So, how many calories does yoga burn in an hour? The simple answer is: it depends. It’s not a single fixed number. The calories burned per hour doing yoga change a lot based on several things. These include your body weight, the style of yoga you do, and how hard you work during the session.
This guide will look closely at the average calories burned in yoga and what makes the number go up or down. We will check out the yoga calorie burn rate for different kinds of yoga. We will also look at the total calorie expenditure during yoga and how it helps your body.
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What Makes Calories Burned During Yoga Change?
The number of calories you burn while doing yoga is not set in stone. Many things play a part in this yoga workout calorie burn. Knowing these things helps you guess better how many calories you might use up.
Your Body Weight
This is a big one. A heavier person burns more calories doing the same thing as a lighter person. Your body uses more energy to move and hold poses when it weighs more.
The Style of Yoga
Yoga comes in many types. Some styles are slow and gentle. Others are fast and hard. The style you choose greatly affects the yoga calorie burn rate. A fast, flowing style burns more calories than a slow, seated one.
How Hard You Work (Intensity)
Even within one style, you can change how hard you work. Holding poses longer or trying harder poses uses more energy. Moving smoothly between poses instead of stopping uses more energy too.
How Long You Practice
This one is simple. The longer you do yoga, the more calories you burn. A 90-minute class burns more than a 60-minute class, assuming the same effort.
Your Metabolism and Fitness Level
Your body’s natural speed of burning energy (metabolism) is different from others. Someone with more muscle might burn slightly more calories even when still. Also, as you get fitter, your body might become more efficient at doing yoga, perhaps slightly reducing the burn for the exact same movement, but fitter people often do harder poses or faster flows, increasing the burn.
Estimated Calories Burned Per Hour for Different Yoga Styles
Let’s look at some popular yoga styles. We will see how many calories they might burn in one hour. Remember, these are just rough numbers. They are often based on a person weighing around 150 pounds. Your actual burn might be higher or lower.
These numbers come from groups like the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and studies using METs (Metabolic Equivalents). METs are a way to measure how much energy an activity uses compared to just sitting. 1 MET means burning 1 calorie per kilogram per hour while resting. An activity with a MET of 3 burns 3 times that rate.
Here are some estimates for the calories burned per hour doing yoga by style:
h3 Hatha Yoga Calorie Burn Per Hour
- What it is: Hatha yoga is a common type of yoga. It includes basic poses and breathing. Classes are often slower-paced. You hold poses for a few breaths. It is good for beginners.
- How it burns calories: The slower pace means less constant movement. But you still use muscles to hold poses. This is like mild strength work.
- Estimated calorie burn: Around 180 to 240 calories per hour for a person weighing 150 lbs.
h3 How Many Calories Does Vinyasa Yoga Burn
- What it is: Vinyasa means “flow.” This style links poses together with your breath. You move from one pose right into the next. It is more active and can feel like a dance. Sun Salutations are a key part of Vinyasa.
- How it burns calories: The constant movement keeps your heart rate up more than in Hatha. You use many muscles moving through poses. This makes the yoga calorie burn rate higher.
- Estimated calorie burn: Around 300 to 450 calories per hour for a person weighing 150 lbs. This is much higher than Hatha.
h3 Power Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga Calorie Burn
- What they are: These are more intense styles. Power yoga is often based on Ashtanga but can vary. Ashtanga follows a set series of poses. Both involve flowing movement, strong poses, and build heat in the body. They require strength and stamina.
- How they burn calories: These styles are demanding. They include many standing poses, arm balances, and inversions. This uses a lot of muscle power and keeps the heart rate high for a long time. The calorie expenditure during yoga is significant here.
- Estimated calorie burn: Around 400 to 550+ calories per hour for a person weighing 150 lbs. These are among the styles with the best yoga for burning calories if you want a high number during the class.
h3 Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga Calorie Burn
- What they are: These styles are done in a heated room (often 95-105°F or 35-40°C). Bikram yoga follows a set series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. Hot yoga can be any style done in the heat.
- How they burn calories: The heat makes your body work harder to cool itself down. This increases your heart rate. The poses themselves can be challenging, like in Hatha or Vinyasa, depending on the style. The heat adds to the yoga calorie burn rate.
- Estimated calorie burn: Around 350 to 500+ calories per hour for a person weighing 150 lbs. Be careful: you sweat a lot in hot yoga, making it feel like you burned more. But some of the weight lost is just water. The extra calorie burn from heat is real but maybe not as much as people think compared to a very hard non-heated class.
h3 Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga Calorie Burn
- What they are: These styles are slow, gentle, and focused on deep stretching or relaxation. Poses are held for a long time (minutes). You use props like blankets and bolsters to support your body. There is very little movement.
- How they burn calories: These styles are designed for rest and healing, not burning lots of calories during the class. Your heart rate stays low. Muscle use is minimal because of the props.
- Estimated calorie burn: Around 100 to 150 calories per hour for a person weighing 150 lbs. The yoga workout calorie burn is lowest in these styles.
h3 Summary Table: Yoga Calorie Burn Estimates
Here is a simple table to show the typical average calories burned in yoga per hour for a person weighing about 150 pounds.
| Yoga Style | Estimated Calories Burned Per Hour (150 lbs person) |
|---|---|
| Restorative/Yin | 100 – 150 |
| Hatha | 180 – 240 |
| Vinyasa/Flow | 300 – 450 |
| Bikram/Hot | 350 – 500 |
| Power/Ashtanga | 400 – 550+ |
Keep in mind: These are just guesses. Your results may be different.
How Yoga Uses Energy in Your Body
Even in slower styles, your body is using energy. Calorie expenditure during yoga happens because:
- Muscles are Working: You use muscles to get into poses and hold them steady. Holding a pose uses energy, like holding a weight.
- Movement: Moving between poses, especially in flow styles, raises your heart rate. This uses more energy, like doing cardio.
- Body Functions: Even at rest, your body burns calories just to live. Breathing, keeping blood flowing, thinking – this all uses energy. Yoga adds to this baseline burn through movement and muscle work.
Exploring the Broader Link Between Yoga and Metabolism
Thinking only about the calories burned during the hour of yoga misses part of the picture. Yoga and metabolism are linked in other ways that can help your health and weight goals over time.
Lowering Stress
Yoga is great for calming your mind. When you are stressed, your body can make more of a hormone called cortisol. High levels of cortisol can tell your body to store fat, especially around the belly. By lowering stress, yoga can help lower cortisol. This can support healthy metabolism and make it easier to manage weight.
Building Some Muscle
Fast or strong yoga styles, like Power or Ashtanga, can help build a little muscle. Even slower styles use muscles to hold poses. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So, building muscle can slightly increase your metabolism over time.
Mindfulness and Healthy Choices
Yoga often teaches you to pay attention to your body and mind. This mindfulness can carry over into your life off the mat. You might become more aware of when you are truly hungry or full. This can help you make healthier choices about eating and lead to better eating habits.
Improving Sleep
Good sleep is key for a healthy body and metabolism. Yoga can help you relax and sleep better. Poor sleep can mess up hormones that control hunger and how your body stores energy. Getting enough rest supports a healthy metabolism.
So, while the direct yoga workout calorie burn might be less than running hard, yoga helps your body in many other ways that support a healthy weight and metabolism over time.
Comparing Yoga Calorie Burn to Other Exercises
How does the average calories burned in yoga stack up against other popular activities? Let’s look at some examples for a person weighing about 150 pounds over one hour.
| Activity | Estimated Calories Burned Per Hour (150 lbs person) |
|---|---|
| Sitting Quietly | ~70 |
| Walking (Easy, 2 mph) | ~180 |
| Hatha Yoga | 180 – 240 |
| Walking (Fast, 3.5 mph) | ~300 |
| Vinyasa Yoga | 300 – 450 |
| Weightlifting (General) | 300 – 450 |
| Power/Ashtanga Yoga | 400 – 550+ |
| Cycling (Moderate) | 400 – 600 |
| Running (5 mph pace) | 500 – 700 |
| Swimming (Moderate) | 500 – 700 |
Note: These are estimates and vary greatly based on intensity.
What does this table tell us?
- Slower yoga styles like Hatha burn calories like a gentle walk.
- Faster yoga styles like Vinyasa, Power, or Hot Yoga burn calories similar to brisk walking, weightlifting, or moderate cycling.
- High-impact activities like running or swimming often burn more calories per hour than most yoga styles.
This shows that if your only goal is to burn the highest number of calories in one hour, activities like running or swimming are often more efficient during that hour.
However, yoga offers benefits like flexibility, balance, strength, stress relief, and mindfulness that many other activities do not provide in the same way. The calorie expenditure during yoga is just one part of its value.
How to Increase Yoga’s Calorie Burn Rate
If you want to burn more calories during your yoga session, you can try a few things:
- Choose a More Active Style: As we saw, Vinyasa, Power, Ashtanga, or Hot Yoga styles naturally have a higher yoga calorie burn rate. If your goal is to maximize the yoga workout calorie burn, these are often the best yoga for burning calories during class.
- Move with Your Breath: In flow classes, connect each movement to an inhale or exhale. This helps keep the pace up and makes it more like cardio.
- Hold Poses Longer: Holding challenging poses, like Warrior III or Chair Pose, uses more muscle energy.
- Engage Your Muscles Actively: Don’t just hang in a pose. Work your muscles actively. Pull your shoulders down, engage your core, press into your feet. This increases the effort.
- Try More Challenging Poses: If your teacher offers harder versions of poses (like adding binds or trying arm balances), and you feel ready, try them. They use more strength and balance, burning more energy.
- Be Consistent: Doing yoga regularly helps build strength and stamina, allowing you to work harder in each session over time. This leads to a higher calories burned per hour doing yoga.
Even with these tips, remember that high-intensity yoga is still likely to burn fewer calories per hour than intense running or cycling for many people. But it’s a great way to add activity and enjoy many other benefits.
Choosing the Right Yoga Style for Your Goals
Deciding which yoga style is right for you depends on what you want to achieve.
- If your main goal is calorie burning and weight loss through exercise: Styles like Power Yoga, Ashtanga, or dynamic Vinyasa will give you the highest yoga calorie burn rate during the class. Combine this with mindful eating and perhaps other forms of exercise for the best results.
- If you want a balance of fitness, flexibility, and stress relief: Vinyasa or Hatha yoga can be great choices. They offer a good yoga workout calorie burn along with other important benefits.
- If your goal is deep relaxation, stress reduction, or recovery: Restorative or Yin yoga are perfect. The calorie expenditure during yoga is low, but the benefits for your nervous system and flexibility are very high. These benefits also support overall health and can indirectly help with weight management by reducing stress.
- If you enjoy heat and intensity: Hot Yoga or Bikram might be for you. They offer a solid yoga calorie burn rate and a unique experience.
Remember, any yoga is better than no yoga. Even gentle yoga burns calories and offers health benefits that support a healthy weight and body. Consistency is often more important than chasing the highest number on a calorie tracker for one session.
Tracking Your Yoga Calorie Burn
Many fitness trackers (like smartwatches) and apps try to estimate your calories burned per hour doing yoga. They use info like your heart rate, body weight, and the type of activity you tell it you are doing.
Are these numbers accurate? They can be helpful as a rough guide. They are better than just guessing. However, they are not perfect. It is hard for a device on your wrist to know exactly how much effort you are putting into holding a pose or flowing between movements.
Think of them as helpful estimates, not exact science. The most important thing is how you feel and how your body changes over time with regular practice. The yoga workout calorie burn shown on a tracker is just one piece of info.
Grasping the Full Picture of Yoga and Weight
While many people want to know how many calories does yoga burn, it’s important to see the full picture. Yoga is not just about burning calories. It is a practice that can make you stronger, more flexible, more balanced, and less stressed.
All these things work together for your health. Lower stress can help your body handle energy better (yoga and metabolism). More strength can mean a more active body overall. Better body awareness can lead to better choices about food and movement.
So, even if the calorie expenditure during yoga seems lower than some other hard exercises, the other benefits of yoga are huge. For many people, yoga is a great way to be active, manage stress, and support a healthy weight as part of a balanced lifestyle. It might not always be the best yoga for burning calories in a race against other workouts, but its unique blend of physical and mental benefits makes it incredibly valuable.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yoga and Calories
Here are some common questions people ask about calories burned per hour doing yoga.
h4 Can yoga help me lose weight?
Yes, yoga can help you lose weight, but it works best when combined with healthy eating. Burning calories during yoga helps create a calorie deficit (using more calories than you eat). The stress relief, muscle building, and mindfulness benefits of yoga also support weight loss and healthy weight management over time. The yoga calorie burn rate varies by style, so choosing more active styles can increase the exercise portion of your weight loss efforts.
h4 How often should I do yoga to burn calories?
Doing yoga regularly is key for any fitness goal. Aim for 3-5 sessions per week, depending on the style and your body. Consistent practice helps you build strength and stamina, which can increase the yoga workout calorie burn over time as you can work harder.
h4 Is hot yoga better for burning calories?
Hot yoga does burn slightly more calories than the same style in a regular room. The heat makes your body work harder. However, some of the intense feeling and weight loss after a hot class is due to sweating out water, not just burning fat. While it offers a good yoga calorie burn rate, other intense styles like Power or Ashtanga in a regular room might burn just as many or more calories through hard physical effort alone.
h4 Does my body weight really matter for calories burned?
Yes, it matters a lot. A person weighing 200 pounds will burn more calories doing the same yoga class than a person weighing 120 pounds. This is because the heavier body uses more energy to move and hold poses against gravity. So, calories burned per hour doing yoga is directly linked to your weight.
h4 Is holding a pose for a long time better for burning calories than flowing?
Both holding poses (isometric work) and flowing (cardio-like movement) burn calories. Flowing styles (like Vinyasa) often burn more calories per hour because they keep your heart rate higher with continuous movement. However, holding challenging strength poses for a long time (like in some Hatha or longer hold Vinyasa) also adds to the calorie expenditure during yoga. A mix of both is often found in dynamic classes.
h4 How accurate are fitness trackers for yoga calorie burn?
Fitness trackers can give you a rough idea or estimate. They are often good at tracking heart rate, which is part of the calorie burn calculation. However, they are not perfectly accurate for yoga because it involves many static holds and subtle muscle movements that are hard for a wrist sensor to measure exactly. Use them as a guide, but don’t rely on them as perfect numbers for your yoga calorie burn rate.