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Bayside biz turns people from gym

By Nathan Duke

A new Bayside business is turning up the heat on getting borough residents back into shape through workouts that will prevent its customers from spending long hours at the gym.

Hot Yoga, at 208-52 Cross Island Pkwy. in Bayside, offers more than 21 classes per week aimed at not only getting customers into shape, but also making them feel more energetic and better rested, said co-owner and yoga instructor Michael Sheridan, who lives in New Hyde Park, L.I.

“Yoga is a great compliment to a gym workout,” said Sheridan, who co-owns the business with Bayside yoga instructor Claudia Lanzetta. “It's gratifying on so many levels.”

Hot Yoga, which opened in late June, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, offering a variety of 1 1/2 hour classes to customers who typically range in age from 22 to 45, Sheridan said. Each class features an estimated seven to 20 participants, he said.

“Some people use us as a workout,” he said. “They come three or four times a week instead of going to the gym.”

Sheridan said 75 percent of the classes are “hot yoga” workouts, in which instructors heat the room to 100 degrees. He said the humidity helps with detoxifying organs, relaxing muscles more quickly, easing joints and causing participants to sweat more, which allows them to lose weight more rapidly.

“During a gym workout, you just focus on certain body parts,” he said. “But yoga works out the whole body and helps cleanse your system in a way you won't get with gym exercise. If you are in a 'hot' class, you'll lose weight if you maintain a regular diet.”

He said “hot” classes also help participants sleep better if they drink water at the end of their workout. Most of his customers hail from Bayside, Whitestone and Flushing, he said.

Hot Yoga also offers prenatal workouts for pregnant women and regular yoga sessions, as well as toning classes that focus on working out the abdomen and hips, Sheridan said.

Each class costs between $14 and $20, he said. Customers must schedule the class ahead of time, he said.

Sheridan said his customers not only enjoy the intense workout, but also the ambiance.

“They like the environment,” he said. “We have bright colors and inspirational words on the wall. Our instructors are friendly and people get paid individual attention. It's very addictive.”

Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.