Need Help with Bikram Yoga?

anahita84
anahita84 Posts: 44
edited December 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Everyone

I used to do Bikram Yoga and am recenty intending to go back to it. I however have no real information on how much calories will a 90 min bikram yoga practice will burn.

I am 5'8 in height an am about 159 lbs. Has anyone worn a heartmonitor/calorie counter in the class and observed how much calories they actually burn?

Would love to get some feedback :)

Replies

  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    I did and I don't believe it was accurate. There is no way I burned what it said. I mean, it's physically impossible. I did it three times a week for 12 weeks WHILE logging food. If my HRM was accurate I should've lost a lot of weight. I didn't. Though I love it and wish it didn't cost so much and take so much time.

    I think the accelerated HR from the heat makes your HRM think you're burning a lot but you're not. Don't get me wrong, it's killer. I know. But my HRM said close to 800 calories for the 90 minutes. As you know, half the class is seated or lying. There's just no way. It takes me going all-out to burn 10 calories/minute. And like I said the pounds should've been dropping off me if I was really burning 2400 calories/week with yoga, for 12 weeks. I lost 2 lbs. doing Bikram and WW for 12 weeks, by the book.

    So I'm not much help but I'm pretty sure, for me, being not terribly overweight at the time, it sure didn't burn 800.
  • anahita84
    anahita84 Posts: 44
    Hi Mcarter - Thanks for your reply! So you just lost 2lbs in the 12 weeks of doing Bikram Yoga?
  • spartangirl79
    spartangirl79 Posts: 277 Member
    I did and I don't believe it was accurate. There is no way I burned what it said. I mean, it's physically impossible. I did it three times a week for 12 weeks WHILE logging food. If my HRM was accurate I should've lost a lot of weight. I didn't. Though I love it and wish it didn't cost so much and take so much time.

    I think the accelerated HR from the heat makes your HRM think you're burning a lot but you're not. Don't get me wrong, it's killer. I know. But my HRM said close to 800 calories for the 90 minutes. As you know, half the class is seated or lying. There's just no way. It takes me going all-out to burn 10 calories/minute. And like I said the pounds should've been dropping off me if I was really burning 2400 calories/week with yoga, for 12 weeks. I lost 2 lbs. doing Bikram and WW for 12 weeks, by the book.

    So I'm not much help but I'm pretty sure, for me, being not terribly overweight at the time, it sure didn't burn 800.

    You actually are burning more in a hot yoga class. The body has to work much harder to cool itself and it is constantly striving to stay at 98.6 degrees. When your heart rate is 160 (mine was 160 or higher in the class where I tested the HRM, and I was panting like a dog -- my breathing was labored and the "talk test" indicated high exertion), you ARE burning more calories.

    Some people will say otherwise, but it doesn't matter if you're walking or doing yoga. If it's cool out and your HR is only 135, you're not burning as much as if you're walking when it's 90 degrees and your HR is 165.

    And yes, you DO burn more when it's hotter out, even if you're just sitting in a chair. Elevated HR = increased calorie burn. Doesn't matter if you're running or walking or paddleboarding or doing hot yoga.

    The same would be true if it was very cold and your body temp was dropping below 98.6. Your body is going to work harder to get your core temp up via shivering, which burns calories.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Anahita- Yes, 2 lbs. in 12 weeks doing Bikram 3 times a week and Weight Watchers latest plan. Though I later figured out WW latest plan probably had me around 1800+ calories, which is about maintenance for me.

    Spartangirl- I've always been dying to know if it really does burn more just due to the heat. I live in Phoenix and it's super hot but people are just as fat as elsewhere. You'd think if heat burned calories we could all just sit around in heated sweat suits and drop pounds like crazy. Or sit in a sauna or steam room.

    I know my heart races in Bikram and I'd love to burn 800 calories per class. I just don't know how it could be. If I was burning 2400 calories/week x 12 weeks that's over 8 lbs. I should've lost just from the yoga.
  • charlottefairbairn
    charlottefairbairn Posts: 19
    The number we're told in HBY is "up to 1,000 calories" burned in 90 minutes - I guess it depends how far you're pushing yourself :)
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    I have trouble believing calorie burn claims from the people who benefit from exaggerating those claims. :smile:

    How do you NOT push yourself in Bikram? Lay on the mat and not participate? Hide in the locker room? :laugh:
  • tnrmy1
    tnrmy1 Posts: 2
    I would say that you would push yourself in Bikram yoga by makng sure you are tightening up your muscles including your stomach in all postures, strive to get deeper into postures, really focus on your postures. That would be getting the most out of the workout for optimum calorie burn, or you could half-heartedly do the postures and not burn calories or see results in your body. I would imagine that the reason there isnt much weight loss is because you are actutally building and toning muscles so wouldnt that reflect in the scale? Isnt muscle more dense than fat therefore weighing more?
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