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How Many Calories Do I Burn Doing Yoga: Calculate Yours
How many calories do you burn doing yoga? The simple answer is: it changes a lot depending on many things. You can burn anywhere from around 150 calories per hour for a gentle class to over 500 calories per hour for a very active one. It is not a single number for everyone or for every class.
Exploring Yoga Calorie Burn Rates
Burning calories means your body uses energy. When you do yoga, your body uses energy to move, hold poses, and keep you balanced. The Yoga calorie burn rate tells us how much energy your body uses over a certain time, like an hour. This rate is not the same for everyone. It changes based on many things about you and the type of yoga you do.
People often ask about calories burned per hour yoga. This is a good way to think about it because yoga classes are usually an hour long. But even in an hour, the number of calories burned can be very different. It depends on how hard the class is and how much you weigh. A bigger person uses more energy to move, so they burn more calories than a smaller person doing the same class.
Figuring Out What Affects Your Calorie Burn
Many things change how many calories you burn when you do yoga. These are the factors affecting yoga calorie burn. Knowing these factors helps you guess better how many calories you might burn.
- Your Body Weight: People who weigh more burn more calories doing the same activity. This is because their bodies have to work harder to move and support more weight.
- How Hard You Work: This is also called intensity. If you do a very active yoga class with lots of movement and challenging poses, you work harder. This means you burn more calories than in a slow, calm class.
- How Long You Do Yoga: The longer you do yoga, the more calories you burn. Doing yoga for 90 minutes will burn more calories than doing it for 30 minutes, assuming the same type of yoga.
- The Type of Yoga: Different yoga styles are very different. Some are fast and make you sweat a lot. Others are slow and focus on holding poses for a long time or just relaxing. The style you choose is a big factor in how many calories you burn.
- Your Own Body: Everyone’s body is a little different. How fit you are and how your body uses energy (your metabolism) can also play a small role.
Examining Different Yoga Styles and Their Calorie Burn
Not all yoga is the same when it comes to burning calories. Some styles are designed to be physically demanding, while others focus on relaxation and stretching. Let’s look at a few popular styles and see their typical calories burned per hour yoga.
Hatha Yoga Calorie Burn
Hatha yoga is a common starting point for many people. Classes usually involve holding basic poses for a few breaths and moving slowly between them. It’s not as fast as some other styles.
- Expected Burn: Around 180-250 calories per hour.
- It’s good for learning the poses and building basic strength.
- It’s usually a moderate intensity workout.
Vinyasa Yoga Calorie Burn
Vinyasa yoga calories can be much higher than Hatha. Vinyasa means linking breath to movement. You move smoothly and often quickly from one pose to the next. Think of it as a flow. Sun salutations are a key part of Vinyasa, and they get your heart rate up.
- Expected Burn: Around 300-450 calories per hour.
- This style is more dynamic and can feel more like a cardio workout than Hatha.
- It builds heat and can make you sweat more.
Ashtanga Yoga Calorie Expenditure
Ashtanga yoga calorie expenditure is often high. This is a very structured and physically demanding style. You do a set series of poses in the same order every time. It involves many Vinyasas (movements between poses) and builds a lot of internal heat.
- Expected Burn: Around 350-500+ calories per hour.
- It is a vigorous practice that requires strength and stamina.
- This is one of the more intense yoga styles.
Hot Yoga Calorie Burn
Hot yoga calorie burn can be very high, but part of this is due to the heat. Hot yoga is done in a heated room (often 90-105°F or 32-40°C). Bikram yoga is a type of hot yoga with a set series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. The heat makes you sweat a lot, which feels like you’re working hard.
- Expected Burn: Around 400-600+ calories per hour.
- Keep in mind that some of the high calorie number comes from your body working to cool itself in the heat.
- It’s important to stay hydrated in hot yoga.
Restorative Yoga Calorie Burn
Restorative yoga calorie burn is the lowest among yoga styles. This style is all about relaxing and healing. You use props like blankets, bolsters, and blocks to support your body in gentle poses. You hold poses for a long time, but there is very little effort involved.
- Expected Burn: Around 100-150 calories per hour.
- This style is good for reducing stress, stretching gently, and relaxing muscles.
- It is not designed for calorie burning or intense exercise.
Power Yoga Calorie Burn
Power yoga is similar to Vinyasa but often more intense and athletic. It takes elements from Ashtanga but doesn’t always follow the strict series. Classes often include challenging poses and sequences designed to build strength and stamina.
- Expected Burn: Around 350-500+ calories per hour.
- Focuses on building muscle and increasing heart rate.
- Classes can vary widely in intensity depending on the teacher.
Yin Yoga Calorie Burn
Yin yoga is a slow-paced style where poses are held for longer periods, usually 3-5 minutes or more. It targets the deep connective tissues like ligaments and joints. It is not physically demanding in terms of muscle effort, but holding poses can be mentally challenging.
- Expected Burn: Around 150-200 calories per hour.
- Similar to Hatha or Restorative in terms of physical calorie burn, but aims for deeper stretching.
- Focus is on stillness and breath.
Estimating Your Yoga Calorie Burn
Since the number changes so much, how can you get a yoga calorie calculator estimate? You can use online tools or charts, but remember they only give you a guess.
These tools usually ask for:
* Your body weight
* How long you did yoga
* The type of yoga or how intense it was (easy, medium, hard)
They use average numbers based on studies. For example, they might know that a 150-pound person doing medium-intensity yoga burns about 250 calories per hour. Then they adjust the number based on your weight and the time you put in.
How Online Calculators Work (Simply Put)
Most calculators use a formula that looks something like this:
Calories Burned = (Metabolic Equivalent (MET) value * your weight in kilograms * time in hours)
- MET Value: This is a number that shows how much energy an activity uses compared to just sitting quietly. Sitting is 1 MET. Walking slowly might be 2 METs. Running fast might be 10 METs. Different yoga styles have different MET values. A gentle class might be 2 METs, a Vinyasa class might be 4 METs, and a hot yoga class might be 6 METs or higher.
- Your Weight: They need your weight to know how much mass your body moves and supports.
- Time: They need to know how long you did the activity.
Let’s say a Vinyasa class has a MET value of 4. If you weigh 150 pounds (about 68 kg) and do yoga for one hour:
Calories Burned = 4 * 68 kg * 1 hour = 272 calories.
This is an estimate. Your actual burn might be a little higher or lower. Wearable fitness trackers like smartwatches also estimate calorie burn. They use your heart rate and other info to try and get a more personal number, but they are also estimates.
Calories Burned in a 60-Minute Yoga Class
Most yoga classes are around 60 minutes. So, figuring out calories burned 60 minute yoga is a common question. Here is a simple table showing rough estimates for a person weighing around 150 pounds (about 68 kg) for different styles over 60 minutes.
| Yoga Style | Estimated Calories Burned (150 lbs person, 60 mins) | Rough Activity Level |
|---|---|---|
| Restorative Yoga | 100 – 150 | Very Gentle |
| Yin Yoga | 150 – 200 | Gentle |
| Hatha Yoga | 180 – 250 | Moderate |
| Vinyasa Yoga | 300 – 450 | Active |
| Ashtanga Yoga | 350 – 500+ | Vigorous |
| Power Yoga | 350 – 500+ | Vigorous |
| Hot Yoga (Bikram) | 400 – 600+ | Vigorous (plus heat) |
Remember, these are just guesses. If you weigh more, you will likely burn more. If you weigh less, you will likely burn less. If you put more effort into the class, you will burn more. If you take many breaks or the class is easier than usual for that style, you might burn less.
Why the Range?
You see a range of numbers in the table (e.g., 300-450 for Vinyasa). This is because even within one style, classes can be different. One Vinyasa teacher might lead a faster, more challenging class than another. Also, how hard you work changes the number. If you push yourself and do every pose fully, you burn more than if you take it easy.
Yoga for Weight Loss and Calorie Burn
Many people start yoga hoping it will help with yoga for weight loss calories. Can yoga help you lose weight? Yes, it can be a part of a weight loss plan, especially when combined with healthy eating.
Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you take in from food and drinks. This is called creating a calorie deficit.
- If you burn 300 calories in a yoga class, and that’s more than you usually burn, it helps create that deficit.
- If you do active yoga styles regularly, like Vinyasa, Ashtanga, or Power yoga, the calorie burn adds up over time.
- Even gentler styles help by building muscle (muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest) and reducing stress (stress can sometimes lead to weight gain or make losing weight harder).
However, yoga often burns fewer calories per hour compared to activities like running, swimming, or cycling fast. You might burn 500-800+ calories running for an hour, but only 300-450 in an hour of Vinyasa yoga.
How Yoga Still Helps with Weight Loss
Even if the calorie burn isn’t as high as some other exercises, yoga helps with weight loss in other ways:
- Builds Muscle: Styles like Ashtanga, Power, and Vinyasa build strength and muscle tone. More muscle means your body burns more calories overall.
- Reduces Stress: Many people eat unhealthy foods when they are stressed. Yoga is great for lowering stress and calming the mind. This can help you make better food choices.
- Improves Body Awareness: Yoga teaches you to listen to your body. This can help you notice when you are truly hungry and when you are full. This mind-body connection supports healthy eating habits.
- Increases Activity: If you were not exercising before, adding even a moderate yoga practice burns extra calories you weren’t burning before.
- Makes You Feel Good: When you feel good from exercise, you are often more motivated to eat well and make other healthy choices.
So, while you can’t just look at the yoga for weight loss calories number, yoga is a very valuable tool for overall health and can certainly support weight loss goals, especially when done consistently and combined with mindful eating.
Getting a More Personal Estimate
Using a general yoga calorie calculator estimate or table is a good start, but how can you get closer to your own number?
- Use Your Weight: Most online calculators let you put in your weight. Make sure you use one that does this. Remember, the numbers in tables are usually for an “average” person, often around 150 lbs. Adjust in your head: if you weigh more, add a little; if you weigh less, subtract a little.
- Think About Intensity: Be honest about how hard you worked. Was it a very gentle class where you barely broke a sweat? Or was it a power flow that left you tired and sweaty? Choose the right intensity level in a calculator or use the lower end of the range for gentle styles and the higher end for vigorous ones.
- Use a Fitness Tracker: Wearable devices can track your heart rate during the class. This gives a better idea of how hard your body is working. They use this heart rate data, along with your age, weight, and height, to estimate calorie burn. While still not perfectly accurate, they are usually more personal than a general online calculator.
- Note the Style and Teacher: Keep track of the style of yoga and maybe even the teacher. Some teachers lead faster, more intense classes than others, even within the same style name.
Example Calculation with Different Weights
Let’s look at the estimated calories burned 60 minute yoga for a Vinyasa class (using a MET value of 4) for different body weights.
- 120 lbs (approx 54.5 kg): 4 * 54.5 * 1 = ~218 calories
- 150 lbs (approx 68 kg): 4 * 68 * 1 = ~272 calories (matching our earlier example)
- 180 lbs (approx 81.6 kg): 4 * 81.6 * 1 = ~326 calories
- 200 lbs (approx 90.7 kg): 4 * 90.7 * 1 = ~363 calories
As you can see, the calories burned for the same activity time and intensity go up as body weight goes up. This shows why using your own weight is important for a better estimate.
Calorie Burn Beyond the Class
It’s worth noting that yoga can have benefits that go beyond the calories burned during the session itself. Building muscle, as mentioned before, helps burn more calories at rest. Also, reducing stress can improve sleep, and good sleep is linked to healthy metabolism.
While yoga might not always match the high yoga calorie burn rate of intense cardio, its full-body benefits contribute to health and wellness in ways that support a healthy weight and lifestyle over time. It’s not just about the numbers burned on the mat; it’s about the overall impact on your physical and mental well-being.
Setting Goals with Yoga
If you are doing yoga for fitness or to help manage your weight, knowing the calorie burn can be useful for tracking. However, try not to get too hung up on the exact number.
- Consistency is Key: Doing yoga regularly is more important than knowing the precise calorie count of one class. A moderate calorie burn done 3-4 times a week adds up significantly.
- Focus on How You Feel: Pay attention to how yoga makes you feel. Do you feel stronger? More flexible? Less stressed? These are also important signs of progress.
- Listen to Your Body: Push yourself safely in styles like Vinyasa or Ashtanga if you want a higher calorie burn, but also allow for rest and recovery with gentler styles like Restorative or Yin. Your body needs balance.
- Combine with Other Activities: If your main goal is weight loss, consider adding other activities like walking, running, or strength training to your routine alongside yoga. This mix often works best.
- Pair with Healthy Eating: Remember that you cannot out-exercise a poor diet. To lose weight, managing what you eat is crucial. Yoga supports healthy habits, but food intake is key for calorie deficit.
Summarizing Yoga Calorie Burn
- The Yoga calorie burn rate is not fixed. It changes based on you and the class.
- Calories burned per hour yoga can be as low as 100-150 (Restorative) or over 500 (Hot Yoga, Ashtanga).
- Vinyasa yoga calories are usually in the moderate to high range (300-450 per hour).
- Hot yoga calorie burn is often the highest reported, partly due to the heat.
- Ashtanga yoga calorie expenditure is also high due to its challenging nature.
- Restorative yoga calorie burn is the lowest, focusing on healing over intense effort.
- Many factors affecting yoga calorie burn include your weight, the intensity of the class, and how long you practice.
- A yoga calorie calculator estimate can give you a rough idea, but use your weight and judge the intensity carefully. Wearable trackers can help too.
- Calories burned 60 minute yoga varies greatly by style and personal factors.
- Yoga for weight loss calories is part of the picture, but yoga also helps with weight loss through building muscle, reducing stress, and improving body awareness.
Yoga is a powerful practice for overall health. Whether you’re looking for a vigorous workout or deep relaxation, there’s a style for you. While counting calories can be a tool for fitness goals, the full benefits of yoga go far beyond the numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga Calories
h4> Does holding a pose longer burn more calories?
Yes, generally. Holding a pose for a longer time, especially a challenging one that requires muscle effort, keeps your muscles working. This uses energy, so it burns calories. Think of holding a plank pose for one minute versus just a few seconds. The longer hold requires more effort and burns more calories.
h4> Is doing yoga every day good for weight loss?
Doing yoga every day can be very good for weight loss and overall health. It keeps your body active, helps build muscle, reduces stress, and promotes healthy habits. If you mix different styles, you get a variety of benefits – calorie burning from active styles and stress reduction/flexibility from gentler ones. Consistency is more important than doing it every single day, but daily practice can be very effective if it fits your life.
h4> How does weightlifting compare to yoga for calorie burn?
Weightlifting calorie burn varies greatly depending on how heavy you lift and how much rest you take. An hour of moderate weightlifting might burn around 300-400 calories for a 150 lb person, similar to active yoga. However, weightlifting is generally better at building muscle mass than most yoga styles, and more muscle burns more calories at rest. The best approach for weight loss and fitness often includes both strength training (like weightlifting or vigorous yoga styles) and cardio activities.
h4> Can gentle yoga help me lose weight?
Gentle yoga alone might not lead to big weight loss if you don’t change your eating habits. The calorie burn is lower than more active forms of exercise. However, gentle yoga like Restorative or Yin can help by reducing stress, improving flexibility, and making you more mindful. These benefits can make it easier to stick to a healthy diet and more active lifestyle overall, which does lead to weight loss. It’s a supportive tool rather than the main calorie burner.
h4> How accurate are fitness trackers for yoga calorie burn?
Fitness trackers give you an estimate. They use your heart rate and other personal data to guess how many calories you’re burning. They are usually more accurate than a general online calculator because they respond to how hard your body is working. However, they are still not perfect. Factors like wrist movement can sometimes affect heart rate readings, and the algorithms they use to calculate calories are not always exact for every type of activity or every person. Use them as a guide, not a precise measurement.
h4> What is the difference between Vinyasa and Power yoga calorie burn?
Vinyasa and Power yoga are very similar in calorie burn. Power yoga often developed from Vinyasa and Ashtanga. Power yoga tends to focus more purely on fitness, strength, and calorie burning. Classes might move faster, include more challenging strength poses, or use weights. So, Power yoga can sometimes have a slightly higher or be consistently at the higher end of the calorie burn range compared to a typical Vinyasa class, but they are very close.
h4> Does flexibility affect calorie burn?
Being more flexible doesn’t directly change how many calories you burn in a big way. However, better flexibility can help you get into poses more deeply and hold them correctly. This might allow you to engage muscles more effectively, which could slightly increase the calorie burn in some poses. Also, being less stiff can make it easier and more enjoyable to do more active styles of yoga regularly, leading to a higher total calorie burn over time.
h4> Is Bikram yoga the same as hot yoga?
Bikram yoga is a specific style of hot yoga. Hot yoga just means yoga done in a heated room. Bikram yoga is always done in a room heated to 105°F (40.6°C) with 40% humidity. It follows a strict sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. Other styles of yoga can be done in heated rooms (like Hot Vinyasa or Hot Power Yoga), but they don’t follow the Bikram sequence. So, all Bikram yoga is hot yoga, but not all hot yoga is Bikram. Both types usually have a high calorie burn compared to non-heated classes.
h4> How can I increase the calorie burn in my yoga practice?
To burn more calories doing yoga, you can:
* Choose more active styles (Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Power, Hot Yoga).
* Increase the length of your practice.
* Put more effort into the poses, engaging muscles fully.
* Reduce rest time between poses if the teacher allows.
* Practice more often during the week.
* If comfortable and safe for the style, add small movements or hold challenging poses a bit longer.