So, how many calories burned with yoga? Many people ask this. The simple answer is that it depends a lot on the type of yoga, how long you do it, and your own body. A gentle yoga session might burn around 150-250 calories in an hour. A faster, more active style like Vinyasa yoga can burn 300-500 calories or even more in the same time. Your weight and how hard you work also change your yoga calorie expenditure. This article will help you figure out how many calories a yoga session burns for you. We will look at calories burned per hour yoga for different styles and how you can estimate yoga calorie burn.
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Why Figuring Out Yoga Calories Is Tricky
Figuring out the exact number of calories burned when doing yoga is not always easy. It is different for every person and every session.
Many things affect how many calories you use. Think about these points:
- How intense is the class? Is it slow and gentle, or fast and strong?
- How long is the class? A 30-minute class burns fewer calories than a 90-minute one.
- What style of yoga? Hatha is different from Power Yoga.
- Your body weight. A heavier person usually burns more calories doing the same activity.
- Your own effort. How hard are you trying? Are you holding poses strongly or resting more?
- Your metabolism. This is how fast your body naturally burns energy.
Because of these differences, any number you see is usually an estimate. It is hard to give one single number for ‘how many calories yoga session burns’.
Factors Affecting Your Yoga Calorie Burn
Let’s look closer at what makes the number of calories burned with yoga go up or down.
Your Body Weight Matters
Your body uses energy to move. The more weight it has to move, the more energy it uses.
This means a person who weighs more will burn more calories than a person who weighs less, doing the exact same yoga class for the same amount of time.
Think of it like carrying a backpack. It takes more effort to walk up a hill with a heavy backpack than a light one. Your body is doing the same kind of work in yoga poses.
The Style of Yoga
Different types of yoga are like different types of workouts. Some are calm and slow. Some are fast and make you sweat a lot.
This is one of the biggest things that changes your yoga calorie expenditure. We will talk more about specific styles later.
- Gentle styles (like Yin or Restorative) burn fewer calories.
- Active styles (like Vinyasa or Power Yoga) burn more calories.
How Hard You Try
This is about your effort. In a class, you might do the same pose as someone else. But if you hold the pose longer, use your muscles more actively, or move with more energy, you will burn more calories.
Listen to your body, but know that putting in more effort usually means burning more energy.
How Long You Practice
This is simple. The longer you do yoga, the more calories you burn.
- A 30-minute session burns half the calories of a 60-minute session, assuming the same effort and style.
The Temperature of the Room
Hot yoga (like Bikram) is done in a very warm room. Your body has to work harder to stay cool when it’s hot.
This extra work burns more calories. So, hot yoga often has a higher calories burned per hour yoga compared to the same style done in a normal room.
Grasping Calorie Burn Numbers
To talk about calories burned during different activities, experts often use something called METs. MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task.
- 1 MET is the energy your body uses when you are sitting quietly.
- An activity with a MET value of 4 means you are using 4 times as much energy as when you are sitting still.
We can use MET values to estimate calorie burn. The formula looks like this:
Calories burned per minute = (MET value × body weight in kilograms × 3.5) / 200
Then, to get calories burned per hour, you multiply by 60.
Don’t worry too much about the formula itself. What’s important is that different yoga styles have different MET values.
- Gentle yoga might have a MET value around 2.0-2.5.
- Hatha yoga might be around 2.5-3.5.
- Vinyasa or Power yoga might be 4.0-5.0 or higher.
Using these MET values, we can estimate how many calories burned with yoga for different styles.
Deciphering Calories Burned by Different Yoga Types
Let’s look at specific types of yoga and their typical calorie burn estimates. Remember, these are just averages. Your actual number might be higher or lower.
These numbers are usually given as calories burned per hour yoga.
Hatha Yoga Calorie Burn
Hatha yoga is often seen as a basic or classic style. It involves holding poses for a few breaths and moving slowly between them. It is not as fast as Vinyasa.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 175-250 calories for a person weighing around 150 lbs (about 68 kg).
Hatha is good for beginners and focuses on basic poses, breathing, and alignment. It is a good way to start building strength and flexibility. While the Hatha yoga calorie burn is not as high as more active styles, it is still more than sitting!
Vinyasa Yoga Calorie Burn
Vinyasa yoga is often called “flow” yoga. You move smoothly from one pose to the next, linking movement with breath. It can be quite fast-paced and involves many poses.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 350-500 calories for a person weighing around 150 lbs (about 68 kg). This number can be higher in a very fast or difficult class.
The Vinyasa yoga calorie burn is much higher than Hatha because you are moving almost constantly. Your heart rate stays up, and your muscles work harder. This makes it one of the styles with high yoga calorie expenditure.
Power Yoga Calorie Burn
Power yoga is a type of Vinyasa yoga. It is usually very strong and demanding. It often includes more challenging poses and longer holds.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 400-600 calories or more for a person weighing around 150 lbs (about 68 kg).
Power yoga aims to build strength and endurance. The Power yoga calorie burn is often the highest among common yoga styles. If you want to burn lots of calories with yoga, Power yoga is a good choice.
Ashtanga Yoga Calorie Burn
Ashtanga yoga is a set series of poses done in the same order every time. It involves a strong flow (like Vinyasa) and special breathing techniques. It is physically demanding.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: Similar to Vinyasa or Power yoga, around 350-550+ calories.
Ashtanga requires strength and stamina. It provides a significant yoga calorie expenditure.
Bikram Yoga Calorie Burn
Bikram yoga is a set series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises done in a room heated to about 105°F (40°C) with 40% humidity.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 400-650+ calories.
The heat makes your body work harder. You sweat a lot. While some of this calorie burn is from the heat itself, the poses are also challenging. The high Bikram yoga calorie burn is due to the combination of intense poses and the hot environment.
Yin Yoga Calorie Burn
Yin yoga is very slow. Poses are held for a long time (3-5 minutes or more), usually with support like blocks and blankets. It targets deep connective tissues like ligaments and fascia.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 100-150 calories.
Yin yoga is not about burning lots of calories. It is about flexibility, mindfulness, and stretching deeply. The yoga calorie expenditure in Yin is low because the movements are slow and poses are supported.
Restorative Yoga Calorie Burn
Restorative yoga is about deep relaxation and healing. You use lots of props to fully support your body in gentle poses. Poses are held for a long time with no effort.
- Estimated calories burned per hour: About 80-120 calories.
Like Yin, Restorative yoga is not for burning calories. It is for calming the nervous system, reducing stress, and healing. The calorie burn is minimal.
Table of Estimated Calorie Burn by Yoga Type
Here is a table to help you estimate calories burned per hour yoga for different styles based on body weight.
| Yoga Style | Estimated METs | Calories Burned per Hour (120 lbs / 54 kg) | Calories Burned per Hour (150 lbs / 68 kg) | Calories Burned per Hour (180 lbs / 82 kg) | Calories Burned per Hour (200 lbs / 90 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative Yoga | 1.5-2.0 | 80-110 | 100-135 | 120-160 | 135-180 |
| Yin Yoga | 2.0-2.5 | 110-135 | 135-170 | 160-200 | 180-225 |
| Hatha Yoga | 2.5-3.5 | 135-190 | 170-235 | 200-280 | 225-315 |
| Vinyasa / Flow | 4.0-5.0 | 220-270 | 270-340 | 325-410 | 360-450 |
| Power Yoga | 4.5-6.0+ | 245-325+ | 305-405+ | 365-485+ | 405-540+ |
| Ashtanga Yoga | 4.5-5.5 | 245-300 | 305-375 | 365-450 | 405-500 |
| Bikram / Hot Yoga | 5.0-7.0+ | 270-380+ | 340-475+ | 410-570+ | 450-630+ |
Note: These are estimates. Your actual calorie burn can vary based on intensity, your personal metabolism, and other factors.
This table helps visualize the types of yoga calorie burn differences. You can see that more active styles burn significantly more calories.
Yoga for Weight Loss Calories
Many people ask about yoga for weight loss calories. Can yoga help you lose weight by burning calories?
Yes, yoga can be part of a weight loss plan. Burning calories is one part of losing weight. You need to burn more calories than you take in (eat).
Yoga helps burn calories, especially the more active styles like Vinyasa or Power yoga. Doing these styles regularly adds to your total daily calorie burn.
However, yoga often burns fewer calories per hour than high-impact activities like running or intense cardio.
- Running might burn 500-800+ calories per hour depending on speed and your weight.
- Yoga (even active styles) might burn 300-500 calories per hour.
So, if your main goal is weight loss through calorie burning, you might need to do longer or more intense yoga sessions, or combine yoga with other types of exercise.
More Ways Yoga Helps with Weight Loss (Beyond Calories)
Yoga helps with weight loss in ways that are not just about burning calories.
- Building Muscle: Active yoga styles build muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So, building muscle can increase your overall metabolism.
- Reducing Stress: Stress can cause people to gain weight, especially around the belly (cortisol hormone). Yoga is very good at reducing stress. Less stress can make it easier to lose weight.
- Improving Sleep: Poor sleep can affect hormones that control hunger and fullness. Yoga can help you sleep better, which supports healthy eating habits and weight management.
- Mindful Eating: Yoga teaches you to be more aware of your body and mind. This mindfulness can extend to eating. You might become more aware of when you are truly hungry and when you are full. This can help you make healthier food choices and eat less.
- Increased Activity: Simply doing yoga means you are moving instead of sitting. This increases your overall daily activity level and contributes to calorie burn.
So, while the direct yoga for weight loss calories might not be as high as some other activities, yoga supports weight loss in many other valuable ways.
How to Estimate Yoga Calorie Burn for You
Since the numbers are just estimates, how can you get a better idea of your own calorie burn?
- Use Online Calculators: Many websites have calorie burn calculators. You can often input your weight, the type of yoga, and the duration. Remember these are still estimates based on average MET values.
- Wear a Heart Rate Monitor or Fitness Tracker: Devices like fitness watches or chest strap heart rate monitors can give you a more personalized estimate. They use your heart rate, weight, age, and other data to guess how many calories you are burning.
- Make sure your device is set up with your correct personal information (weight, age, sex).
- Wear it throughout the entire class.
- Understand that these are still estimates, but usually more accurate than general tables.
- Keep a Journal: Track the type of yoga you do, how long you do it, and how hard you felt you worked (easy, medium, hard). Over time, you can get a feel for the calorie burn ranges for different classes you take.
- Talk to an Instructor: A yoga teacher might be able to give you an idea of the intensity of their specific class compared to other styles.
Getting an exact number is hard without scientific equipment. But using a fitness tracker or online calculator based on typical types of yoga calorie burn can give you a good idea.
Comparing Yoga Calorie Burn to Other Activities
It is helpful to see how yoga stacks up against other common ways to move. This puts the yoga calorie expenditure in perspective.
Here are some rough calorie burn estimates per hour for a 150 lb person:
- Walking (moderate pace): 250-350 calories
- Cycling (moderate pace): 400-550 calories
- Running (moderate pace): 550-750 calories
- Swimming (moderate pace): 400-550 calories
- Weightlifting (general): 300-450 calories
- Dancing (aerobic): 400-500 calories
- Yoga (Hatha): 170-235 calories
- Yoga (Vinyasa/Power): 305-405+ calories
You can see that intense yoga (Vinyasa, Power, Hot) burns a similar number of calories per hour as many moderate cardio activities or weightlifting. Gentler yoga burns fewer calories but still contributes to your daily total.
The key is consistency. Doing yoga regularly, even if it’s a gentler style, adds up in terms of weekly yoga calorie expenditure.
Maximizing Calories Burned With Yoga
If your goal is to burn more calories during your yoga practice, here are some tips:
- Choose More Active Styles: Go for Vinyasa, Power, Ashtanga, or Bikram yoga classes. These have higher potential calories burned per hour yoga.
- Increase Intensity:
- Move with more energy.
- Hold poses strongly, engaging your muscles fully.
- Flow smoothly and quickly between poses (in flow styles).
- If safe, try more challenging variations of poses.
- Increase Duration: Practice for longer periods. A 90-minute Vinyasa class burns more than a 60-minute one.
- Practice More Often: More frequent sessions mean more total calories burned per week.
- Try Hot Yoga: The heat increases the calorie burn. Make sure you stay hydrated!
- Focus on Strength: Styles or classes that involve holding strength-building poses (like planks, warrior poses, chair pose) for longer can increase the challenge and calorie burn.
Remember to listen to your body and avoid pushing too hard, especially if you are new to yoga or a specific style. Yoga is also about balance and avoiding injury.
Benefits of Yoga Beyond Calorie Burn
While this article focuses on ‘how many calories burned with yoga’, it is important to remember that yoga offers many other amazing benefits. These benefits are often the main reasons people practice yoga.
- Improved Flexibility: Yoga stretches muscles and connective tissues, helping you become more flexible.
- Increased Strength: Many yoga poses build strength in your arms, legs, core, and back.
- Better Balance: Holding poses helps improve your balance and body awareness.
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Yoga combines movement, breath work, and sometimes meditation, which are powerful tools for calming the mind and reducing stress.
- Improved Breathing: You learn to breathe more deeply and fully. This can help with relaxation and overall health.
- Better Posture: Strengthening core and back muscles and increasing flexibility can help improve your posture.
- Mindfulness: Yoga helps you focus on the present moment, which can improve mental clarity and reduce worrying.
- Body Awareness: You learn to understand your body better and notice how it feels.
- Potential Pain Relief: Regular yoga can help reduce chronic pain, especially in the back and joints.
So, even if the calories burned with yoga in a gentle class seem low, you are still getting many valuable health benefits. Yoga is a holistic practice that works on your body, mind, and spirit.
Types of Yoga Calorie Burn: Summarizing What We Learned
We’ve seen that the number of calories burned during yoga varies greatly depending on the style.
- Lower calorie burn: Restorative, Yin (focus on relaxation, flexibility, deep tissue stretch).
- Medium calorie burn: Hatha (basic poses, slower pace).
- Higher calorie burn: Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Power, Bikram (faster pace, more movement, strength, heat).
When thinking about how many calories yoga session burns for you, consider:
- Your weight
- The style of yoga
- How long you practice
- How much effort you put in
While you can use tools like fitness trackers or online calculators to estimate yoga calorie burn, the numbers are not always exact.
For yoga for weight loss calories, active styles burn a decent amount, making them helpful as part of a plan that includes healthy eating. But yoga’s benefits for stress, sleep, and mindfulness also support weight loss in important ways.
Ultimately, the best yoga for you is the one you enjoy and can stick with. Whether your goal is burning calories, building strength, increasing flexibility, reducing stress, or all of these, there is a style of yoga that can meet your needs. Don’t get too hung up on the exact calorie number. Focus on how yoga makes your body and mind feel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga and Calories
Here are some common questions people ask about calories burned with yoga.
How accurate are fitness trackers for yoga calorie burn?
Fitness trackers use your heart rate and other data to estimate calorie burn. They are usually more accurate than general charts based on weight and activity type alone. However, they are still estimates, especially for activities like yoga where heart rate might not be as consistently high as running or cycling. The accuracy can vary between different devices and brands.
Can I lose weight only by doing yoga?
Losing weight requires burning more calories than you consume. You can lose weight by doing yoga, especially if you practice frequently and choose active styles that burn a significant amount of calories (yoga calorie expenditure). However, managing your diet is also very important. Combining regular yoga with healthy eating is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. Remember yoga’s other benefits for weight loss like stress reduction and mindfulness.
Does hot yoga really burn more calories?
Yes, hot yoga usually burns more calories than the same style done in a regular room. Your body uses energy to cool itself down in the heat. This extra work adds to the calories burned from the poses themselves. However, some of the weight lost during hot yoga is just water from sweating, not fat. You need to rehydrate well after a hot yoga class.
Is a 30-minute yoga session worth it for calorie burning?
Yes, any amount of activity is worth it! A 30-minute session will burn calories and offer other benefits like reduced stress and increased flexibility. While a 30-minute gentle class might burn fewer calories than a longer or more intense session, it still adds to your daily total yoga calorie expenditure and is good for your health. If you do a high-intensity 30-minute Power yoga class, you can still burn a significant number of calories.
How can I track my calories burned during yoga?
The easiest way is to use a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor during your practice. You can also use online calorie calculators, but these give you general estimates based on your weight and the style of yoga. Keeping a log of your practice helps you see your activity level over time.
Does flexibility affect how many calories I burn?
Not directly. Flexibility is a result of yoga practice. It doesn’t change how many calories your body uses to do a pose. However, as you become more flexible and stronger, you might be able to do more challenging poses or flow more smoothly in active classes, which could indirectly increase your calorie burn over time.
How does breath (pranayama) affect calorie burn?
Basic breathing exercises themselves do not burn many calories. However, pranayama is often done as part of a yoga practice. The powerful breathing techniques used in some styles, like the Ujjayi breath in Vinyasa or Ashtanga, are linked with the movement and can contribute to the intensity and overall energy used during the practice. It’s more about supporting the physical effort than burning calories on its own.
Is yoga better than cardio for calorie burning?
It depends on the type of yoga and the type of cardio. High-intensity cardio like running or jumping rope generally burns more calories per hour than most yoga styles. However, a fast-paced Power yoga class can burn a similar amount of calories as moderate cycling or brisk walking. Yoga also offers unique benefits like strength, flexibility, and stress reduction that pure cardio might not provide. The best approach for many people is to do a mix of different activities, including both cardio and yoga.
Can I use yoga to create a calorie deficit for weight loss?
Yes, you can. A calorie deficit means you burn more calories than you consume. Doing yoga regularly burns calories and contributes to this deficit. The size of the deficit depends on how many calories you burn (which style and how long you practice) and how many calories you eat. For significant weight loss, you usually need a calorie deficit of 500-1000 calories per day. You can achieve this through a combination of exercise (like yoga) and dietary changes.
Thinking about how many calories burned with yoga is a common question, but remember the full picture. Yoga is a powerful practice for overall well-being. Any calories burned are a great bonus on top of all the physical and mental health benefits you gain.