Bikram Yoga

carlazanoni

Anyone have any idea of how many calories are burned during a Bikram yoga class? I am almost 37 years old and weigh 152 pounds (5' 5") and several sites have told me it's approximately 1,000 calories. I find that crazy, even though I do sweat harder than I have in any other class. Thanks!

nurse_carolyn

No, but probably 5000 that's a crazy hard workout !! Great job:)

Huffdogg

How long is the class?

http://www.yoga-breathing.com/how-many-calories-burned-in-one-bikram-yoga-class/

jalapenos

this website can tell you how much calories you burn based on your weight and how long you did it. I love hot yoga!!!
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/weight-loss-and-yoga.htm

reeldancer

http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/weight-loss-and-yoga.htm.

lucybeat

I do what we call in Michigan, Hot Vinyasa yoga. We hold poses, do a flow, work the core and the room gets to be about 95 degrees. I think I burn about 400 calories and I'm 5' 0" and 127 lbs. I've checked many sites on the internet and sort of averaged them.

girlalex7

I would say between 500-1000 and depends how much effort you put into it. Those classes can be tough and since you can kinda just get by (aka... lay down sometimes when it feels just too hot) or really push yourself, I think it differs. I have class tomorrow morning and wish my HRM's battery wasn't dead so I could find out too!

vegansara

I agree with previous poster, I think there can be a range depending on how hard you are working and the heat/humidity of the class. Though they are all supposed to be the same (105 degrees and 40% humidity) there can be some variation. I would say anywhere from 500-1000 calories is a good range. I always input the calories based on how I felt like I did in the class.

Also, when I teach Bikram yoga, I add 100 calories because I'm sweating so much and I know my heart is working extra. I looked online at calories burned during time in a sauna, so I feel like it's a legitimate calorie deduction. What do you guys think?

Azdak

I agree with previous poster, I think there can be a range depending on how hard you are working and the heat/humidity of the class. Though they are all supposed to be the same (105 degrees and 40% humidity) there can be some variation. I would say anywhere from 500-1000 calories is a good range. I always input the calories based on how I felt like I did in the class.

Also, when I teach Bikram yoga, I add 100 calories because I'm sweating so much and I know my heart is working extra. I looked online at calories burned during time in a sauna, so I feel like it's a legitimate calorie deduction. What do you guys think?

Any caloric expenditure will come from the movements themselves, not the temperature. Thermal stress increases heart rate, but not oxygen uptake, which is what is really responsible for increased caloric burn. Anyone who uses a heart rate monitor as the basis for estimating caloric expenditure during these classes is vastly overestimating the amount. That's just the way the body works.

It's not easy to find good literature on the subject and I will admit that my PubMed search skills are mediocre at best. I was able to come up with 2 related studies. One looked at bikram yoga. While it did not look at caloric burn directly, it did show that after 12 weeks or so of doing the yoga classes VO2 max increased by 7%. That is indicative of a low-intensity exercise--normally you would expect to see 15% to 30%. And this study was conducted by a pro-bikram yoga organization, so it was structured to come up with as positive results as possible. The other study looked specifically at hatha yoga and determined that the avg intensity was about 14%-15% of VO2 max, well below a training threshold.

One analysis I read suggested that the aerobic benefits of bikram yoga--such as they are--came primarily from the compression and relaxation of muscles during the poses themselves. The increased flow of blood after a compression was relaxed could result in a modest aerobic training effect. But, again, nothing that could result in the kinds of numbers I often see claimed.

yoginimary

I have to agree with Azdak here. You don't burn more calories when it's hot, it just feels like you do.

As much as I think everyone should do yoga, it doesn't burn that many calories.

vegansara

Thanks for the information, Azdak. That makes sense to me, though I do think that it is possible to burn a high number of calories during class due to the intensity of the postures. I don't have anything but my experience to back that up though. I think that it is important to always listen to the body a little bit too, instead of just relying on calorie guides or even heart rate monitors.

carlazanoni

Bikram classes are 90 minutes long. And, yes, I agree, it definitely has to do with how much you put in. I was just curious though...I don't "use" workout calories burned, just like to have an idea of what I am actually doing. I think I will wear my heart rate monitor tomorrow to see how elevated my heart rate is throughout class. From the feeling alone, I think it's pretty high.