Calorie burned doing vinyasa or power yoga

aepdx
aepdx Posts: 218 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I see this question a lot in the forums, but I thought I would throw it out there again.

I am doing a lot of vinyasa and power yoga classes lately and have just been manually entering that I am burning around 350 calories for 75 minutes. I know that I am burning more than I would doing Hatha (which is what MFP has in the database), but I don’t want to overestimate. I do have an HRM, but would rather not have something around my chest when I am flowing.

I have googled this topic numerous times and get crazy different estimates. Some say 450, some say 300… some say 700!

Has anyone used an HRM doing vinyasa or power yoga? How many calories did it say you burned?

If you estimate like me, how much do you estimate?

I am 5’3” and 150 lbs.

It is not a huge deal, I love the way that yoga makes me feel regardless of calories burned, I just want to make sure I am not over or under eating.

Thanks! Maybe I should just use my HRM…

Replies

  • esteske
    esteske Posts: 1 Member
    I did an hour of vinyasa in a class yesterday and I burned 495 calories, according to my FitBit. I haven't done it using my HRM because it would be cumbersome, but considering the amount of effort and sweat, I think that is about right! I didn't count savasana, of course :)
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    I googled this the other day and saw some of those same estimates, but then I came across a blog article of someone who did wear their HRM to a class and it read 245. That sounded more reasonable to me than all the other, higher estimates, so that's closer to what I entered. Here's the blog: http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/2011/09/10/hot-yoga-calorie-confusion/.
  • Vaisaxena
    Vaisaxena Posts: 109 Member
    I see this question a lot in the forums, but I thought I would throw it out there again.

    I am doing a lot of vinyasa and power yoga classes lately and have just been manually entering that I am burning around 350 calories for 75 minutes. I know that I am burning more than I would doing Hatha (which is what MFP has in the database), but I don’t want to overestimate. I do have an HRM, but would rather not have something around my chest when I am flowing.

    I have googled this topic numerous times and get crazy different estimates. Some say 450, some say 300… some say 700!

    Has anyone used an HRM doing vinyasa or power yoga? How many calories did it say you burned?

    If you estimate like me, how much do you estimate?

    I am 5’3” and 150 lbs.

    It is not a huge deal, I love the way that yoga makes me feel regardless of calories burned, I just want to make sure I am not over or under eating.

    Thanks! Maybe I should just use my HRM…

    It wouldn't matter for weight loss. You could burn 0 calories and still lose the weight by diet alone.

    My point is that you will never be able to estimate "calories burned" accurately - instead eat a at a moderate deficit and let the exercise do its thing.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I agree with Vaisaxena.

    The problem with using the FitBit or HRM is they are both based on heart rate and, like weight lifting, a yoga session will have times of high heart rate and low and also holding taxing positions which will increase heart rate but not necessarily be cardio or calorie burning. HRM devices and the like will be wildly innacurate in a yoga session; especially in hot yoga where the heart rate is elevated in order to attempt to cool the body down.

    I think 350 for 75 minutes is a good middle figure, but to paraphrase Vaisaxena - control diet to reduce bodyweight and just enjoy the yoga.
  • Vaisaxena
    Vaisaxena Posts: 109 Member
    I agree with Vaisaxena.

    The problem with using the FitBit or HRM is they are both based on heart rate and, like weight lifting, a yoga session will have times of high heart rate and low and also holding taxing positions which will increase heart rate but not necessarily be cardio or calorie burning. HRM devices and the like will be wildly innacurate in a yoga session; especially in hot yoga where the heart rate is elevated in order to attempt to cool the body down.

    I think 350 for 75 minutes is a good middle figure, but to paraphrase Vaisaxena - control diet to reduce bodyweight and just enjoy the yoga.

    To add to this point - heart rate doesn't mean much at all - you could sit still with your HRM and burn close to 100 calories in an hour.

    The other thing is that activities like weight-lifting elevate your heart-rate well into the next day. Not to mention they elevate protein synthesis for muscle retention and growth which is a very calorically expensive process.

    Yoga to retain muscle = good
    Yoga to gain muscle = mediocre
    Yoga to burn calories = not good <== this is not what we're after anyway
  • seena511
    seena511 Posts: 685 Member
    I agree with Vaisaxena.

    The problem with using the FitBit or HRM is they are both based on heart rate and, like weight lifting, a yoga session will have times of high heart rate and low and also holding taxing positions which will increase heart rate but not necessarily be cardio or calorie burning. HRM devices and the like will be wildly innacurate in a yoga session; especially in hot yoga where the heart rate is elevated in order to attempt to cool the body down.

    I think 350 for 75 minutes is a good middle figure, but to paraphrase Vaisaxena - control diet to reduce bodyweight and just enjoy the yoga.

    if she's counting on her exercise to help create a deficit, then she probably would like to have a relatively accurate idea.

    i always used MFP's calculations no matter what style i was doing. wore my HRM for a 70 minute class once and it told me 433. i wore it for the same class (video) later and i burned less than 300. your estimate is probably OK. if you're worried about overeating by over estimating calories burned, knock 50 calories off of whatever number you feel like you burned.
  • Vaisaxena
    Vaisaxena Posts: 109 Member
    I agree with Vaisaxena.

    The problem with using the FitBit or HRM is they are both based on heart rate and, like weight lifting, a yoga session will have times of high heart rate and low and also holding taxing positions which will increase heart rate but not necessarily be cardio or calorie burning. HRM devices and the like will be wildly innacurate in a yoga session; especially in hot yoga where the heart rate is elevated in order to attempt to cool the body down.

    I think 350 for 75 minutes is a good middle figure, but to paraphrase Vaisaxena - control diet to reduce bodyweight and just enjoy the yoga.

    if she's counting on her exercise to help create a deficit, then she probably would like to have a relatively accurate idea.

    i always used MFP's calculations no matter what style i was doing. wore my HRM for a 70 minute class once and it told me 433. i wore it for the same class (video) later and i burned less than 300. your estimate is probably OK. if you're worried about overeating by over estimating calories burned, knock 50 calories off of whatever number you feel like you burned.

    But this is the biggest flaw - creating a deficit by exercise is a very poor investment in time. I would rather sit for 3 hrs and watch tv or spend time with family *while not eating* than walk on a treadmill for an hour boring myself - both result in the same weight loss.

    Exercise should be used as a "repartitioning agent" not to burn calories. Meaning exercise should be used to direct nutrients to muscle when food is consumed.

    MFP perpetuates eating back your calories which is a poor way to create a deficit.
  • aepdx
    aepdx Posts: 218 Member
    Thank you for your responses so far! I am on a 1200 calorie plan right now and usually eat around 1400-1500 a day instead because I eat some exercise calories back. I went from not exercising at all and eating whatever I wanted a couple months ago to exercising every day and eating much better, so either way my body is thanking me. Yoga is amazing. I can’t wait to build more strength so I can further my practice!
  • katedevall
    katedevall Posts: 240 Member
    How many calories is different for every person. If you would like an accurate estimate I would suggest wearing it to one session then you will have an approximate and won't have to wear it again
  • beccaet
    beccaet Posts: 1
    I disagree that exercise is a poor use of time. It's not just about burning calories, but developing cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and building strength and is also a great stress reliever and can help you sleep, ie all round health. Fitter people with a high level of muscle also burn more calories even when not exercising.

    But if you are a keen exerciser (I cycle, run, do ashtanga yoga and free weights/cardio at the gym), it's important to work out at least roughly how many calories you burn and Ashtanga yoga is not on the app, so the info here was useful.

    If you are fit, you can make significant calorie deficits though exercise e.g. If I do a 10km (6 miles?) run in 55 minutes as I did this Saturday just gone, I burn 650 calories, which is a considerable calorie deficit! However an exercise "beginner" won't be able to do that as they won't be fit enough eg to run for an hour.
  • bombshellmel
    bombshellmel Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for writing that. I am about the same height and weight and feel exactly the same way - that yoga as part of my exercise is really important and wonderful. I feel so well and the pain in my back and shoulders is basically gone. I don't think this is correct, but I have a sense from other machines at the gym what I burn when I exert myself. So when I am exercising hard I burn between 350-400 calories per hour. So I sort imagine that yoga is about 300 an hour for me and spin/cardio class is about 400 an hour.
  • DerekM69
    DerekM69 Posts: 1 Member
    Hatha Yoga: 189 calories. Hatha yoga is an umbrella term for what Westerners consider yoga. In truth, Hatha yoga is the actual physical practice of yoga postures, plain and simple. This is the basic, run-of-the-mill yoga class you may find at your gym or local studio if not noted otherwise. While part of the class may contain constant movement, a lot of it is also holding balance poses. Hatha classes are perfect for those who want to dip their toes in the yoga pool and get a great, relaxing flexibility workout.

    Ashtanga Yoga (or Power Yoga): 351 calories. Ashtanga yoga is often referred to as Power Yoga because of its dynamic system that combines breathing and movement into a series of postures. It is both cardiovascular and meditative, and relies on the strength of your own muscles to perform the movements. Unlike many styles of yoga where the classes are choreographed differently, in Ashtanga Yoga classes, the postures performed are always the same and are done in a specific order. Ashtanga yoga is meant to purify the body by cultivating an “internal heat,” which burns off toxins. It also builds strength, flexibility and reduces stress.

    Bikram or Hot Yoga: 318 calories. Hot yoga, which is preformed in a room heated to around 105 degrees, it is probably the most misunderstood form of yoga. “When the body is working hard to cool itself, as in a hot yoga class, heart rate does increase, but that does not necessarily mean there is a higher physical demand on the working muscles,” explains Lawson. “We might expect to lose anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds of water weight in a hot yoga class, but that is likely to be replaced when we rehydrate.”

    Bikram yoga involves a sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises performed in the same order, no matter where you take your class. Hot yoga can involve any type of postures but is still performed in a heated classroom. You will sweat profusely, thereby ridding the body of toxins and the intense heat enhances flexibility in your muscles.

    Vinyasa Yoga (Flow Yoga): 594 calories. Vinyasa yoga, often referred to as Flow because of the smooth way the poses run together, tops the list of calorie burners because of the constant movement. If you choose a Flow class, expect lots of burning muscles, not just stretching. Many love Vinyasa because of its diversity. There is no single sequence that teachers follow, so every class will be different, but intense.

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