Calories Burned In Bikram.
I've often wondered exactly how many calories a person can burn in a Bikram yoga class.
I've read online that it is between 300 and 600 calories per 90 minute class. So I always guessed (just to be modest) that I was only burning about 350 calories in a session. I was wrong.
Yesterday, I wore my Polar heart monitor during the Bikram class. I was shocked by how many calories it said I burned... 712.
Seven hundred and twelve???? That's insane!
Insane, but fairly accurate.
Based on my heart rate and all my other statistics, I burned through over 700 calories in just one session of Bikram. And according to everything I am finding online, the Polar heart monitor's calorie calculator is fairly accurate. So even if it is off by as much as 10%, I still burned nearly 650 calories in one session of yoga.
How cool is that?????
Want to know how much I burned my training session yesterday morning? Only 222.
I've read online that it is between 300 and 600 calories per 90 minute class. So I always guessed (just to be modest) that I was only burning about 350 calories in a session. I was wrong.
Yesterday, I wore my Polar heart monitor during the Bikram class. I was shocked by how many calories it said I burned... 712.
Seven hundred and twelve???? That's insane!
Insane, but fairly accurate.
Based on my heart rate and all my other statistics, I burned through over 700 calories in just one session of Bikram. And according to everything I am finding online, the Polar heart monitor's calorie calculator is fairly accurate. So even if it is off by as much as 10%, I still burned nearly 650 calories in one session of yoga.
How cool is that?????
Want to know how much I burned my training session yesterday morning? Only 222.
Comments
Yes, I think it is accurate. You program the heart monitor portion on your watch with your height and weight details. So it calculates the calorie burn that way.
It will vary from class to class. I have burned as little a 550 calories in a class... And up to about 800 in one class. Just depends on how hard I am working.
When I am having a "hard-working" class, and I feel it physically, I definitely burn more calories. So it corresponds.
The more you weigh, the more you burn, definitely.
I also have a LOT more muscle (from weight training) than most people my size (5'4"). And with more muscle, you burn more calories.
It has a strap that you wear around you chest, just under your "boob" area. And then you wear the watch on your wrist.
Since the HR monitor isn't going to distinguish from increased HR due to heat vs. pure exercise and the heat factor in Bikram is so high, it could be significant enough to throw the calorie count off.
The better test would be for someone to perform a Bikram session with heat component removed and compare the calories burned.
I know that there are certain activities like Tae Bo that burn more and keep me in my target heart rate zone the whole time, but there is something very cleansing about Bikram and flexibility can't be replaced!! It's all great as long as you are moving your body!
And Rick, the heat in Bikram is what makes it a cardio class. So you do burn more calories because your body is working harder... And not just to cool itself down... But also to keep itself in each of the positions.
My calorie counts range from 500 to 1100 depending on effort and the heat index of the room. I think those figures are fairly accurate.
Getting the HR up above 100 for someone with endurance training takes more than even 10 seconds of 'balancing stick' pose, and then at least half of a yoga class is rest. I'd count my burn during class as probably 200-300, not much more.
I actually wonder if the heat helps me to work harder of if it is more of an obstacle to pushing myself.
Any thouhgts?
It ABSOLUTELY makes you work harder, in my opinion.
Your heart rate gets faster in certain poses... Like standing-head-to-knee, bow pose and balancing stick pose... These are the cardiovascular poses. They are so good for you.
If you practice anything consistently, (like running or Bikram) your body could just get used to it and not shed any weight. It adapts.
Press the up or down buttons till you see "Settings." Then press "OK."
Then use the up or down buttons till you see "General." Press "OK."
Press the up or down buttons to select "Sound." Press "OK."
Press the up or down buttons till you see "OFF." Press "OK."
That should work...
The HR monitor is great motivation. I got it because I've been seeing people online say that Bikram doesn't burn that much and you should clock it as pilates maybe 200 calories; probably people who've never tried Bikram. I know it burns way more than 200 calories for myself because I burn 150 calories just sitting on the couch watching tv for an hour and a half. Also, I have no muscle (or very little). I'm working on that though.
The bigger you are, the more you will burn. That's why some people (me included) burn from 650 o 800 in one class.
I agree with you... People who say Bikram doesn't burn much in the way of calories have probably never tried it. You work your ass off in the class.
Here is a fun new idea for polling called Urtak! I found it and created my own poll for yogis, where I can see which people had similar and different experiences to my own! If you have the chance, please check it out!
http://urtak.com/u/BikramYoga
Tired of being overweight and unhealthy, I deiced to conduct an experiment by folloowing an strict routine of exercise and healthy eating habits.
I started going to yoga everyday last Tuesday, exercising on my stationary bike for 45 minutes minimum everyday, doing some weight training on my own to tone my arms and legs and followed a healthier diet (no sodas, no bread, no sugars, no sodium)
My experiment started yesterday, I am keeping a journal of everything I do and how my body changes.
Yesterday I weighted 140 lbs and my waist line was 34"
Today I weighted 139 lbs and my waistline is 33 1/2"
I can see that I lost 7 lbs from last Tuesday to yesterday. I think that is a lot for one week. My goal was to lose 2 lbs a week. I am quite happy and very motivated to continue with this routine after my short term goal (experiment)
Although I do not know much about hot yoga and the calories burned, I do think that it has contributed tremendously to my weight loss, muscle firming, and I also have gained lots of energy.
I just wanted to add my data here as well. I finally manged to remember to bring my HR monitor (I use a Polar)to my Bikram class. Here's the interesting data that I found.
Firstly, I would like to state that this is for a true 90 min Bikram session with 26 postures. There are a lot of spin-off 45-60 min Hot Yoga classes; my data is for the proper 90 min session.
Secondly, I would like everybody to know that, in my class, the temperature of the room seems to differ from instructor to instructor. Therefore, I took two readings. One for a teacher who makes the class extremely hot (like you're seriously thinking of walking out of the room it's so hot) and the other reading for a teacher that keeps the room at a bearable temperature. By bearable, I mean I'm still sweating profusely, but I'm not about to pass out from heat exhaustion.
So here's my data: I'm 26, I weigh about 112 and I'm 5'3. I used the same HR monitor for all of the below activities.
In the super hot 90 min session
I burned 540 calories - I did everything I could to the point where I felt like I would pass out if I didn't rest. I cannot hold all of the postures for the full minute.
(6 calories a minute)
In the medium heat 90 min Bikram session I burned 340 calories- I did everything I could to the point where I felt like I would pass out if I didn't rest. I cannot hold all of the postures for the full minute.
(3.78 calories a minute)
For a 45 minute run at 10k an hour I burn 360 calories (outside, moderate hills)
(8 calories a minute)
For a 60 min Weight-lifting session with serious effort (kettle belles and free-weights)
I burn 350 calories.
(5.8 calories a minute)
For a 50 min Spinning class at the gym.
I burn 420 calories
(8.4 calories a minute)
Now, I would like to caveat that this data was gathered from a single instance of exercise. Therefore, there are many factors that could have contributed to the numbers. I think that it is a good starting point for a reference - to get an idea though.
Cheers!
Jen
I hope this helps!
Jen
While there are 10 seconds of rest between each posture this is similar to circuit training which is one of the BEST ways to burn calories, proven to be better than running. Yoga postures use every muscle in your whole body, unlike working out with weights in a gym which use a very small percentage of your muscles (and therefore less "work" for your body).
I am 5'2" and weight 130 lbs. My heart rate monitor showed that in one Bikram class where I put in moderate effort due to an injury in my knee I was in my training zone for over 45 minutes and burned 520 calories.