moms out there do hot power yoga for losing the baby weight? It's low impact (running isn't working for me right now) and stress relieving. I assume if I drink a ton of extra water before, during and after it won't effect my milk supply. It's time to start losing the baby weight and get in shape! Where in DC should I go? Corepower?