Heated Vinyassa calorie burn

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amelia_atlantic
amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey Y'all,

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a "yogi" but I have found a heated yoga studio that I LOVE. I leave each practice feeling so light and clear-headed. My limbs often feel like jelly after and I love that, too! Seriously, how many high planks can a person stand?!

Anyway-
I don't have a HRM. MFP and google searches produce conflicting information. MFP says I burn 750 calories in a 90 minute session. I don't think that's accurate.
I weigh about 150 (give or take how much Thai food I've consumed on any given week); sessions last 90 minutes. Does anyone have a close calorie burn?

Thanks!

Replies

  • 2BhappyBhealthy
    2BhappyBhealthy Posts: 181 Member
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    It's a LOT lower than you think. I take pretty hard core classes as well and have never topped maayyyyybeeee a 200 cal burn (and that's still pretty grossly over estimating). Yoga just does not raise your heart rate the way cardio or weight lifting will. Do not let this stop you though... I cut way back on my practice after seeing the number continually come in around 110 - 130 (that's really what you should expect) and I wish I hadn't. Yoga does so so sooo much good (joint health, muscle tension, DOMS, peace of mind, etc) it just is NOT a high calorie burner.

    Namaste! :)
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    It's a LOT lower than you think. I take pretty hard core classes as well and have never topped maayyyyybeeee a 200 cal burn (and that's still pretty grossly over estimating). Yoga just does not raise your heart rate the way cardio or weight lifting will. Do not let this stop you though... I cut way back on my practice after seeing the number continually come in around 110 - 130 (that's really what you should expect) and I wish I hadn't. Yoga does so so sooo much good (joint health, muscle tension, DOMS, peace of mind, etc) it just is NOT a high calorie burner.

    Namaste! :)

    What she said.

    I enjoy my heated yoga class, but I dont consider it to burn very much in the way of calories.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    A HRM would not help you in a heated Yoga session as your heart would be beating faster but only to cool your body down; not burning more calories so a HRM reading would be false.

    Enjoy the extra warmth, which is great for opening up tight muscles, but the calorie burn is similar to the Hatha Yoga calories in the Exercise data on MFP; unless you are putting in lots of Sun Salutations and/or inversions.

    I am sitting in a cold winter office right now and I would love a heated vinyasa session right now!
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    Thanks for the info, everyone!

    I love heated yoga for how I feel after. It feels great to stretch my body and clear my mind!
  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
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    Yep in a heated Vinyassa class you don't burn as many calories. However, if you take a heated Bikram or a Power Yoga with weights class you surprisingly do burn a lot of calories.

    :-)
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    Yep in a heated Vinyassa class you don't burn as many calories. However, if you take a heated Bikram or a Power Yoga with weights class you surprisingly do burn a lot of calories.

    :-)

    I used to do bikarm but I'm really into the heated vinyassa now! I feel like it's a better workout.
  • jallison12
    jallison12 Posts: 83
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    I don't do a heated class, just a regular vinyasa class. I wear an HRM and it tells me between 500-600 for each hour. Based on MFP library entries I had previously been logging 170 for the hour, before I got an HRM. I monitor the class through Endomondo, which I have connected to MFP. So I just take what it says I do.

    Conversely I do cardio on a step machine. It might typically say I burn 500 cals for a hard 30 mins on the stepper display. But my HRM says a little over 400. About 20% less on average. Again, I use Endomondo to count the workout and it uploads to MFP. My weight is accurate on Endomondo and when I start up the stepper machine, so that can't be the issue.

    I had always thought the HRM was the closest you can get to the real workout number. If it is that inaccurate what can give a accurate workout number?
  • 2BhappyBhealthy
    2BhappyBhealthy Posts: 181 Member
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    I don't do a heated class, just a regular vinyasa class. I wear an HRM and it tells me between 500-600 for each hour. Based on MFP library entries I had previously been logging 170 for the hour, before I got an HRM. I monitor the class through Endomondo, which I have connected to MFP. So I just take what it says I do.

    Conversely I do cardio on a step machine. It might typically say I burn 500 cals for a hard 30 mins on the stepper display. But my HRM says a little over 400. About 20% less on average. Again, I use Endomondo to count the workout and it uploads to MFP. My weight is accurate on Endomondo and when I start up the stepper machine, so that can't be the issue.

    I had always thought the HRM was the closest you can get to the real workout number. If it is that inaccurate what can give a accurate workout number?

    Oh wow. Those are pretty high burns in general. Burning 500 cals in 30 mins is pretty unusual. I think the OP is possibly smaller than you and would conversely burn less. That's great you're getting that kind of a workout though - most people on here would kill for that high of a burn!
  • jallison12
    jallison12 Posts: 83
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    Oh wow. Those are pretty high burns in general. Burning 500 cals in 30 mins is pretty unusual. I think the OP is possibly smaller than you and would conversely burn less. That's great you're getting that kind of a workout though - most people on here would kill for that high of a burn!
    I'm 180, but for the stepper I wear 2x10lb ankle weights. When I logon to the machine I punch in 190 as my weight and have it at a fairly challenging level. I did know the stepper itself was not accurate at all. But I use the exact same machine so relative to itself if I see the number going up I am working harder and improving.

    But on the HRM question I did a bit of googling around and again, the consensus seems to be that it isn't totally accurate either, but is as good as most people can get. Only lab equipment can be any more accurate. But, for me, keeping other factors the same (same machine, roughly same body weight, same ankle weights) if I work out and get a 450 number one day, and a 500 number the next day, I worked out harder/better. The yoga classes vary, which is why I like the class. Yesterday was very challenging, lots of planks and core stuff. Unfortunately I misplaced my strap and another is in the mail, so I couldn't get a calroie number yesterday. Very occasionally the teacher does a very gentle class with lots of long, relaxing holds. But most of the time it's a workout. Just holding warrior 1 correctly has me straining and tensing legs, core, shoulders.

    This article says chest strap HRM's are within 6-13% of accurate. That's good enough for me"
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/305560-the-accuracy-of-heart-rate-monitors-for-calories/
    "A 2009 research study in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" compared a heart rate monitor and a laboratory-based calorie measurement. The test had subjects perform submaximal and maximal intensity treadmill running with the results showing a variation of about 6 percent to 13 percent for estimated caloric expenditure."

    BTW, the chest strap I use is from Zephyr and links with blue tooth to my Android phone, which is running Endomondo to track the workout. One thing I love about the Zephyr is the electronic puck can be detached from the strap. The puck can be charged while the strap can be washed. Chest straps get funky. :happy:
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    @Jallison12: during yoga, you may find your heart rate increases rapidly during static poses because you are using a great deal of isometric strength. Your HRM will read this and give you a greater calorie burn but this will not be accurate as it is not cardio. It is the same as a reading taken during weight training.

    I would go more to the 200 calories per hour for even the more active styles of yoga and less for the more sedate styles.

    Sorry to burst anyones' carlorie bubble out there, but best to be realistic.
  • jallison12
    jallison12 Posts: 83
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    @Jallison12: during yoga, you may find your heart rate increases rapidly during static poses because you are using a great deal of isometric strength. Your HRM will read this and give you a greater calorie burn but this will not be accurate as it is not cardio. It is the same as a reading taken during weight training.

    I would go more to the 200 calories per hour for even the more active styles of yoga and less for the more sedate styles.

    Sorry to burst anyones' carlorie bubble out there, but best to be realistic.
    Thanks for the input, it is helpful! I just want to be accurate and real. Otherwise I'm going not logging correctly. If I just wanted to log an impressive number I would just make sh1t up. If I have to be inaccurate I'd much rather under log workouts.

    I think I'll not wear the HRM for yoga (got in the way for knees/chest/chin anyway) and go back to the 170cals for the hour.
  • 2BhappyBhealthy
    2BhappyBhealthy Posts: 181 Member
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    Yeah I think that's a good plan. I stopped wearing mine to class too because it hurts in some postures and the info was just not accurate. Funny, it actually improved my practice too though since I was no longer thinking about the information it was gathering. Glad this helped you too!! :smile:
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    A HRM would not help you in a heated Yoga session as your heart would be beating faster but only to cool your body down; not burning more calories so a HRM reading would be false.

    You're body working to cool your body down does burn more calories. Just like you burn more calories when your body is trying to heat you up if you're cold..... your body is working which means it's burning.

    But I agree with everyone else regarding it's probably not near as high of a calories burn as you think or want.

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