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.

Comments

JoY said…
wow--- that is insane! i was searching for this exact answer and I am so glad to have found your blog. Do you think your Polar monitor is accurate?
Me said…
LOL! Thanks Joy!

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.
Unknown said…
712 calories!!! That IS insane. According to my Polar Fitness Monitor, I only burn 450 per class, and I work pretty hard in there. But I'm a relatively small person (130lbs). If you don't mind my asking...how much do you weigh? 712 calories is MAJOR!!!
Me said…
I weigh about 160 to 155.

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.
Anonymous said…
wow this makes me want to get my own heart rate monitor for motivation! Where did you get yours? And if you dont mind me asking, how expensive was it? I would love to know how many calories I actually burn at Bikram!
Me said…
I got one of the Polar heart monitors (http://www.citysports.com/citysports/product.asp?s%5Fid=0&pf%5Fid=126554) from City Sports here in Boston. But you can find them at any sports store anywhere.

It has a strap that you wear around you chest, just under your "boob" area. And then you wear the watch on your wrist.
Anonymous said…
thanks so much! this is very helpful. I just started practicing bikram yoga and wanted to know if this was more efficient than running... I know the answer now!!! I am glad to not feel like I have to run to get the best exercise (not a big fan) and work hard in class instead. I'm going to buy the monitor too to check my own stats. Thanks for your post!
Rick said…
This is very interesting stuff. However, we may need to consider that there might be a significant fudge factor due to the heat component of Bikram. Simply put, heat increases heart rate to cool the body and that increase is not equal to the caloric burn of pure exercise. http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/heartrate.shtml

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.
Anonymous said…
This entry was pretty cool. I wore my Polar Heart Rate Monitor in my first Bikram class although I am not new to yoga so I was working hard. I am 5'4" and 106lbs and I burned 378 calories and it said that I was in target heart rate zone only 30 minutes out of the one hour and a half class.
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!
Me said…
The more used to Bikram you are, the harder you have to push yorself to get your heart rate up.

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.
Anonymous said…
I agree with the Missus plus my degree is in Physiology so I should know!!! Regardless of how your heart rate gtets up...the faster it is, the harder your body is working and thus the more calories you burn. SImple AS!!!
Unknown said…
I often use my fancy running watch to track my heart rate during Bikram. I've posted a typical plot here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZgsGNSI-2HgpBOMKIl0Yvg

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.
Anonymous said…
I think Bikram's burn rates can vary widely with the effort you put into class, but that being said, those who are already fit it is not a great aerobic workout.

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.
Anonymous said…
That's a great conversation! It is my first week at Bikram yoga and I find it very interesting. I haven't seen great results yet but it's been only 3 times I went.

I actually wonder if the heat helps me to work harder of if it is more of an obstacle to pushing myself.

Any thouhgts?
Me said…
Hey Christine...

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.
kharamellla said…
I think Rick is right, the heat probably throws this number off. I practice 4-5x a week, I'm 5'3 and 116 lbs. and work hard. I would be losing more weight if I were burning 400-800 calories per session. I count calories maticulously and have been practicing for almost a year.
Me said…
Practicing Bikram is like any other exercise you might do... Your body burns calories differently depending on other things you've got going on.. Such as your hormones, how much you eat, etc...

If you practice anything consistently, (like running or Bikram) your body could just get used to it and not shed any weight. It adapts.
Jen W said…
Ok, please help. How do I turn off the HR target zone beep on my polar watch? I really want to take mine in, but I can't afford to have the beeping go off during class! Thanks!!
Me said…
Click the silver button in the middle on the right.

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...
Jen W said…
Thank you so much!
Anonymous said…
I just bought the F-55 Polar heart rate monitor and went to a Bikram class yesterday. I burned 470 calories and stayed in my HR zone for 30 minutes out of the hour and a half. I'm also 5'1 and 125 pounds. I believe I could've burned more, but I wasn't pushing myself as hard. The instructor was like a drill Sargent and I had to sit down 3 times. I'm sure I could've burned 600 calories if I worked harder. I'll see next time I go.

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.
Me said…
What your monitor says you burned in Bikram, Tamara, sounds accurate. Especially for your petite size... You burned a lot!!!

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.
Unknown said…
I just started bikram yesterday. I honestly believe the calorie count and weight loss factor depends on your natural potential and need to lose weight. your body knows how to regulate itself and will do what it needs to, in order to reach the healthiest potential. For example, perhaps a person who is 5'3 and 116 lbs isnt losing any weight because he/she is at the healthy weight for his/her body. Any more weight loss would be unhealthy and now the body builds endurance and muscle instead.

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
said…
I have just started doing Bikram and I feel like I have run on the treadmill after doing 30mins. You can check out my blog if you like begginersjourneyinbikram.blogspot.com
Unknown said…
I really like this blog. I was looking to find how many calories I burn on one hot yoga session. I found a calculator and when I saw the amount of calories I could not believe it! I am petite and overweight (4'11 and was 147 lbs when I started last week)

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.
Jen W said…
Hi There,

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
Jen W said…
Also, I wanted to add that your weight and height has a significant effect on the number of calories that you burn. Just like The missus stated, your weight and height will change your numbers significantly. My fiance joined me for my 45 min run - we ran side by side and he burned 615 calories. He's 6'5 and 87 kilograms (194 lbs). I only burned 350 calories! In other words, the bigger you are the more you burn.
Anonymous said…
No, I believe Rick is correct. To illustrate, if I (god forbid) ingested a bunch of phen then sat around on my couch, my heart would be racing but I would not burn even close to the amount of calories which I would burn if I were jogging with my heart beating at the same rate. The speed of your heart is not the significant determinate of how many calories you are burning, unless it is the effort of your muscles which is causing the increased rate of your heart's work. So during a Bikram session, since part of your heart's rate is from doing yoga, but part of your heart's rate is from cooling you down due to the Bikram studio, there is a fudge factor. The simple solution is to do similarly difficult yoga in a non-heated studio, then hike your calories burned by 100ish to compensate for a slight yet more accurate higher percentage of cals estimated to be burned during a Bikram session. >> Just an average guy thinking.
krissy said…
Calorie burn is based on oxygen consumption, which is based on your heart rate - not how much "work" you are putting in. The combination of heat and physical work raises your heart rate into your training zone, this is VERY different then a moment of increased heart rate from eating spicy food as some suggested.

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.
RP Gypsy said…
May I please suggest that no human being should ever do a bikram equivalent class outside of a heated room. You could seriously injure yourself. Never push your body/muscles that hard in normal temperatures. There must be a better way to get a calorie burn reading.
Sarah-Jane said…
I am very happy to have found this site as I am a cerial calorie counter and have started up Bikram over the last few weeks and have had different feedback from so many sites in regards to calories burnt. I am 5.3 and 51.7kg and was wondering what I may burn.... I get nervous that I am not burning enough in the classes although they are very exhausting!!!
Unknown said…
According to my HRM, I burn about 800 calories in a Bikram yoga session on average. When I put maximum effort I burn up to 200 calories more. I'm 155 pounds.
Hi. I just stumbled upon your blog. If you don't mind my asking, what results did you see? I recently started doing bikram (though will be trying other things as well) in order to get in shape. Thanks.

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