4 minute read
INFOCUS
SWEAT IT OUT
WRITTEN BY REBECCA FISCHER / PHOTOS BY JAMI MARSHALL
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Historic Downtown Overland Park is seeing a resurgence that even the coronavirus pandemic can’t stop. The neighborhood has been the longtime home of perennial favorites like InterUrban ArtHouse and the OP Farmers’ Market, and it is also attracting high-profile tenants such as Parisi Artisan Coffee and Strang Hall chef collective.
One new arrival that is also gaining popularity is HOTWORX, located across from Strang Hall in the Edison District. This innovative concept in exercise offers semi-private studios featuring infrared energy to accompany various isometrics and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts—giving participants more results, faster.
WHAT IS IT? Stephen Smith, a certified trainer and former bodybuilder, founded HOTWORX in 2014. While discussing with a friend the muscle recovery benefits that infrared saunas provide, the discussion turned to hot yoga, which Smith had recently taken up and was enjoying. As a business executive with a full schedule, his only complaint was the practice’s 90-minute length.
When his friend said, “People should do yoga in a sauna,” the idea for HOTWORX was born. Smith set up a small trial studio and soon patented the idea.
Fast forward a few years and local health care provider and fitness fanatic Matt Jones was having a similar experience with hot yoga, which he had taken up after a back injury prevented him from doing his normal workouts at the gym.
Although Matt enjoyed the benefits he was getting from hot yoga, he also found the time commitment to be troublesome. While doing research on infrared panels, he came across HOTWORX and had to try it.
“With a regular workout at the gym, I can’t warm my muscles up fast enough. The next day, it’s hard to get out of bed,” says Matt. “Not only are all HOTWORX workouts non-impact; they’re also healing— increasing flexibility and detoxification. I always feel great immediately after and the next day too.”
GETTING BACK IN THE GAME As anyone who loves exercise knows, getting back in the game after an injury is a major win. Sometimes it requires trying something new—but that something new has to work. It has to build strength, improve tone, and burn those calories.
“One of my favorite things about it is that it allows me to eat that extra cookie at night,” Matt says, laughing.
Shelley Jones, co-owner and married to Matt, says her favorite thing about HOTWORX is the time it saves. “I’m always busy— with the kids and their schedules, preparing meals, running errands,” Shelley says. “It’s important for me to get more workout in less time. I find myself glancing at my watch thinking I’m done already?”
Amanda Scoggin, manager of HOTWORX, has taught various exercise classes for the last 10 years. After one HOTWORX session, she was hooked. “I immediately loved how refreshed and energized I feel afterward,” Scoggin says. “The air quality is much higher—it’s a dry heat, so you can breathe better. I can feel my muscles acclimate faster and become more pliable.”
THE RESULTS ARE IN Science backs up the theory behind using infrared energy during workouts to increase their effectiveness. Infrared workouts are shown to improve blood flow, optimize oxygen to organs, and accelerate metabolism.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the use of infrared saunas can strengthen the immune system, improve immune response, reduce stress, and improve sleep. The detoxification process is also shown to improve skin tone
Pictured: Matt and Shelley Jones, Owners of Hotworx
and increase collagen and human growth hormone production.
Further proof is offered right on your phone. Participants have access to an app that counts the number of calories you’re burning not only during your class, but afterward as well.
“I burn about 1,500 calories when I do a ‘bonfire’ session,” says Matt. That’s combining a 15-minute HIIT session (e.g., cycling) with a 30-minute isometric session and finishing movements.
Ashley Williams of Overland Park says, “I am so glad to have found this place! My knees typically hurt during and after workouts, but the saunas relieve that pain and I burn tons of calories in less time.”
HOTWORX is open 24/7, with regular staffed hours. Studios are limited to one person during COVID-19, unless participants are in the same household. There are also sister studios located in Lee’s Summit, Parkville, and Shawnee!
HOTWORX • 7308 W. 80th St., OP, KS 66204 • 913.308.0000 • hotworx.net/studio/overland-park SIMPLYkc Special: Mention this article for a one-week FREE trial!
