Calories burned doing yoga
Yoga burns fewer calories than running or most sports, but it builds flexibility, balance and control, and it helps recovery.
That is roughly the energy in about 2 bananas, about 2 rotis or about 1 samosa.
At every effort level
| Effort | MET | Calories for 60 min |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle yoga | 2.5 | 175 kcal |
| Regular flow | 3 | 210 kcal |
| Power yoga | 4 | 280 kcal |
Calories burned doing yoga, by weight and time
At a regular pace (Regular flow).
| Body weight | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 75 kcal | 115 kcal | 150 kcal | 225 kcal |
| 60 kg | 90 kcal | 135 kcal | 180 kcal | 270 kcal |
| 70 kg | 105 kcal | 160 kcal | 210 kcal | 315 kcal |
| 80 kg | 120 kcal | 180 kcal | 240 kcal | 360 kcal |
| 90 kg | 135 kcal | 205 kcal | 270 kcal | 405 kcal |
Good to know
- Flowing styles such as power or vinyasa yoga burn more than slow, gentle styles.
- Long holds and rest at the end burn little, so a flow class has a higher average.
These are estimates for an average adult, based on the Compendium of Physical Activities. Your real figure depends on your fitness, technique and effort. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Questions people ask
How many calories does an hour of doing yoga burn?
At a regular pace, a 60 kg person burns about 180 kcal, a 70 kg person about 210 kcal and an 80 kg person about 240 kcal in an hour. Taking it easy (gentle yoga) burns about 175 kcal for a 70 kg person, and going hard (power yoga) about 280 kcal.
How many calories does 30 minutes of doing yoga burn?
At a regular pace, about 90 kcal for a 60 kg person, 105 kcal for 70 kg and 120 kcal for 80 kg. Use the calculator above to enter your own weight and time.
How is the number worked out?
Calories burned = MET x your weight in kg x time in hours. A MET says how many times more energy an activity uses than sitting still. For doing yoga we use 2.5 (easy), 3 (regular) and 4 (hard). These values follow the Compendium of Physical Activities, a standard research list, and are averages for adults.
How accurate is this?
It is an estimate, usually within about 20 percent. Your fitness, technique, body build and how hard you really work all change the true figure, and fitness watches can differ from it too. Use it to compare activities and plan, not as an exact count.
Is doing yoga good for weight loss?
Any activity that gets you moving helps, and the best one is the one you will keep doing. Weight depends on what you eat as much as what you burn. As a very rough rule, around 7,700 kcal is about 1 kg of body fat, but real results vary from person to person. If you have a health condition, check with a doctor before starting something new.
