How many calories does one hour of yoga burn?

Whether to count your calories in order to build muscle, or wanting to hit a calories deficit level per day to lose weight, you might be interested to know how many calories does one hour of yoga burn? The answer to this question is not so straightforward. Depending on the type of yoga you are practicing, the speed of your flow and environmental temperature, the amount of calories burnt changes drastically. Other factors involved are the duration of your practice, age, your weight and general metabolism rate. 

As a rule of thumb, restorative yoga practices burn fewer calories when compared with strength yoga training. But whichever category of yoga you choose, you have your metabolism boosted in the long run after practicing yoga on a regular basis. Let’s have a look at the type of yoga and the amount of calories they burn.

You might be Interested in; Best Yoga Shoes in the Market

Type of yoga:

1. Bikram Yoga
2. Hatha Yoga
3. Vinyasa (aka flow yoga)
4. Ashtanga (aka power yoga)
5. Iyengar

Lets talk,

How many calories does one hour of yoga burn?

• Bikram yoga

So how many calories does a hot yoga session burn? A 90 minute Bikram Yoga session burns more calories than any other type of yoga. Well, except for ashtanga that we will discuss later. It consists of strength training, boosting flexibility and balance poses. The studies show that doing the same yoga postures and duration in a non humid room burns fewer calories when the practice takes place at Bikram Yoga temperatures.

A Bikram Yoga session usually lasts for an hour and a half, practicing over 26 postures, in addition to breathing exercises. The ideal room temperature for hot yoga is usually about 40 degrees, which kicks up metabolism a notch itself without the yoga poses. Furthermore, the humidity of Bikram class is usually about 40 percent. 

Aside from burning fat and boosting metabolism, there are other benefits involved in practicing Bikram yoga such as detoxifying the body through sweat, benefits bone and muscle health, assisting joint flexibility and more.  

How many calories does 90 minutes of hot yoga burn? This duration of hot yoga session usually burns up to 460 calories, in men and over 330 in women. 

• Hatha Yoga

The most traditional practice of yoga and the popular understanding of yoga practices refer to Hatha. It is a combination of Asanas, or slowly flowing postures that give enough time for adjustment into a pose and catching a breath or two. Besides Asana poses, there are breathing exercises as well. The duration and speed of practice mostly depends on the instructor. Although the pace is generally kept at a slow level which makes this yoga practice a perfect starting point for beginners. 

More than strength training, Hatha yoga is about stretching out your limits and teaching your body to relax and release its built up energy. It is known to be a great help to achieve mental Zen and tranquility as well. 

If you want to know how many calories does an hour of yoga burn in Hatha Yoga; On an average, a 90 minutes Hatha yoga can burn up to 350 calories for men and 280 calories for women. 

• Vinyasa (aka flow yoga)

Vinyasa is largely similar to Hatha yoga practice in terms of postures, although what separates the two yoga practices apart is the speed flow movement. It means that instead of performing poses one by one; they are connected with a dance-like flow that gives a beautiful look and feel to your yoga practice. Breathing is an important aspect of the correct performance and increasing the metabolism while Vinyasa practice. 

Due to its appearance, this yoga category is often called flow yoga, and offers a higher metabolism kick than Hatha yoga. This is mostly due to an increased movement while practicing; especially in power vinyasa yoga calories burn is increased. If dancing is your thing, or love the energy boost of breathing practices in yoga, the Vinyasa is just for you.

Depending on the strength pose involved, vinyasa yoga calorie calculator shows that in a 90 minutes session of Vinyasa, the practice can burn anywhere between 252 calories to 500 calories.

• Ashtanga (aka power yoga)

Now, how many calories does Ashtanga yoga burn? Ashtanga yoga is synonymous with power yoga; most poses involved are strength training practices with an emphasis on muscle flexes, pose holds and quick shifts between postures. The name actually translates into eight-limbed yoga as it requires the engagement of all your body, in a combination with breathing practices. 

Unfortunately, this yoga session is not for beginners and requires prior experience with Hatha or Vinyasa. Calorie burn is exceptionally high, similar to many other strength training in the sports world. 

A 90 minutes’ practice session of Ashtanga Yoga burns anywhere between 600 to 700. and if you’re wondering how many calories burned in CorePower Yoga sculpt body practices, they can reach up to a 1000 calories. 

• Iyengar

Iyengar yoga is not for you if only your aim of doing yoga is weight loss. This practice is restorative by definition, focusing on poses and muscle placement to health injuries, strengthen the muscle structure, enhance posture and more. Whether you are a beginner with low flexibility, or you’re an experienced yogi with sore muscles and joint injuries, Iyengar can help you get over your structural obstacles. 

Not specifically associated with calorie burning, Iyengar yoga places focus on pose, placement, and body alignment. Perfect for stretching sore muscles or preparing for other types of exercise. Iyengar can be the perfect accompaniment with its ability to enhance your posture and therefore lower your risk of injury.

Iyengar or yin yoga calorie burned in a 60 minutes yoga session reaches up to 175 to 200 calories.

Does yoga help you lose weight?

The very idea behind weight loss is reaching a calorie deficit; it means the amount of calories burnt in a day is more than the amount of calories consumed in the form of food. There are two approaches that help your weight-loss journey, one is consumption of fewer calories and the other is increasing your daily activity.

Sudden approaches and extreme measures such as consumption of very low amounts of calories result in drawbacks in your body’s metabolism rates, and your mental stamina to continue on your weight loss journey. In any case, a balanced planning and giving your body time to adjust to the new makes up for a successful weight loss routine. 

While many other activities burn more calories than yoga, these ancient practices leave a long-lasting mark on your metabolism by increasing your general calorie burn even while you are not practicing. Moreover, yoga is an integral approach to health by increasing your flexibility and blood flow, which contributes to your overall cardiac health. Mindfulness and releasing anxiety are other major benefits of yoga practices. 

If you are trying to lose weight by practicing yoga, you can join the community of the people who strive for a healthier life. Yogis are known to have an influence on mental approach to life with the following benefits that help a weight loss journey in major ways;

• Avoidance of unhealthy foods
• Comfort eating prevention by a more relaxed mentality
• Anxiety eating
• Getting touch with the body and its functions
• Decreasing junk food craving
• Decreasing false appetite
• Feeling better about the self and enhancement of mood 
• Reduce stress pains and increase flexibility of the mind and body

Sleep and Fat Loss

Wouldn’t it be awesome to lose weight when you sleep? What if I told you it is possible to do so? Studies show that yoga can help you sleep with a sound heart beat and relaxed mind, which boosts your normal bodily functions. Yogis often;

• Fall asleep without a problem
• Their sleep is long and uninterrupted 
• They don’t suffer from insomnia

The further discoveries of this scientific study showed that the yogis even have a higher metabolism rate when they are asleep and hence they are technically losing fat while sleeping.

In a Nutshell

How many calories does one hour of yoga burn? The first step to take on a weight loss journey is to burn more calories than the amount consumed. There are many ways to increase the calorie burn process, such as jogging, swimming and lifting weights. Yoga helps you to lose weight, and at the same time provides many integral benefits such as increasing your general mental health, cutting down on stress eating, getting you in touch with your emotions and body and of course burning calories while practicing. 

Choose your yoga practice according to your body preparation. Ashtanga yoga for weight loss is highly effective but requires prior practice. Remember, if you are doing a practice and your body is in pain. That doesn’t mean your practice is working, it just means that you are in pain! By following a gradual advancement in yoga practices, your body develops and adjusts itself to each level and you enjoy your yoga session while getting fitter every day. 

By making drastic choices, the weight loss journeys are soon to be abandoned, and the body goes back to its previous state and sometimes even worse. To prevent this from happening, keep an eye on your choice of food and opt for a gentle start on physical activity levels, and watch your body transform in no time.