Bikram / hot yoga - calories burned?

skinnygirlswearprada
skinnygirlswearprada Posts: 16 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone know how many calories are burned after a 90 minute bikram yoga class? I only saw hatha yoga on the MFP exercise list and it gave me 266 calories. People tell me after bikram one sheds over 600 calories?

Does anyone have any idea on the calories burned?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    it's somewhat difficult to gauge...

    i do 'hot yoga', although usually not Bikram. i've worn a BodyMedia armband a few times to class (90 minutes) and both times burnt only about 260-290 per session. i would have guessed it would be a major burn...i mean, i was DRIPPING sweat and working very hard. but 1/2 hour of the class were sitting or lying postures. also the added heat element which makes us sweaty doesn't really account for an additional calorie burn. i weight about 133 lbs (just so you can compare).

    hope this helps a little!
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,770 Member
    I do Bikram yoga, and when I first started last year, I was burning about 600 cals (used my hr moniter). Just used HR monitor again about a month ago, and I was burning 520. I'm 5'4 and weigh 128. I had to add it as an exercise because it wasn't in the database.

    The hot room does make your heart beat faster, not to mention all the asanas - especially the dreaded triangle! Wowee!
  • skinnygirlswearprada
    skinnygirlswearprada Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks! Yeah I think I'm going to stick to the 266. When ppl from class told me 500 to 1k calories it was a little to good to be true!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    Does anyone know how many calories are burned after a 90 minute bikram yoga class? I only saw hatha yoga on the MFP exercise list and it gave me 266 calories. People tell me after bikram one sheds over 600 calories?

    Does anyone have any idea on the calories burned?

    Thanks!
    Yoga doesn't burn many calories. Lots of the work is isometric and isometric work doesn't burn a lot of calories.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    I do Bikram yoga, and when I first started last year, I was burning about 600 cals (used my hr moniter). Just used HR monitor again about a month ago, and I was burning 520. I'm 5'4 and weigh 128. I had to add it as an exercise because it wasn't in the database.

    The hot room does make your heart beat faster, not to mention all the asanas - especially the dreaded triangle! Wowee!
    A faster heart rate doesn't necessarily mean you burned that many calories. If you squatted with weight on your back (85% if 1rm) for 30 seconds straight non stop your heart rate would be soaring. Actual calories burned would be about 7.
  • skinnygirlswearprada
    skinnygirlswearprada Posts: 16 Member
    Oh Womona - okay. I guess the best thing is to use a HR monitor everyone is different. I'm 5'3 / 156 so I'll see how it goes :-)
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
    I've been doing it for a few years and I know I burn more calories on some days than others. I just use 400 calories as an average and stick with that--I figure it evens out.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I do Bikram yoga, and when I first started last year, I was burning about 600 cals (used my hr moniter). Just used HR monitor again about a month ago, and I was burning 520. I'm 5'4 and weigh 128. I had to add it as an exercise because it wasn't in the database.

    The hot room does make your heart beat faster, not to mention all the asanas - especially the dreaded triangle! Wowee!

    I hate to always be the bad guy, but I have to keep saying this: you cannot use a heart rate monitor to estimate calories in any type of "hot yoga" class. When heart rate is increased due to thermal stress, calorie expenditure does not increase.
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    From what I've seen in researchign this very question - it looks like a lot of sites will overreport calories burned during Bikram. I love it, and plan to get back to doing it again. But 300 calories or sounds about right for a 90 minute session.

    I think the best estimate of calories burned is pretty much regular yoga. I know when I go back to Bikram, I will likely be using the MFP estimate for hatha yoga. I don't think the heat - by itself - "burns" more calories.
  • mjf2001
    mjf2001 Posts: 5 Member
    I always pop in 600 calories as an estimate. It may be less than that, but it's been my primary workout for 3 months straight, 4 days a week (with 3 runs a week) and I've lost 38 lbs., am looking better and feeling great. Seems to work, so I'm sticking to it!
  • Niomijay
    Niomijay Posts: 1
    this is where i looked to get calories used:

    http://www.bikramyogabenefits.net/how-many-calories-can-you-burn-with-bikram-yoga.html
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
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  • cjpendery
    cjpendery Posts: 1
    When I took physiology 101 for nursing, one of the lab experiments was measuring basal metabolic rate of a mouse exposed to stressors such as temperature change. Both excessive cold and heat increases metabolism and therefore translates to increased calorie burn. Just as having a fever causes increased calorie burn. It all has to do with trying to maintain core temperature 98.6.

    http://intentblog.com/5-ways-temperature-can-boost-your-metabolism/
  • bayneiac
    bayneiac Posts: 1
    My heart monitor tells me that I burn between 500 and 900 calories in a typical 90-minute Bikram session. I weigh about 160 lbs, never sit out any postures, and am post-menopausal but look a lot younger , thanks to this yoga. The weird thing is that I burn the most calories when class feels easy, and hover at the lower end of the range on those off days when I'm dragging through class. Go figure!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    My heart monitor tells me that I burn between 500 and 900 calories in a typical 90-minute Bikram session. I weigh about 160 lbs, never sit out any postures, and am post-menopausal but look a lot younger , thanks to this yoga. The weird thing is that I burn the most calories when class feels easy, and hover at the lower end of the range on those off days when I'm dragging through class. Go figure!
    Guaranteed you're not burning that much. As mentioned before, HRM measure heart rate and when translated from ANAEROBIC exercise, it's totally inaccurate. At your weight, you may have burned about 350 calories in that time.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lovelyday22
    lovelyday22 Posts: 1 Member
    ok...i just used this calculator found on several websites, and it shows 1000 calories burned in 90 minutes (i'm 147 lbs)...can this be accurate??

    http://www.bikramyogaburnaby.ca/about-the-yoga/bikram-yoga-calorie-calculator/
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    I do Bikram yoga, and when I first started last year, I was burning about 600 cals (used my hr moniter). Just used HR monitor again about a month ago, and I was burning 520. I'm 5'4 and weigh 128. I had to add it as an exercise because it wasn't in the database.

    The hot room does make your heart beat faster, not to mention all the asanas - especially the dreaded triangle! Wowee!

    I hate to always be the bad guy, but I have to keep saying this: you cannot use a heart rate monitor to estimate calories in any type of "hot yoga" class. When heart rate is increased due to thermal stress, calorie expenditure does not increase.

    You're not the only bad guy - I was about to say exactly this!

    A fair guesstimate for any kind of Ashtanga/Flow/Power type yoga would be around the 250 - 300 per hour mark; regardless of heat.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I don't consider hot yoga as a cardio exercise so I only count 1 calorie burned.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
    I don't consider hot yoga as a cardio exercise so I only count 1 calorie burned.

    I have to agree. For me it's a chance to get in some really deep stretching with all the running and weight lifting I do.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    ok...i just used this calculator found on several websites, and it shows 1000 calories burned in 90 minutes (i'm 147 lbs)...can this be accurate??

    http://www.bikramyogaburnaby.ca/about-the-yoga/bikram-yoga-calorie-calculator/
    Really? An elite athlete working out in swimming burns that. Think about it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • geekmomof3
    geekmomof3 Posts: 18 Member
    For people saying it is not a cardio exercise have you seen to a bikram yoga class? Just like anyone workout you can phone it in some days but when your focused and doing the postures and really pushing yourself...I think 600 is fairly accurate.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    For people saying it is not a cardio exercise have you seen to a bikram yoga class? Just like anyone workout you can phone it in some days but when your focused and doing the postures and really pushing yourself...I think 600 is fairly accurate.
    It's ANAEROBIC due the fact that poses are isometric. For instance, stand in a door way, put your hands on opposite sides of the wall and push in with all your might for say 30 seconds. You'll huff, you'll puff and if you do it enough times you'll even sweat. Calories burned in that 30 seconds......................about 2.5. Now multiply that by and you're looking at about 450 calories.
    There's no dispute that isometric exercise is anaerobic by any fitness counsil or Journals of study in physiology or sports training/conditioning. And math doesn't lie.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lisal11
    lisal11 Posts: 59 Member
    That's tough. I used to be an avid Bikram fan (Power Yoga, Vinyasa flow as well) and the heat really muddles the result. I've seen a wide range of results with people who wear the monitors.

    I definitely would not use a heart rate monitor when first starting the class. You are not used to the heat and it's taxing just to tolerate it. Maybe you'd get a more accurate result after a few months. After doing Bikram for a while, the heat did not bother me at all. I found it to be quite relaxing.
  • cclaudia1968
    cclaudia1968 Posts: 3
    Most likely the calorie burned in Hot Yoga are overestimated almost everywhere. Just to be safe, I would count Bikram Yoga a bit more than a 90 minute session of non-heated Hatha Yoga. Definitely I burn more calories than standing/weight lifting and definitely less than swimming/running... Just common sense, no math... I lost more weight than with the personal and/or group classes that I've been to for over two years.

    :flowerforyou:
  • cclaudia1968
    cclaudia1968 Posts: 3
    For people saying it is not a cardio exercise have you seen to a bikram yoga class? Just like anyone workout you can phone it in some days but when your focused and doing the postures and really pushing yourself...I think 600 is fairly accurate.
    It's ANAEROBIC due the fact that poses are isometric. For instance, stand in a door way, put your hands on opposite sides of the wall and push in with all your might for say 30 seconds. You'll huff, you'll puff and if you do it enough times you'll even sweat. Calories burned in that 30 seconds......................about 2.5. Now multiply that by and you're looking at about 450 calories.
    There's no dispute that isometric exercise is anaerobic by any fitness counsil or Journals of study in physiology or sports training/conditioning. And math doesn't lie.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Math?!? What are you talking about? Since when is fitness a math science?!? :laugh:
    "Math doesn't lie"? Neither do our bodies: I've been through personal training for over 6 months (started twice a week and then three times a week) and I couldn't see much difference in weight: from 154 to 148 lb. Then, I supplemented the training with Bikram Yoga. My personal trainer used to laugh at me; big surprise: he didn't believe in Yoga... He was so wrong! After only 4 weeks of Hot Yoga (the 26 postures) I lost a few pounds (141 lb) and my body definitely looked slimmer. Right now I'm only going to Hot Yoga (no personal training scam whatsoever) and I'm still losing weight (136 lb).

    Researcher
    PhD in Biochemistry
    MSc in Physics and quite a few scientific publications that requires real MATH...     :flowerforyou:
  • cclaudia1968
    cclaudia1968 Posts: 3
    I don't consider hot yoga as a cardio exercise so I only count 1 calorie burned.

    OMG, some of you guys are so smart. Good for you! :bigsmile:

    :flowerforyou:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    For people saying it is not a cardio exercise have you seen to a bikram yoga class? Just like anyone workout you can phone it in some days but when your focused and doing the postures and really pushing yourself...I think 600 is fairly accurate.
    It's ANAEROBIC due the fact that poses are isometric. For instance, stand in a door way, put your hands on opposite sides of the wall and push in with all your might for say 30 seconds. You'll huff, you'll puff and if you do it enough times you'll even sweat. Calories burned in that 30 seconds......................about 2.5. Now multiply that by and you're looking at about 450 calories.
    There's no dispute that isometric exercise is anaerobic by any fitness counsil or Journals of study in physiology or sports training/conditioning. And math doesn't lie.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Math?!? What are you talking about? Since when is fitness a math science?!? :laugh:
    "Math doesn't lie"? Neither do our bodies: I've been through personal training for over 6 months (started twice a week and then three times a week) and I couldn't see much difference in weight: from 154 to 148 lb. Then, I supplemented the training with Bikram Yoga. My personal trainer used to laugh at me; big surprise: he didn't believe in Yoga... He was so wrong! After only 4 weeks of Hot Yoga (the 26 postures) I lost a few pounds (141 lb) and my body definitely looked slimmer. Right now I'm only going to Hot Yoga (no personal training scam whatsoever) and I'm still losing weight (136 lb).

    Researcher
    PhD in Biochemistry
    MSc in Physics and quite a few scientific publications that requires real MATH...     :flowerforyou:
    Yoga is great exercise. Never stated that it wasn't. The information I've given is about calories burned. Your personal experience is yours (since I have no idea what your parameters for weight loss were actually set at) and doesn't trump actual science. People will state that boxing did it for them, running did it for them, pilates did it for them, HCG did it for them, etc. and we all know one thing for sure....................it came down to how well whatever they did for them worked with calorie deficit. And math is part of that equation. If you don't believe that, then you're somehow a special snowflake to the law of thermodynamics.

    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
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I agree with ninerbuff. An HRM told me I burn 800 calories in Bikram but there's no way. I used to do it 4-6 times a week, I would be a toothpick if that was anywhere close. I would guess it's more like half that.

    I don't know the physiology of temperature homeostasis in the body but I would guess that the HR increases in high heat because the blood vessels dilate to pump more blood nearer to the skin's surface for cooling, which isn't really a high-energy action. An effect is an elevated HR, which is also an effect of intense exercise where more oxygen is needed and that's what's driving the elevated HR then. So there's a similar effect (raised HR) but not very similar otherwise (raised energy expenditure).
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I agree with ninerbuff. An HRM told me I burn 800 calories in Bikram but there's no way. I used to do it 4-6 times a week, I would be a toothpick if that was anywhere close. I would guess it's more like half that.

    I don't know the physiology of temperature homeostasis in the body but I would guess that the HR increases in high heat because the blood vessels dilate to pump more blood nearer to the skin's surface for cooling, which isn't really a high-energy action. An effect is an elevated HR, which is also an effect of intense exercise where more oxygen is needed and that's what's driving the elevated HR then. So there's a similar effect (raised HR) but not very similar otherwise (raised energy expenditure).

    Well done--it's really a very simple concept.

    (elevated HR is also driven by increased core temp and some fluid loss via sweating, but you have the basics dead on ).
  • Abbynmione
    Abbynmione Posts: 2 Member
    I am a recent graduate of the Bikram Yoga teacher training. At my training we got a very informative lecture from a Dr. who has been running tests to scientifically prove the benefits of Bikram yoga. He has people attached to all sorts of machines to test the VO2; to see which muscles are used; testing heart rate and yes, to test the caloric expenditure. He debunked all the information floating around that one class of Bikram yoga burns 1000 calories. He said the average caloric expenditure is around 350, of course it depends on the persons weight, as with any other exercise; the heavier you are, the more calories you will burn. I have found a scientific calculation that gives me a pretty accurate of calories burned based on the Dr's stats. The formula is: (2.73 * 3.5 * weight kg/200) *90. You have to calculate your weight in kilograms, therefore, you have to multiply your weight by 0.45359237 to plug in your weight. My personal calculations using my weight in kilograms looks like this: (2.73 * 3.5 * 74.842741/200)*90 which gives me 321 calories burned. It's a little more than the regular hatha yoga on myfitnesspal but it's not the exaggerated number of 600-1000 calories. At 165 pounds it's just not happening unless I take 3 classes a day...lol...I hope this information helps. Namaste :wink:
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