FYI - Bikram yoga calories burned

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EmBlazes
EmBlazes Posts: 374 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I wore my heart rate monitor to Bikram Yoga this morning so I thought I'd let you all know the calories burned. I read in a lot of places that you can burn 700-1000 calories but I knew this probably wouldn't be the case for me so I wanted to have a more accurate picture of my burn rate.

This morning 90 mins of Bikram Yoga burned 450 calories which is actually more than regular yoga but less than if you were, say, briskly walking for the entire time. My max heart rate was 140 and my average was 105 which is about the same as if you went on a long walk with some uphill bits. I do almost all the postures and I didn't sit any of it out. I can't do them all in the full expression (so I opt for tree when others are doing toe-stand in the second set, for example).

I'm sure there is extra "weight loss" benefit in that you are squeezing and stimulating your internal organs and thyroid, but I'm happy to include this more conservative calorie burn. I was worried I might overeat if I didn't get a really good picture of my calories burned. I know the HRM is still only an estimate but I think it's getting closer to the real burn rate.

My heart rate is relatively flat when I'm working out (i.e. the actual range it moves between seems to be relatively small). My max heart rate when I'm working out in spin is generally around 165.

Has anyone else tried measuring their heart rate in Bikram? Interested to see what other people have found.

:happy:

Replies

  • egroff
    egroff Posts: 7 Member
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    I always wear my HRM to practice Bikram. I just started 3 weeks ago so I am new to the practice. I do not sit out on any of the postures. While I am not always able to get into the full expression, I do practice with focus and intensity.

    My HRM is consistently reporting a calorie burn between 900-1100. Since starting, I have also lost 5 lbs.
  • bella8282
    bella8282 Posts: 188 Member
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    Yes I have. 2 years ago... was between 400 and 600. worn on several different occasions. so i stuck with 400 for piece of mind.
    Dont do Bikram anymore.... My electrolyte balance cant handel it anymore :( Practiced for 18mths before having to give up.
    Oh and i did full pose.... so really does not seem a huge diff between us.
  • egroff
    egroff Posts: 7 Member
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    I am new to bikram. When you say your electrolyte balance can't handle it, what do you mean by that?
  • chic_mama_25
    chic_mama_25 Posts: 90
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    Love Bikram! Did it last summer and am starting again in a few weeks :)

    Thanks for the info!

    I will wear my HRM and let you guys know as well!
  • kylielouttit
    kylielouttit Posts: 512 Member
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    I miss Bikram Yoga, I used to go every day when I lived in Vancouver. I even wanted to go to LA and study to be an instructor.

    Hope you loved your class!
  • EmBlazes
    EmBlazes Posts: 374 Member
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    Thanks for the replies. It of course will vary quite a lot between different people as well. It was a lovely class this morning and I really needed the stretch after doing a 3 hour walk yesterday!! I only go once a week and that's enough for me - know what you mean about the electrolytes bella8282 - you have to be really careful to hydrate properly!!

    @bella8282 - I'm glad to see someone has a burn rate about the same as me.. it's reassuring!
    @egroff - it's great you have started Bikram and your high burn rate doesn't surprise me... as I said my heartrate tends to be quite stable regardless of how hard I am working. I've been doing Bikram for over 2 years so I think you get used to the moves as well which is probably another reason my burn rate is not so high.
  • soxygirl
    soxygirl Posts: 173
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    I started Bikram again today after a 6 mon hiatus . . . I wore my HRM and burned over 1100 calories! I did every pose to (almost) full expression. I tend to sweat a ton and have a high heart rate, so I'm sure that's a huge factor. Bikram has always been one of the biggest calorie burns for me, though . . . at my lowest (longest stretch doing Bikram regularly) I was burning around 800 calories per class.
  • Rhondast
    Rhondast Posts: 93
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    I burned 750 cals in 90 minutes of Bikram yesterday, and lost a pound and a half today. I wear my hr monitor. But I might weigh more than you. My hr stayed at 143. My question is....can I do this for three consecutive days? Saturday, sunday, Monday? I've done 5 sessions. My stomach went from a pooch to flat, my butt is flatter, my legs are getting toned. I'm going to do pilates every day I can, and hot yoga when it's there. My allergy meds raise my hr anyway, so it tends to run high, and I sweat tons.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    HRM's don't accurately read NON AEROBIC activity correctly. Yoga is more anaerobic than aerobic.

    Watching a scary movie increases heart rate. Surely an HRM reading it would calculate the calories wrong.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    Agreed - your heart rate will be highly elevated sitting in a sauna doing nothing at all - doesn't mean you are burning calories. Also rapid weight loss in Bikram will be largely water loss.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    HRM's don't accurately read NON AEROBIC activity correctly. Yoga is more anaerobic than aerobic.

    And that doesn't even take the environmental stressor of the heat into account, which increases one's heart rate without a corresponding increase in calories burned. I would absolutely not rely on the calorie count of an HRM worn during yoga, let alone hot yoga.
  • katjamendez
    katjamendez Posts: 2
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    i consulted with my mother (a family practice doctor), a nutritionist and a fitness instructor who works a lot with numbers. they all agree that HRMs are NOT ACCURATE for bikram for the reasons already stated. also, water weight is a large part of the immediate weight loss.

    don't get me wrong; i'm a huge fan of bikram. i've been doing it off an on for a decade. i would say it's great for detoxing and muscle toning. if you are quite obese it can help with some weight loss. if you are somewhat overweight to very fit, i would say this is NOT the best activity for weight loss.

    i've seen a lot of overweight people in bikram class who more or less stay that way after months and months. when i talk to them, they tell me all they do is bikram. conversely, the really slim/fit people seem to be joggers, cross trainers, gym rats who use bikram as a supplement.

    conclusion: bikram is not an aerobic activity. the heat can be misleading.
  • Gangwolf
    Gangwolf Posts: 40
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    This is irrelevant to the discussion, but since I just staggered back from a Moksha yoga class, I thought I'd say: I love your picture.
  • jongskinner
    jongskinner Posts: 7
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    I think there is significant calorie burn in Bikram (but ignore the immediate body weight effects because the fluid loss and replenishment can easily subtract or add a couple of pounds). I would say taking a conservative end HRM estimate for this would be fine (to compensate for the heat effect on HR which alone doesn't burn calories).

    I think the reality is that Bikram comprises many exercise forms beyond "stretching and breathing" including strength (esp. legs, core, lower back but some upper body too if you do the poses more fully), cardio (though not as much as HRM's say because the heat raises your heart rate also) and detox (due to compressions and sweating). I do think there is something to the compressions of the organs / joints in terms of detoxing / cleansing but I think strengthening of in particular knees is due to muscle development rather than than cleansing. I am a skeptic of the claims to cure any real diseases.

    If you are overweight and trying to get in shape:

    - You must have a daily average net calorie deficit by monitoring food intake e.g. with myfitnesspal. Make sure it is a small deficit over only 200 calories or less to avoid drama / lose weight steadily.

    - You should consider body composition (body fat %, body muscle %) as well as just weight (for both health and cosmetic reasons). You tend to lose muscle as well as fat if creating a net deficit with minimal exercise. To address this strength training (such as dumbell circuits) for 20-25 minutes 3x per week should make a big difference. This will inhibit the loss of muscle and therefore increase the proportion of fat lost and you will look trimmer / more toned for a given body weight as a result.

    - You may (optionally) do cardio but it is optional for weight loss (though it has cardiovascular health benefits). Cardio may help you hit your target daily calorie deficit but this can be done without cardio. Be careful to eat nearly all the calories you burn whilst maintaining the target daily deficit (using e.g. myfitnesspal) as long cardio sessions can create a larger than ideal calorie deficit which it is hard to replenish and you risk putting your body into starvation mode making it retain fat. If you do cardio make sure you find something you enjoy doing otherwise you will find it difficult to maintain.

    To illustrate from my experience: I recently lost 24 pounds in 6 months and went from 19% to 14% body fat and then maintained it for 5 months by eliminating the calorie deficit. I did Bikram 2x per week and did weights 2x-3x per week to get there and during the maintenance. Had I not done the weights I believe my body fat % would have ended up more like 16%. In the recent 1.5 months I stopped doing weights and Bikram but maintained the calorie deficit and also did cardio 2x per week (e.g. soccer, kayaking) . This has resulted in my body fat % rising to 15% whilst keeping the same weight. My conclusion: the weights improve body fat % the calorie deficit loses the weight the cardio is good for your heart and lungs but doesn't directly help once you've eaten the burned calories.
  • jasminecowrie
    jasminecowrie Posts: 1
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    I have read the very informative posts here- so what is an approximate calorie burn for 1.5 h of bikram yoga? 200, 400, 600 calories? Thanks
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Between 300-450 on average. Higher weight and intensity will result in the higher burn.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • derrickh2014
    derrickh2014 Posts: 1
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    Thank you for the posts. Isn't what determines aroebic vs aneroebic the heart rate itself! Some one needs to check the scienceThe rate determines the state no? So the HRM would certainly vary depending on the factors asked by the manufacturer.
    ie age weight male female etc. BUT STILL THE RATE DETERMINES THE STATE. Bikram is mor like EPOC or HIIT training with rates above and below an aerobic state. Witch creates a burn that lasts longer than steady state cardio. It's published science. PUBMED. GOV the science is out there. EPOC and high intensity interval training are the new terms to look for when trying to achieve more results with less work. It's been proven that these states create a 24 to 48 hour burn window which does not happen with steady state cardio.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Thank you for the posts. Isn't what determines aroebic vs aneroebic the heart rate itself! Some one needs to check the scienceThe rate determines the state no? So the HRM would certainly vary depending on the factors asked by the manufacturer.
    ie age weight male female etc. BUT STILL THE RATE DETERMINES THE STATE. Bikram is mor like EPOC or HIIT training with rates above and below an aerobic state. Witch creates a burn that lasts longer than steady state cardio. It's published science. PUBMED. GOV the science is out there. EPOC and high intensity interval training are the new terms to look for when trying to achieve more results with less work. It's been proven that these states create a 24 to 48 hour burn window which does not happen with steady state cardio.


    The "science" has been "checked" for at least 50 years. Heart rate per se without context is meaningless as a predictor of calorie burn.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Thank you for the posts. Isn't what determines aroebic vs aneroebic the heart rate itself! Some one needs to check the scienceThe rate determines the state no? So the HRM would certainly vary depending on the factors asked by the manufacturer.
    ie age weight male female etc. BUT STILL THE RATE DETERMINES THE STATE. Bikram is mor like EPOC or HIIT training with rates above and below an aerobic state. Witch creates a burn that lasts longer than steady state cardio. It's published science. PUBMED. GOV the science is out there. EPOC and high intensity interval training are the new terms to look for when trying to achieve more results with less work. It's been proven that these states create a 24 to 48 hour burn window which does not happen with steady state cardio.


    The "science" has been "checked" for at least 50 years. Heart rate per se without context is meaningless as a predictor of calorie burn.
    THIS. EPOC is highly exaggerated. While higher intensity exercise helps to raise RMR, it's not high as purported by many sources. Just like when many purported having more muscle would burn "oodles" more when in truth an extra pound of muscle burns about 6-12 calories more per day.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jcolleen85
    jcolleen85 Posts: 1 Member
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    You can't just drink water after the class; you have to replenish your electrolytes and potassium. They recommend coconut water because it's natural but you can just do Gatoraide etc (watch out for those extra calories). Always eat a banana for the Potassium. I guess some people may be more sensitive to the loses but I never really had a problem. Just stay hydrated all day.

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