A common question many people have is, “How many calories does 1 hour of hot yoga burn?” On average, a 60-minute hot yoga class, like Bikram or hot Vinyasa, can burn between 350 and 500 calories for a typical person. However, this number is just an estimate. Many different things affect how many calories you actually burn during the class. This article will look closer at what makes the numbers change.
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Decoding Hot Yoga Calorie Burn
Hot yoga is a type of yoga done in a heated room. The heat often goes up to 105°F (40°C). The humidity can also be very high, up to 40%. This hot setting makes your body work harder than in a normal yoga class. Your body uses energy to keep itself cool in the heat. This extra work adds to your hot yoga calorie expenditure.
Think of it like this: Your body has a thermostat. When you are in a hot room, your thermostat tells your body to cool down. To cool down, your body sweats a lot. Pumping blood to the skin also helps. These actions need energy. Energy is measured in calories. So, more work to cool down means burning more calories.
But it’s not just the heat that burns calories. The yoga poses themselves use muscles. Muscles need energy to work. When you hold a pose, like Warrior Pose, your muscles are working hard. When you move from one pose to the next, like in Vinyasa flow, you are using energy too. The combination of the heat and the movement makes hot yoga burn a fair amount of calories.
The amount of calories burned changes from person to person and class to class. There is no single number that is right for everyone. But we can talk about averages and what makes them change.
Comparing Different Hot Yoga Styles
Not all hot yoga is the same. There are different types. Some are very structured, like Bikram yoga. Some are more free-flowing, like hot Vinyasa. The style of hot yoga changes how many calories you might burn.
Grasping Bikram Yoga Calorie Burn
Bikram yoga is a specific kind of hot yoga. It has a set series of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises. You do this series in the same order every time. A Bikram class is usually 90 minutes long. The room is heated to 105°F (40°C) with 40% humidity.
Because Bikram yoga is always the same, it is easier to study its hot yoga calorie expenditure. Studies have looked at how many calories people burn in a 90-minute Bikram class. They found that men often burn more calories than women.
- Studies show men might burn about 460 calories in 90 minutes.
- Women might burn about 330 calories in 90 minutes.
This is the Bikram yoga calorie burn. Note that these numbers are for a 90-minute class, not 60 minutes. To estimate for 60 minutes, you would divide these numbers by 90 and multiply by 60.
* Men (60 min estimate): (460 / 90) * 60 ≈ 307 calories
* Women (60 min estimate): (330 / 90) * 60 ≈ 220 calories
These numbers seem a bit lower than the general hot yoga estimate of 350-500 for 60 minutes. Why? Bikram yoga is often slower paced than some other hot yoga styles. It focuses on holding poses for a set time. While holding poses uses muscles, moving between poses can also burn energy. The fixed routine might also mean less overall movement than a flowing class.
Surveying Calories Burned Hot Vinyasa
Hot Vinyasa yoga is different. Vinyasa means “flow.” In a hot Vinyasa class, you move from one pose to the next with your breath. The teacher usually creates a different sequence of poses for each class. This means the class can be faster paced or slower paced depending on the teacher and the focus.
Hot Vinyasa classes are often 60 or 75 minutes long. They are also done in a heated room, usually similar to Bikram heat or maybe a little cooler, around 90-100°F (32-38°C).
Because Vinyasa is a “flow,” it involves more constant movement than holding poses for a long time like in Bikram. This increased movement can lead to a higher calorie burn rate during the active parts of the class.
It’s harder to give exact numbers for calories burned hot Vinyasa. The number changes a lot based on:
- How fast the teacher moves through the poses.
- How complex the poses are (harder poses use more muscles).
- How much “flow” there is (smooth transitions burn more energy).
- How long the class is.
Based on general estimates for vigorous yoga types in hot rooms, the calories burned hot vinyasa could range from 400 to 600+ calories for a 60-minute class, especially for someone putting in a lot of effort. A slower hot Vinyasa might be closer to the 350-450 range.
So, comparing Bikram yoga calorie burn and calories burned hot vinyasa, Vinyasa might burn more calories per minute if it’s a fast, flowing class. But Bikram is longer (90 mins), so the total calories burned in a full Bikram class might be similar or even higher than a 60-minute Vinyasa.
Fathoming Average Calories Burned Hot Yoga
When we talk about the average calories burned hot yoga, we are trying to find a middle ground across different styles and people. As mentioned, a common estimate is 350-500 calories for a 60-minute class.
Here’s a way to think about the average:
- Someone new to hot yoga might burn less because they take breaks or don’t hold poses as strongly.
- Someone who has done hot yoga for a long time might burn more because they put more effort in and hold poses better.
- A smaller person might burn fewer calories than a larger person doing the same class.
- A man might burn more calories than a woman due to differences in muscle mass.
So, the average calories burned hot yoga is just a starting point. It’s a rough guide. It helps compare hot yoga to other activities, but it doesn’t tell you exactly what you will burn.
We can look at how hot yoga compares to other types of exercise in terms of calorie burn. This helps put the numbers in perspective.
Hot Yoga vs Other Exercise Calorie Burn (Estimates for 60 minutes, 150lb person):
| Activity | Estimated Calories Burned (60 mins) |
|---|---|
| Walking (3 mph) | 200-250 |
| Moderate Yoga (non-hot) | 200-300 |
| Hot Yoga | 350-500 |
| Brisk Walking (4 mph) | 300-370 |
| Cycling (moderate) | 400-500 |
| Running (5 mph) | 550-700 |
| High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) | 600-800+ |
This table shows that hot yoga vs other exercise calorie burn places hot yoga somewhere between moderate activities like brisk walking and more intense activities like running. It burns more than yoga in a regular room and more than slow walking. It burns less than running or high-intensity training.
This comparison is useful for understanding the potential of hot yoga as part of a fitness plan. It is a good way to burn a decent number of calories while also working on flexibility, strength, and balance.
Interpreting Factors Affecting Hot Yoga Calorie Burn
Many things change how many calories you burn in a hot yoga class. It is not just the heat and the style of yoga. Let’s look at the key factors affecting hot yoga calorie burn.
Body Weight
Your body weight is one of the biggest factors. People with more body weight generally burn more calories doing the same activity as someone with less body weight. This is because it takes more energy to move a heavier body. It also takes more energy for a larger body to manage heat and cool down.
- A person weighing 120 lbs might burn around 300-400 calories in an hour of hot yoga.
- A person weighing 180 lbs might burn around 450-600 calories in an hour of hot yoga.
- A person weighing 220 lbs might burn around 550-750+ calories in an hour of hot yoga.
These are still rough estimates. But they show how weight makes a difference in hot yoga calorie expenditure.
Fitness Level
How fit you are also matters. Someone new to hot yoga might find it very hard. They might take breaks often. They might not hold poses for the full time. This means they might burn fewer calories at first.
As you get fitter, you can hold poses longer. You can move through flows with more power. You can push yourself harder. This increased effort and muscle work can lead to burning more calories over time, even if the class stays the same.
Also, fitter people often have more muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. So, building muscle through regular yoga practice can increase your calorie burn both during class and throughout the day.
Class Intensity and Style
We already touched on this with Bikram vs. Vinyasa. A fast-paced hot Vinyasa class with lots of challenging poses and smooth transitions will likely burn more calories than a slower Bikram class or a gentle hot yoga class.
The teacher plays a big role here. Some teachers lead more physically demanding classes than others. The specific poses done also matter. Poses that use many muscles or require holding your own weight (like arm balances or inversions) will burn more calories than seated or lying-down poses.
Personal Effort
This is perhaps the most important factor you control. Are you just going through the motions? Or are you actively engaging your muscles in every pose? Are you pushing your edge safely?
Putting more effort into each pose makes your muscles work harder. This increases calorie burn. If you hold a plank pose with strong, active muscles, you burn more than if you let your body sag. If you deepen a lunge, you use more energy. Your personal effort directly impacts your estimated calorie burn hot yoga.
Room Temperature and Humidity
While hot yoga is always hot, the exact temperature and humidity can vary slightly from studio to studio or even day to day. A hotter, more humid room forces your body to work harder to cool down. This can slightly increase calorie burn compared to a less hot room, assuming all other factors are the same.
Sex (Male vs. Female)
On average, men tend to have more muscle mass than women. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Because of this, men often burn more calories than women during the same activity, including hot yoga. This is why studies on Bikram yoga calorie burn show different numbers for men and women.
In summary, the factors affecting hot yoga calorie burn are many. Your weight, fitness, the class type, your effort, the room conditions, and your sex all play a part. This is why giving one exact number for average calories burned hot yoga is not truly possible for an individual.
Hot Yoga and Weight Loss
Many people try hot yoga as a way to help with weight loss. Can hot yoga help you lose weight? Yes, it can.
Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you eat. Hot yoga burns calories, as we have discussed. If you do hot yoga regularly and do not eat extra calories to make up for the burn, you will create a calorie deficit. This deficit leads to weight loss over time.
Here’s how hot yoga weight loss works:
- Calorie Burn During Class: The workout itself burns a decent number of calories, helping you get closer to a calorie deficit for the day.
- Increased Muscle Mass: Regular yoga, including hot yoga, can build lean muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So, building muscle can increase your metabolism slightly, meaning you burn more calories all the time, not just during class.
- Mindfulness and Lifestyle Changes: Yoga often helps people become more aware of their bodies and minds. This can lead to making healthier food choices and being more active outside of class. This mindful approach supports overall weight loss efforts.
- Reduced Stress: High stress levels can make weight loss harder for some people. Yoga is known to reduce stress. Lower stress can make it easier for your body to lose weight.
- Improved Sleep: Good sleep is important for weight loss and overall health. Regular exercise like hot yoga can help improve sleep quality.
While hot yoga burns calories, it might not burn as many per minute as high-impact cardio like running or jumping jacks. For pure calorie-burning efficiency in a short time, other activities might be better.
However, hot yoga offers unique benefits. It improves flexibility, strength, balance, and mental focus. Many people find it less stressful on the joints than running. The heat can feel good for sore muscles. For people who enjoy hot yoga and will stick with it, it can be a very effective part of a weight loss plan. Consistency is key for weight loss. If you find hot yoga fun and doable regularly, it’s a great tool.
To achieve hot yoga weight loss, you must combine regular classes with a healthy diet. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Eating healthy foods and controlling portion sizes are just as important, if not more important, than the calorie burn from your yoga class.
Gauging Estimated Calorie Burn Hot Yoga
It is hard to get an exact number for calories burned without special equipment. Devices like fitness trackers or heart rate monitors try to estimate calorie burn. However, they can have errors, especially in hot yoga.
Heart rate monitors work by tracking your heart rate. Calorie burn is linked to heart rate. But in hot yoga, your heart rate might be higher just because of the heat, not just from muscle work. This can make the tracker overestimate calorie burn.
Fitness trackers that rely on movement might underestimate calorie burn in hot yoga. Many poses involve holding still. The tracker might not pick up the muscle effort involved in holding a strong Warrior II pose for a minute.
So, any number you see on a tracker or read online is an estimated calorie burn hot yoga. It’s not a precise measurement.
To get a more personalized estimate, you can use online tools. However, these tools also rely on averages and factors you input.
Using a Yoga Calorie Calculator
You can find online tools called yoga calorie calculator. These tools usually ask for some information about you and the activity.
Typical information needed for a yoga calorie calculator:
- Your body weight
- The type of yoga (you might select “Hot Yoga” or “Hatha Yoga in Hot Room”)
- The duration of the class (e.g., 60 minutes)
- Sometimes, the intensity level (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced, vigorous)
Based on this information and general data, the calculator gives you an estimated calorie burn hot yoga.
Example of how different inputs change the estimate using a simple formula (these are examples, not exact calculator outputs):
- Person: 150 lbs
- Activity: Hot Yoga (estimated 4.5 METs – a measure of energy cost)
- Duration: 60 minutes
Formula often used: Calories Burned = (METs * weight in kg * 3.5) / 200 * duration in minutes
150 lbs is about 68 kg.
Calories Burned = (4.5 * 68 * 3.5) / 200 * 60
Calories Burned = (31.5 * 68) / 200 * 60
Calories Burned = 2142 / 200 * 60
Calories Burned = 10.71 * 60
Calories Burned ≈ 643 calories
Wait, this is higher than the 350-500 average! Why? The MET value for “Hot Yoga” can vary. Some sources might use a lower MET value, closer to 3.5-4.0, which would lower the estimate. Also, the formula might be slightly different. This shows why online calculators give estimates. The actual energy cost of hot yoga is complex because of the heat factor.
A more conservative estimate often uses the 350-500 range for a 150lb person. So, the calculator’s estimate depends heavily on the MET value it uses for hot yoga.
Using a yoga calorie calculator gives you a number. Remember this number is an estimate. It is useful for comparing one type of workout to another or tracking your activity level over time. But do not treat it as an exact science for planning your food intake based on calorie burn.
How Many Calories 90 Minute Hot Yoga Burns
Many traditional hot yoga styles, like Bikram, are 90 minutes long. So, you might specifically wonder, how many calories 90 minute hot yoga burns?
As we saw with the Bikram study numbers, a 90-minute class burns more than a 60-minute class because it is longer.
Using the general hot yoga estimate of 350-500 calories for 60 minutes, we can estimate for 90 minutes:
- Low end: (350 calories / 60 minutes) * 90 minutes = 5.83 calories/minute * 90 minutes ≈ 525 calories
- High end: (500 calories / 60 minutes) * 90 minutes = 8.33 calories/minute * 90 minutes ≈ 750 calories
So, for a typical person, a 90-minute hot yoga class might burn somewhere between 525 and 750 calories.
Using the Bikram study numbers for a 90-minute class:
- Men: ~460 calories
- Women: ~330 calories
This again shows that the style of the 90-minute hot yoga matters. A 90-minute hot Vinyasa class that is fast and challenging might burn significantly more than a 90-minute Bikram class for some people.
So, when asking how many calories 90 minute hot yoga burns, the answer is “it depends.” It depends on you, the style, and your effort. A range of 330 to 750+ calories is possible, with the average likely falling in the 400-600 range for most people in a typical class.
More Thoughts on Hot Yoga Calorie Expenditure
It is important to remember that calorie burn is only one measure of a workout’s value. While hot yoga calorie expenditure is decent, hot yoga offers many other benefits that are not measured in calories.
- Flexibility: The heat can help muscles stretch more safely and deeply. This improves flexibility over time.
- Strength: Holding poses builds strength in muscles you might not use otherwise.
- Balance: Many poses challenge your balance, improving stability.
- Mind-Body Connection: Yoga helps you become more aware of your body and breath. This can reduce stress and improve focus.
- Detox (Sweating): While not a true “detox” in the medical sense, the heavy sweating can feel cleansing and helps your body regulate temperature.
Do not focus only on the calorie number. Think about all the good things hot yoga does for your body and mind. It is a holistic practice.
If your main goal is weight loss through calorie burning, hot yoga can be a helpful tool. But combine it with a healthy diet and perhaps other forms of exercise like cardio or weightlifting for the best results. Variety in exercise is good for your body.
Always listen to your body in a hot yoga class. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after class. If you feel dizzy or sick, take a break. The heat adds an extra challenge, so it’s important to practice safely.
In summary, regarding hot yoga calorie expenditure:
- A 60-minute class might burn 350-500 calories on average.
- A 90-minute class might burn 500-750 calories on average, but specific styles like Bikram might be lower for some.
- Your weight, fitness level, the specific style (Bikram vs. Hot Vinyasa), and your personal effort greatly change the number.
- Use a yoga calorie calculator or fitness tracker for an estimated calorie burn hot yoga, but know it’s not exact.
- Compare hot yoga vs other exercise calorie burn to see where it fits in a fitness plan.
- Hot yoga can support hot yoga weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Focus on how hot yoga makes you feel strong, flexible, and calm, not just the number on a calorie counter. The benefits go far beyond the burn.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some common questions people ask about hot yoga and calorie burning.
h4 How much water should I drink before a hot yoga class?
It is very important to stay hydrated for hot yoga. Drink plenty of water throughout the day before your class. Drink at least 16-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours before class. Drink another 8 ounces about 30 minutes before class. Bring a water bottle with you to sip during class if needed. Hydration helps your body manage the heat and can even help performance.
h4 Is the heat what burns most of the calories?
The heat makes your body work harder to cool down. This extra work does burn calories. But you also burn calories from doing the yoga poses and moving your body. It is a mix of the heat and the exercise. The heat might increase the calorie burn by perhaps 10-20% compared to the same yoga class in a regular room, but the movement is still a major factor in hot yoga calorie expenditure.
h4 Does hot yoga help build muscle?
Yes, hot yoga can help build muscle. Many yoga poses require you to support your body weight or hold challenging positions. This puts stress on your muscles, which helps them get stronger over time. Regular practice can increase muscle tone and strength, which in turn can slightly increase your resting calorie burn.
h4 Can I rely on my fitness tracker for an exact calorie count?
No, fitness trackers and heart rate monitors give an estimate, not an exact count. They can be less accurate in hot environments. Use them to see trends or compare effort between classes, but do not treat the calorie number as 100% precise for your estimated calorie burn hot yoga.
h4 How does hot yoga help with weight loss besides burning calories?
Beyond burning calories, hot yoga helps with weight loss by building muscle (boosting metabolism), reducing stress (stress can lead to weight gain), improving mindfulness (leading to healthier choices), and potentially improving sleep. It’s part of a healthy lifestyle.
h4 Is 90-minute hot yoga too long?
For beginners, 90 minutes in the heat can be intense. It is okay to take breaks. Sit down or lie down if you feel too hot or tired. Listen to your body. As you get used to the heat and the practice, the 90-minute class becomes more manageable. Some people prefer 60-minute classes. Choose what works best for you and your body. How many calories 90 minute hot yoga burns is secondary to practicing safely.
h4 Will I lose more weight doing hot yoga than other types of yoga?
Hot yoga generally burns more calories per hour than non-heated yoga. So, if calorie burn is your main focus for weight loss, hot yoga might be more effective calorie-wise per session. However, consistency is key. The best type of yoga for weight loss is the one you enjoy and will do regularly.
h4 Does sweating mean I’m burning more calories?
Sweating is mainly your body’s way of cooling down. While your body uses energy to create sweat and pump blood to the skin (which adds to the calorie burn), sweating a lot doesn’t automatically mean you are burning a huge amount of calories. You can sweat a lot in a sauna without doing any exercise. So, sweat is a sign of the heat, but not a direct measure of exercise intensity or calorie burn. The effort of the poses matters more for the exercise-related calorie burn.
h4 How often should I do hot yoga for results?
For fitness and potential weight loss results, aiming for 2-4 hot yoga classes per week is often recommended. Consistency is more important than doing one very intense class every now and then. Find a frequency that fits your schedule and allows your body time to recover.