How Many Calories Does Yoga Burn In One Hour? 4 Useful Poses

Are you wondering how many calories can you burn in one hour of yoga? Well, we have the answers to all your yoga and weight loss questions right here! Yoga is your best option if you want to lose weight and find peace of mind. The physical and emotional advantages of yoga asanas and meditation practices are numerous. Keep reading to learn more!

Note: Weight loss is a byproduct of yoga rather than its primary goal.

Calories Burned In One Hour Of Yoga:

Jill Lawson, founder of Lawson Yoga, says, “If the method to test caloric expenditure was only based on heart rate, then Bikram and other hot yoga classes might top the charts as the styles of yoga that burn the most calories.”

However, a higher heart rate doesn’t translate to higher calorie burn. Other factors can increase heart rate without any calorie burn.

So, now that we know that heart rate and calorie burn aren’t dependent on one another, let’s look at the different styles of yoga and also note how many calories each style burns.

Usually, performing yoga can help you burn around 100 to 450 calories in an hour, depending on the style, the pose, and the person.

1. Hatha Yoga

A one-hour session of this form of yoga helps you burn 189 calories. Hatha Yoga is the most popular form of yoga in the west. It is the basic practice of yoga postures. Although it may seem to rely on continual movement, holding a balanced pose is also an important feature of hatha yoga. It is the best option for people who want to explore yoga, and it can be an invigorating experience as well.

Quick Tip

Practicing Hatha Yoga helps improve flexibility in the spine and hamstrings and core strength. Also, it improves range of motion in joints in older adults.

2. Ashtanga Yoga

It helps you burn 351 calories in an hour. Ashtanga Yoga combines breathing technique with a series of set postures. Ashtanga Yoga boosts arterial health and helps you relax your mind. While practicing it, you need to follow a rigid order of postures. Ashtanga Yoga helps to purify the blood by creating ‘internal heat’ that incinerates toxins and other waste particles in your body.

Gloria Carrara, a blogger, practices Ashtanga yoga that led to her weight loss. She mentions that her daughter went to Mysore to study from a master of Ashtanga yoga. She writes, “When she returned, she started to teach me Ashtanga yoga with an infinite amount of patience and encouragement (i).” She adds, “A year later, I could assist with classes and lead some of them myself. I grew strong and very flexible. My muscles looked leaner and longer and I lost weight.”

3. Bikram Yoga

It helps you burn 477 calories in an hour. It is the best version of yoga if you are looking for weight loss. A session of Bikram Yoga can last up to 90 minutes. You need to perform the 26 postures and two breathing exercises, in a heated room to enhance muscle flexibility. The increased sweating will help you detoxify your body.

4. Vinyasa Yoga (Flow Yoga)

It helps you burn 594 calories. Vinyasa Yoga or Flow Yoga has fluid poses. It involves constant movement and stretching, which ensures that the calorie burn is continuous. Vinyasa yoga isn’t rigid, and it does not follow a predetermined sequence. You can look forward to a different routine every time.

Quick Tip

Vinyasa Yoga helps reduce arterial stiffness that comes with age, keeps you active, helps reduce stress, and minimizes the risk of high blood pressure.

5. Restorative Yoga

A person can burn around 240-300 calories in a one hour restorative yoga session depending on the intensity and style. This yoga style focuses on gentle stretching, deep breathing, and calming the mind. It aids stress reduction, improves flexibility, balance, and posture, reduces stress hormones, and promotes overall well-being.

Now that we know different types of yoga, have a look at how hot yoga is different from all of them.

How Many Calories Does Hot Yoga Burn In 60 Minutes?

Hot yoga is practiced in a room heated to around 95-105°F (35-40°C). It intensifies the yoga experience and increases the amount of calories burnt due to the high heat. In a 60-minute session, a person can approximately burn around 400-600 calories. The increased heat makes the body work harder, promoting flexibility and muscle endurance. This induces profuse sweating, aiding detoxification and temporary weight loss through fluid loss.

Caution:

Remember that the above yoga exercises are just supplementary techniques. You should start slow and steady to get the alignment, structure, and composition of the pose correct to prevent injuries. Yoga is a great form of exercise and does contribute to the weight-loss program. So are you ready to include this one-hour yoga workout in your regular regime? It is a holistic fitness routine for your mind and body.

Infographic: Healthy Snacks To Eat After A Yoga Session

What you consume after an intense, calorie-burning yoga session can also impact the results. Sticking to healthy and nutritious foods to replenish your body without adding extra calories is best. In the below infographic, we have listed the healthy snacks you can have after your yoga sessions. Take a look.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Does yoga count as exercise?

No, yoga cannot be considered exercise. It increases flexibility and is an energy-effective activity. However, it does help improve your overall health the way exercise does.

Is it OK to sleep after yoga?

Yes, it is safe to take a nap for 30-40 minutes after yoga. It helps the body to feel better.

Why does yoga burn so many calories?

Yoga burns many calories because it physically demanding and engages various muscle groups and increases heart and metabolic rates. However, the number of calories burned during a yoga session can vary depending on the individual’s weight, and intensity level.

Is 1-hour yoga enough for weight loss?

Yoga can definitely be effective for weight loss, and for the best results, it should be combined with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise.

How many calories do I burn doing yoga for 30 minutes?

Depending on the person’s weight, age, and type of yoga, different amounts of calories can be burned during a 30-minute yoga session.

Which yoga burns the most calories?

Vinyasa yoga is a high-intensity activity, that involves an increase in the heart rate and leads to a higher calorie burn, making it a yoga position that burns the most calories. However, It’s important to keep in mind that the number of calories burned during yoga will vary depending on the person’s level of fitness and amount of effort.

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Yoga is an amazing way to stay fit and healthy. Learn how many calories you can burn with yoga in this video!

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Anirudh GuptaCertified Yoga Instructor

 

Anirudh has 9 years of experience as a Certified Yoga Instructor – RYT 200 – Yoga Alliance from Yoga Vedanta Centre. His teaching style incorporates the therapeutic principles of healing into the asanas and leaves one refreshed and energized. He teaches in and around South Mumbai, travels for workshops in India and overseas, and is called upon by the corporate...more

Shirin MehdiHealth & Wellness Writer

Shirin is a health and wellness writer with three years of experience and specializes in writing articles on yoga and has extensive knowledge about the postures of the asanas. Prior to joining Stylecraze, she interned with an advertising firm as a copywriter and as an editorial intern for a luxury fashion magazine. Always muddled up between traditions and modernism, she...more

Arshiya SyedaSenior Editor

Arshiya Syeda is a senior editor at StyleCraze with 7 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer and combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care. She holds a bachelor's degree in literature and psychology from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and a post-graduate diploma in psychological...more

Moksha GandhiHealth & Wellness Writer

Moksha is a health and wellness writer and a certified diet and nutrition coach. Her passion for science and writing has helped her excel in crafting evidence-based articles. Her previous experience in writing science-based research papers ensures that her articles are grounded in research and provide practical tips that are reader-focused. Moksha graduated from Mumbai University and was a key...more