I’m pretty sure ‘try hot yoga’ was one of my 2015 New Year’s resolutions. You can probably guess that never happened. I’m so used to working out in the comfort of my own home, following along to my favourite YouTube trainers, that busing to a yoga studio on a rainy day and actually wearing proper athletic clothing doesn’t sound the most appealing. But when our best friend Pam nudged me to do a new-comer’s trial together, I told myself that this month is the month I finally get my bum into a yoga studio. I thought that doing Fitness Blender’s 1000 calorie workouts gave me a sweat shower. How wrong I was. I emerged from the ‘Hot Fast and Furious’ class on a Saturday morning like I stepped out of an actual sweat shower.

The first class we attended was a power core class. It was challenging because I had never exercised in such a hot room before, but the movements were familiar to me so it wasn’t intimidating. Since we had a good time in that class, we were excited for the next morning’s. Little did we know it was more boot camp than yoga, but still at 40 degrees Celsius. Within the first 15 minutes, I was already sweat dropping on my mat. Good thing I brought a big bath towel because I needed to wipe off my face after every set. Doing a deep glute stretch at the end of class was a struggle because my hands, wrists, and legs were super slippery (yes ew gross) meaning I couldn’t grip anything. I could feel tiny vibrations in my legs as I was returning the equipment to the room. As torturous as the class sounds, it was actually kinda fun and we saved ourselves spots for the next Fast and Furious class two days later! It’s nearing the end of our one week trial and I have to say, I’ll miss going to yoga every morning. Well, maybe since it’s summer and I don’t have a particular agenda, going to yoga is my goal of the day; I’ve been scheduling other activities around our yoga classes. Despite my arms and legs not really getting any rest days, I enjoy fitness challenges because they reveal new limits and you feel really accomplished afterwards, whether you made it through all the exercises or not. That ‘fallen angel’ pose? Defs not. Lemme just stay here in my squat. Standing splits? Not quite there yet. Headstand? I can barely get into the starting position. But the fact that you got off your desk chair and broke a ton of sweat is worth a pat on the (sweaty) back.

With all those endorphin-induced post-hot yoga vibes, it’s time to refuel! Here’s why these power balls are one of the greatest snacks to have after any sweaty workout:

Besides water, a lot of nutrients are depleted when we sweat, so it is especially important to refuel properly after an intense hot yoga session. Sodium, potassium, iron, and magnesium are some of the electrolytes (aka salts) that are lost through sweat. Vitamin C and a handful of B-vitamins are water-soluble vitamins and thus also seep out with your sweat.

These power balls are made with wholesome ingredients that naturally replenish these core nutrients. Dates are high in potassium and vitamin B6. Almonds and oats have lots of iron and magnesium. Strawberries are high in vitamin C, and we can add a bit of sea salt for an easy source of sodium.

Make a batch of these power balls each week so you have a portable snack to bring with you to your next hot yoga workout. Don’t forget to drink lots and lots of water right after your sweat sesh too!