Stretch, sweat, save lives: Macomb County firefighters embrace hot yoga for peak performance

The heat may seem like torture, but it offers hidden benefits

Firefighters are known for handling intense heat while battling blazes, especially during the hot summer months.

In Macomb County, they are using heat in a new way to build physical and mental strength.

For firefighters like Shawn Diamond and Amanda Gladysz of Macomb Township’s C-shift, staying physically fit is crucial.

“Firefighters are put to the test every time the bell rings,” said Lt. David Nowak of the Macomb Township Fire Department. “They have to be ready.”

Their preparation now includes practicing some of the hottest yoga around in their full turnout gear.

Holding a plank or touching your toes might seem simple, but these firefighters do it while wearing 20 pounds of thermal gear in a workout room heated to over 100 degrees.

“The heat is completely different because with our gear, the heat doesn’t get let out,” said Shawn Diamond, who has been fighting fires and saving lives for 21 years.

Diamond and Gladysz discovered Hotworx, an infrared fitness studio in Shelby Township after a fellow firefighter recommended it.

“It helps to calm us after a stressful day at the station, loosen our muscles, and get us ready for the next day,” said Macomb Township Fire Department Lieutenant David Nowak.

Nowak recognizes the challenges of doing yoga in such an environment but sees it as valuable preparation for real-world firefighting.

“It limits you on how flexible you can be,” said Macomb Township Firefighter Amanda Gladysz. “Yoga poses like downward dog, you have to take a minute to think about how you’re going to do it. It limits you.”

Despite the limitations, the firefighters push through, just as they do on every call.

The heat may seem like torture, but it offers hidden benefits.

“In a house fire today, there are lots of plastics,” Nowak said. “Think about all the things you have in your home; the couch is full of foam. All over the house, there are plastics, and those plastics melt and give off bad smoke.”

The sauna-like workout helps clear some of those toxins from their bodies.

“What’s happening is the infrared is being absorbed into your body,” Diamond said. “After 30 to 50 minutes, it’s metabolized and starts detoxing your cells.”

Research supports the benefits of yoga for firefighters. A 10-week yoga class in California showed improvements in trunk stability and a lower risk of injury among participants.

For Macomb Township firefighters, this hot yoga routine in turnout gear is more than just exercise; it’s a vital part of staying strong and ready to face whatever the next call brings.